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NewsQA | NEW YORK (CNN) -- Criminal charges will not be filed against the 18-year-old college freshman who falsely accused five men of raping her in a dormitory bathroom at Hofstra University, an official said Friday.
Instead, Danmell Ndonye must participate in a year-long psychiatric program and spend 250 hours in community service for lying to police about what was a consensual sexual encounter with four of the five accused men, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in a written statement.
Ndonye said she did not engage in sexual activity with Rondell Bedward, the only one of the men who attends Hofstra University. He has returned to classes.
Rice said she retains the option of filing criminal charges against Ndonye if she fails to complete the course of therapy or community service.
Rice added that filing criminal charges might have made any future false accuser reluctant to recant and tell the truth, possibly leading to an innocent person serving a lengthy prison sentence.
Authorities dropped charges and freed the four men they had taken into custody after their accuser changed her story about having been tied up and sexually assaulted in a dormitory bathroom.
The woman recanted after authorities told her that part of the incident was recorded on a cell phone video, Rice said.
"That was when she began to tell the truth," she said.
It is against the law to report a crime when there was not one, the district attorney said.
"Her actions and her demeanor depict a very troubled young woman in need of much help," Rice said.
Hofstra University has suspended Ndonye. | 2a300b8218764fedb9d8f905f1f79ff4 | Who will not face criminal charges? | [
"18-year-old college freshman"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Police have identified the man whose shooting of another man outside a store in Naples, Italy, was captured by a surveillance camera, the Italian news agency ANSA reported Saturday.
The announcement came two days after police released the video of the brazen daylight shooting in hopes it would lead someone to come forward. Police did not release the man's name.
The video, shot May 11, shows a man wearing jeans, a dark jersey and a baseball cap, walking into the store and looking around, turning and walking back out.
Passersby appear unfazed. One woman tries to lift up the victim's head in an apparent attempt to see if she knew him; a man steps over the body.
Police said they had been without any clues before the release of the video. A source who was not identified publicly said the killer was a man in his 30s from Naples' northern Sanita district who had recently left the city.
A third man seen in the video was thought to have been an accomplice, but he told Il Mattino newspaper that he had nothing to do with the killing.
"I am the man of the film, but I have never been a lookout, and now I am afraid," the 39-year-old man said. "I was taking a breath of air, waiting for my daughter to go shopping."
The man said he had been living "in terror" since acquaintances called him from Germany to tell him they had seen him on the video.
Police said they knew of no motive for the killing, which took place in the poor neighborhood of Rione Sanita, where Camorra, the name for organized crime in Naples, is strong.
The victim was a bank robber, the spokesman said.
A police spokesman said Camorra has been blamed for about 60 killings this year in Naples and its surrounding county. | 4ecff8acdef04f939b248aee64ef4991 | Where did the man shooting another man occur? | [
"outside a store in Naples, Italy,"
] |
NewsQA | NEW YORK (CNN) -- Radio host Don Imus has prostate cancer.
Radio shock jock Don Imus has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The shock jock made the announcement on his radio show Monday morning.
Imus learned of the Stage 2 prostate cancer diagnosis last Wednesday, said Laurie Cantillo, program director for WABC-AM of New York.
A bone scan indicated that the cancer has not spread, she said, and doctors believe it is fully treatable.
Stage 2 prostate cancer means the cancer can be felt on exam but has not spread beyond the prostate gland.
Imus, 68, said he's been on an organic diet for the past 10 years, avoiding meat and fish and eating mostly fruits and vegetables.
"It wasn't great, but I was surprised," Imus said after learning the results of a biopsy that was performed last Monday. He added that he plans to go to San Francisco, California, for a second opinion.
Imus said he's spoken with Sen. John Kerry and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani about his diagnosis. Kerry and Giuliani are both prostate cancer survivors.
Imus exuded confidence while discussing his situation. "They are predicting they can treat it. They can cure it."
Imus returned to the radio in December of 2007, months after his inflammatory remarks caused the cancellation of his morning radio show on the CBS radio network. His four-hour program is syndicated nationally by the Citadel Broadcasting Corp.
Known for decades for his outspoken comments and off-color humor, Imus sparked a public outcry with his comments in April 2007 about the Rutgers University women's basketball team. The controversy eventually led to the cancellation of his show by CBS Radio.
He called the Scarlet Knights "tough girls" and "nappy-headed 'hos" during a national broadcast a day after the team lost the NCAA championship to the University of Tennessee Lady Volunteers. He later apologized. | 7bdf172529174f9a871e8938051bf651 | What did Imus say he will seek? | [
"a second opinion."
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Canada's House of Commons voted Thursday to extend the country's military mission in Afghanistan until 2011, with the stipulation that NATO send reinforcements to the volatile Kandahar province.
Canadian soldiers walk along a track at the Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan last month.
Most of Canada's 2,500 troops in Afghanistan are in Kandahar as part of the NATO-led mission to stabilize the war-torn country.
Their presence has sparked controversy in Canada, with the Bloc Quebecois and the New Democratic Party calling for an immediate troop withdrawal.
Supporters of the mission argued that Canadians have made progress in providing schools, health care and clean water for thousands of Afghans.
They said the improving conditions would be impossible without troops ensuring a secure environment for aid workers and local residents.
"The military needs to be there," said Harold Albrecht, a conservative member of Parliament. "The military provides the civil order we would expect from police here."
The Canadian mission in Afghanistan was to end next February. It has claimed the lives of 80 soldiers and a diplomat, according to The Associated Press.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has endorsed a panel's recommendation to keep troops in place only if another NATO nation dispatches additional troops to Kandahar.
Canada wants a minimum of 1,000 reinforcements, The Globe and Mail reported.
Thursday's motion, passed with a 198-77 vote, brought Harper's Conservative party and the opposition Liberals together on the issue.
Other parties, however, noted that the cost of maintaining a troop presence in Afghanistan has not been disclosed to Parliament or the public.
"We must provide clarity to the Canadian people," said Nathan Cullen of the New Democratic Party. "We believe it to be wrong for our country." E-mail to a friend | a5f114632efd4bff9f514151215a9934 | When are troops to stay until? | [
"2011,"
] |
NewsQA | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Going to the prom is a highlight in many teenagers' lives. But attending a prom isn't always an option for some young people, including those with special needs.
Alex Gonzales passes under the Marines' sword arch Saturday in Washington as he arrives at the prom.
That's where Helen McCormick comes in.
"We are dreaming for children who are excluded from their proms, and ... you're going to see people walk through the doors who are going to be just absolutely mesmerized," said McCormick, president of a Virginia-based nonprofit called The House, Inc.
For the past four years, McCormick has organized a prom specifically for children with special needs.
This year's prom, dubbed "The Cinderella Ball," was held Saturday night at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington. More than 150 teens attended the gala, where they were greeted by 41 Marines. Each one of the teens went down a red carpet, under a Marine Corps sword arch, before being seated for dinner. Watch scenes from the spectacular prom »
"The children that will be coming are various disabled children with kidney (ailments), children that are literally terminally ill, children with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism," McCormick said before the event.
Norman Gonzales brought his 13-year-old son, Alex.
"Their social life is very limited at school and outside school as well, so something like this is very good because they come to a place where they find themselves with people that they can relate to," Gonzales said.
This was Alex Gonzales' first prom and he said he had a great time. "Coming to an event like this -- I think it's a great experience," he said.
The entertainment for the evening was 2007 "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks.
"I think it's so amazing with all the kids that they get to have their prom. They get to dress up and feel really beautiful and have this night dedicated to them," Sparks said.
Most of the teens attending the prom were accompanied by a parent or friend. Some of them brought dates. It was a night many of them said they wouldn't forget anytime soon.
Victor Padgett attended the festivities with his daughter, Dede. He said events like these prove that the human spirit is alive and well.
"There is hope. There is love, and there is compassion for everyone," he said. | 54f37280fbca4d51a0eb24e6e5d5f83a | Who gets to attend the cinderalla Ball? | [
"various disabled children with kidney (ailments), children that are literally terminally ill, children with cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and autism,\""
] |
NewsQA | LEONE, American Samoa (CNN) -- Another earthquake struck Wednesday near the Samoan islands, an area already devastated by earthquake and tsunami damage which killed more than 130 people.
A traditional Samoan fale is destroyed Wednesday in the devastated village of Leone.
The 5.5-magnitude earthquake occurred at 6:13 p.m. Wednesday evening (1:13 a.m. Thursday ET), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake's epicenter was 10 km (6 miles) deep in the Pacific Ocean about 121 miles (194 km) from the city of Apia, Samoa.
The quake did not trigger a tsunami warning, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
It followed an 8.0-magnitude earthquake which hit the small cluster of Samoan islands early Tuesday triggering a tsunami.
At least 139 people are confirmed dead as a consequence of Tuesday's quake and tsunami. They include 22 people killed in American Samoa, 110 in Samoa and seven in Tonga, according to officials on the islands.
A huge emergency effort was continuing late Wednesday in the Samoan islands and officials warned that the death toll could rise as rescue workers start to reach outlying villages and discover new casualties. Watch the tsunami take over the street »
Survivors like Ropati Opa were trying to find ways to cope. The massive waves had destroyed his home, store and gas station in the village of Leone on the southwest coast of American Samoa.
With tears in his eyes, he said "I don't have a house. I don't have a car. I don't have money. I lost everything yesterday. But thank God I am alive." iReport.com: Witness describes tsunami hitting land
U.S. President Barack Obama addressed the disaster at an event Wednesday in Washington.
"To aid in the response," he said, "I've declared this a major disaster to speed the deployment of resources and FEMA ... is working closely with emergency responders on the ground, and the Coast Guard is working to provide immediate help to those in need.
"We also stand ready to help our friends in neighboring Samoa and throughout the region, and we'll continue to monitor this situation closely as we keep the many people who have been touched by this tragedy in our thoughts and in our prayers," Obama said.
Journalist Jeff DePonte contributed to this report. | 4f41a3f5878145878c04da7e2b783fbe | What is the death toll from Tuesday's quake so far? | [
"At least 139 people"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A large ice shelf is "imminently" close to breaking away from part of the Antarctic Peninsula, scientists said Friday.
Scientists are investigating whether the ice breakup is caused by global climate change.
Satellite images released by the European Space Agency on Friday show new cracks in the Wilkins Ice Shelf where it connects to Charcot Island, a piece of land considered part of the peninsula.
The cracks are quickly expanding, the ESA said.
Scientists are investigating the causes for the breakups and whether it is linked to global climate change.
The Wilkins Ice Shelf -- a large mass of floating ice -- would still be connected to Latady Island, which is also part of the peninsula, and Alexander Island, which is not, said professor David Vaughan, a glaciologist at the British Antarctic Survey.
The ice shelf experienced a great amount of changes last year, the ESA said.
In February 2008, the shelf dropped 164 square miles (425 square kilometers) of ice. In May it lost a 62-square-mile chunk.
That meant the "bridge" of ice connecting Wilkins to the islands was just 984 yards wide at its narrowest location, the ESA said.
Further rifts developed in October and November, said Angelika Humbert of the Institute of Geophysics at Germany's Muenster University.
"During the last year the ice shelf has lost about 1800 square kilometers (694 square miles), or about 14 percent of its size," Humbert said.
Antarctica's ice sheet was formed over thousands of years by accumulated and compacted snow. Along the coast, the ice gradually floats on the sea, forming massive ledges known as ice shelves, the ESA says.
Several of these ice shelves, including seven in the past 20 years, have retreated and disintegrated.
The Wilkins Ice Shelf had been stable for most of the past century before it began retreating in the 1990s.
"It had been there almost unchanged since the first expeditions which mapped it back in the 1930s, so it had a very long period of real stability, and it's only in the last decade that it's started to retreat," Vaughan said.
Wilkins is the size of the state of Connecticut, or about half the area of Scotland. It is the largest ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula yet to be threatened.
If the ice shelf breaks away from the peninsula, it will not cause a rise in sea level because it is already floating, scientists say. Some plants and animals may have to adapt to the collapse.
The Antarctic Peninsula is the piece of the continent that stretches toward South America. | 90cb8db1a8ad4c46a97f3270ac0069f7 | who is investigating climate change | [
"Scientists"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A third minute goal from Gonzalo Higuain gave Real Madrid a 1-0 victory over Valencia, coach Juande Ramos' first Primera Liga win since taking charge of the Spanish champions.
Gonzalo Higuain is congratulated after scoring Real Madrid's only goal against Valencia.
The win ended Madrid's run of three straight league defeats and moved them up to 29 points, nine behind leaders Barcelona -- who visit Villarreal on Sunday.
With captain Raul Gonzalez only on the bench befcause of the flu, Higuain played alone in attack, and he soon made his mark with the early goal -- the Argentine collecting Arjen Robben's pass to fire home his 11th goal of the season.
Valencia almost fell two goals behind in the 16th minute when Rafael van der Vaart struck the post with a curling drive.
Higuain had a chance to double Madrid's tally in the second-half, but his close-range shot struck the bar.
The visitors' hopes were effectively ended when captain Carlos Marchena was sent off after picking up his second yellow card, for a foul on Robben.
The defeat, only Valencia's second of the season after also going down to Barcelona, leaves them on 30 points, just one above Madrid. | 2a74e9723c5044e2a6f7721e79ec0538 | Who was the coach? | [
"Juande Ramos'"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Iceland is losing its only three McDonald's restaurants as a result of the poor economic situation in the country.
Businessman Magnus Ogmundsson, who owns the only McDonald's franchise in Iceland, said it had become too expensive to operate the restaurants after Iceland's currency, the krona, plunged in value.
"The krona is quite weak and we are buying everything in euros, and we have very high tariffs on imported agricultural products," he told CNN on Tuesday.
In January 2008, it cost more than 95 Icelandic krona to buy one euro, according to the Central Bank of Iceland. Tuesday, that price had shot up to more than 186 krona.
That means the currency is worth half as much today as it was in January 2008 -- and things priced in euros now cost twice as much to buy.
Ogmundsson said the McDonald's Corporation worked with him to find a solution, but in the end he had no choice but to close.
There was "good cooperation" with McDonald's, Ogmundsson told CNN. "No hard feelings."
McDonald's said it had become financially prohibitive to continue operating in Iceland because of "the unique operational complexity of doing business in Iceland combined with the very challenging economic climate in the country."
It said there are no plans to seek a new franchise partner in that country.
The three stores will close at midnight Saturday, but they will reopen as an independent chain called Metro, with more domestic ingredients and fewer imported products.
"We believe we can be more successful with our own brand," Ogmundsson said.
A McDonald's Big Mac hamburger currently sells for the equivalent of $5.29, making Iceland one of the most expensive places in the world to buy the sandwich. Only Norway and Switzerland charge more, according to the countries listed on the Economist magazine's Big Mac Index, published in February.
A Big Mac costs about $3.54 in the United States, $2.19 in Australia, $5.07 in Denmark, $1.66 in South Africa, and $1.52 in Malaysia. | 20a66055d399479ea3662e2ef0895535 | What is Iceland losing? | [
"its only three McDonald's restaurants"
] |
NewsQA | Tokyo (CNN) -- Japan's 77-year-old emperor was hospitalized on Sunday, several days after coming down with a fever, a spokesperson with the Imperial Household Agency said.
Emperor Akihito, a ceremonial but revered figure in the Japan, was suffering from a worsening case of bronchitis and the fever he contracted Thursday, according to the spokesperson, who declined to be identified due to the agency's media protocol.
"He appears to be fatigued and has lost some resistance to fight against sickness," the spokesperson said. "To be on the safe side, he was hospitalized (Sunday night) at University of Tokyo Hospital."
It is the emperor's second time in a hospital this year, after getting medical treatment in February for extensive tests of his coronary arteries.
Japan's Cabinet on Sunday approved a measure to temporarily elevate Crown Prince Naruhito to the role of emperor and give him power over all the responsibilities that position entails, according to a person at the Cabinet office, who also was not named per policy.
Akihito: The 125th Emperor of Japan
Born in Tokyo in December 1933 into a family that eventually consisted of seven children, Akihito became crown prince in 1952 -- the same year he enrolled at Gakushuin University, according to his official biography. Seven years later, he married then-crown princess, and now Empress Michiko, and together they raised three children.
On January 7, 1989, following the death of his father Hirohito, Akihito became emperor. The position, per Japan's constitution, is defined as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people."
That said, the office's involvement in day-to-day government affairs tends to be minimal.
Yet Emperor Akihito broke from precedent following Japan's epic 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami earlier this year, when he gave a historic, televised speech. In it, he encouraged citizens to put forth their "best effort to save all suffering people" and he applauded his countrymen's handling of the crisis.
"I truly hope the victims of the disaster never give up hope, take care of themselves, and live strong for tomorrow," he said in a calm and poignant oration delivered from the Imperial Palace. "Also, I want all citizens of Japan to remember everyone who has been affected by the devastation, not only today but for a long time afterwards -- and help with the recovery." | 7d610b7ed6c7401dbbbeaf98cb68e906 | who is Emperor Akihito? | [
"Japan's 77-year-old"
] |
NewsQA | LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- More than 200 people have died of meningitis in the past week alone in Niger and Nigeria, according to the World Health Organization.
A health care worker vaccinates a child during an earlier outbreak of meningitis in Niger.
The disease is an epidemic in 76 areas of the two countries, the health agency reported Wednesday.
A spokesman for W.H.O. in Nigeria, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka, said Saturday that the outbreak is bigger than usual and stretches across the African meningitis belt from east- to west-sub-Saharan Africa.
The outbreak began around the start of the year, Soyinka told CNN. It usually peaks in the dry season because of dust, winds and cold nights, before dipping around May when the rains come, he said.
A shortage of vaccines means officials are relying on "effective prevention," in which they watch for outbreaks and then vaccinate people in the epicenter and surrounding areas, Soyinka told CNN.
There have been nearly 25,000 suspected cases and more than 1,500 deaths in the meningitis belt in the first 11 weeks of the year, W.H.O. reported. More than 85 percent of those cases happened in northern Nigeria and Niger.
Nigeria's Ministry of Health has reported 17,462 suspected cases of meningococcal disease, including 960 deaths, the world health agency said. In the past week, it reported 4,164 suspected cases with 171 deaths.
Sixty-six local government areas in Nigeria have crossed the epidemic threshold. Epidemic thresholds are a way the W.H.O. confirms the emergence of an epidemic so it can step up vaccinations and other management measures.
Niger's Ministry of Health has reported 4,513 suspected cases of meningococcal disease, including 169 deaths, since the start of the year. In the past week, 1,071 suspected cases and 30 deaths have been reported, the W.H.O. said.
Ten of Niger's 42 districts have crossed the epidemic threshold.
By comparison, other countries are reporting fewer than 50 cases a week.
Meningitis is an infection of the meninges, the thin lining that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord. Several different bacteria can cause meningitis but Neisseria meningitidis -- which is to blame for this outbreak -- is one of the most significant because of its potential to cause epidemics.
Health authorities have released 2.3 million doses of vaccine to Nigeria and 1.9 million doses to Niger, the W.H.O. said.
CNN's Christian Purefoy in Lagos, Nigeria, contributed to this report. | b6b14dcf82954af0b4721204511064cd | What does the outbreak stretch across? | [
"the African meningitis belt from east- to west-sub-Saharan Africa."
] |
NewsQA | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A U.S. soldier convicted of rape and murder two decades ago will be executed December 10 in the nation's first military execution since 1961, the Army said Thursday.
Pvt. Ronald Gray has been on the military's death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, since 1988. A court-martial panel sitting at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, unanimously convicted him of committing two murders and other crimes in the Fayetteville, North Carolina, area, and sentenced him to death.
Gray's execution by injection will be carried out by Fort Leavenworth soldiers at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, the Army said in a news release.
Gray was convicted of raping and killing a female Army private and a civilian near his post at Fort Bragg. He was also convicted of the rape and attempted murder of another fellow soldier in her barracks at the post.
Both military and civilian courts found Gray responsible for the crimes, which were committed between April 1986 and January 1987. Gray pleaded guilty to two murders and five rapes in a civilian court and was sentenced to three consecutive and five concurrent life terms.
The general court-martial at Fort Bragg then tried him and in April 1988 convicted him of two murders, an attempted murder and three rapes.
In July, President George W. Bush approved the Army's request to execute Gray.
"The president took action following completion of a full appellate process, which upheld the conviction and sentence to death," the Army said in the news release. "Two petitions to the U.S. Supreme Court were denied during the appellate processing of Pvt. Gray's case."
Members of the U.S. military have been executed throughout history, but just 10 have been executed with presidential approval since 1951 under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the military's modern-day legal system.
The Army also sought Bush's authorization to execute another condemned soldier, Pvt. Dwight Loving, who was convicted of robbing and killing two cab drivers in 1988.
The last U.S. military execution was in 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was hanged for raping and attempting to kill an 11-year-old Austrian girl. Bennett was sentenced in 1955.
The U.S. military hasn't actively pursued an execution for a military prisoner since President John F. Kennedy commuted a death sentence in 1962. Nine men are on military death row.
CNN's Mike Mount contributed to this report. | 47ce8b89ee0944bc9e90604afca85112 | when he will be executed? | [
"10"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A French Mirage 2000 jet fighter collided with a Lithuanian plane during a training mission Tuesday in Lithuania, the French Defense Ministry said.
No one was hurt during the training exercise at an air force base in Siauliai, Northern Lithuania, military officials from both countries said.
Two French jet fighters and and a Lithuanian jet trainer were in the air when one of the jet fighters collided with the Lithuanian plane, officials said.
Both pilots of the Lithuanian L-39 Albatross ejected and are safe. Their plane crashed.
The French jet landed, Lithuanian officials said. | 3d4ecdd4e89b4d86999c7d795638908b | Was anyone hurt ? | [
"No one"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Canada announced Wednesday that it will dispatch a warship to Somalia's coast to protect U.N. aid ships from pirate attacks.
The Canadian frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec will escort ships carrying food aid to Somalia.
"Canada is stepping up to the plate by tasking Ville de Quebec with the role of escorting World Food Programme ships to ensure their safe arrival at designated ports," Canadian Defense Minister Peter MacKay said in a government news release.
The United Nations hunger program praised Canada for answering its call for help, and said it hoped other governments would step forward to take over from Canada once it completes its mission in a few weeks.
The HMCS Ville de Quebec is a 440-foot frigate armed with torpedoes, surface-to-air missiles and other weapons, and carries a twin-engine Sea King anti-submarine helicopter.
Ville de Quebec, which can travel at speeds greater than 27 knots, will be dispatched after Somalia's transitional government formally authorizes the mission, the government's news release said.
WFP asked the world's naval powers in mid-June to help its ships reach the more than 2 million people in need of aid. It put out the request weeks before French, Danish and Dutch warships ended their escort missions, which began in November.
Pirate attacks on unescorted ships have been a growing problem in Somalia. Three European freighters were hijacked off the Horn of Africa in June, adding to the 27 other reported attacks this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau, which tracks piracy.
WFP delivers 80 percent of its aid to Somalia by sea, and WFP spokesman Peter Smerdon said that if there are no warships to escort the food supply, the program will have to rely on ground or air travel to deliver the food. But both are dangerous and expensive.
The agency said that if there is no assistance from naval powers, piracy will increase, and so will death and malnutrition.
Smerdon said that although Somalia's food crisis hasn't yet reached the devastation of the early 1990s, "We're worried it will be." | 28a01a98afeb42459e38a6b1e0c557c0 | Who must authorise the mission? | [
"Somalia's transitional government"
] |
NewsQA | PARIS, France (CNN) -- Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece the "Mona Lisa" was attacked with a mug earlier this month, but the world's most famous painting -- protected by thick glass -- emerged with its enigmatic smile undimmed.
The "Mona Lisa" sits behind bulletproof glass in the Louvre gallery.
French police say a woman "not in her senses" lobbed the mug at the 500-year-old painting, which hangs in the Louvre gallery in Paris.
The woman, a tourist, was later transferred from police custody to a psychiatric unit, a police spokesman told CNN. The spokesman declined to be identified, and did not say where the woman was from.
The "Mona Lisa," considered one of the world's most valuable paintings, sits behind bulletproof glass in a special wing of the Louvre, attracting visitors in their millions.
The Italian Renaissance masterpiece, which depicts a dark-haired young woman with an aloof facial expression, has been the target of attacks in the past.
In 1956 the artwork was damaged when acid was thrown at it. A rock was also thrown in a separate incident in the same year.
In 1911 it was stolen from the Louvre but was returned two years later.
CNN's Flora Genoux in Paris, France, contributed to this report. | ab5b11eb8ed74a5aa5e2411e937f4d13 | Who was sent to psychaitric unit? | [
"The woman, a tourist,"
] |
NewsQA | ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- An advisory panel is recommending a major step up in protection for health workers dealing with patients suspected or confirmed to have H1N1 influenza.
One expert says that based on current knowledge, N95 respirators offer health workers the best protection.
The Institute of Medicine said Thursday, in recommendations requested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that loose paper masks are inadequate because the workers could still breathe in the virus.
Instead, health workers should switch to N95 respirators that form an airtight seal around the nose and mouth.
If properly fitted and worn correctly, N95 respirators filter out at least 95 percent of particles as small as 0.3 micrometers, which is smaller than influenza viruses, the report notes.
The institute provides independent, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, private entities and the public. It is one of four groups that make up the National Academies.
The study released Thursday was requested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
"Scientists do not know to what extent flu viruses spread through the air or whether infection requires physical contact with contaminated fluids or surfaces," a summary of the report says.
It calls for "a boost in research to answer these questions and to design and develop better protective equipment that would enhance workers' comfort, safety and ability to do their jobs."
"Based on what we currently know about influenza, well-fitted N95 respirators offer health care workers the best protection against inhalation of viral particles," said committee chairman Kenneth Shine, executive vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. He is a former president of the institute.
"But there is a lot we still don't know about these viruses, and it would be a mistake for anyone to rely on respirators alone as some sort of magic shield."
Health care workers should use several strategies to guard against infection, such as innovative triage processes, washing hands, disinfecting, wearing gloves, getting vaccinated and using antiviral drugs, Shine said.
The institute was asked specifically to evaluate personal protective equipment designed to guard against respiratory infection, and therefore the committee focused on the efficacy of medical masks and respirators. | eafc0470a1964be08e886670a4f102f5 | What forms an airtight seal around nose and mouth? | [
"N95 respirators"
] |
NewsQA | BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- German federal police seized two suspected terrorists from a Dutch passenger aircraft at Cologne airport Friday shortly before it was due to take off for Amsterdam, officials told CNN.
The arrests were made at Cologne's airport.
A 23-year-old Somali national and a 24-year-old German citizen who had been born in Mogadishu were arrested on a KLM plane at 6.55 am local time (0455 GMT), a police spokesman said.
Police said "farewell" letters had been found from the men that led them to suspect they were intending to carry out terror attacks. It was not revealed where the letters were found or how long the men had been under observation.
Walter Roemer, press spokesman at Cologne-Bonn airport, said that the arrests had been "very unspectacular". He said federal police boarded the plane and arrested the two suspects, "without them showing any resistance."
The two had been among 40 passengers en route to Amsterdam. All those on board were asked to disembark while the suspects' luggage was identified. The plane took off for Amsterdam after a delay of one hour and 20 minutes.
She said everyone was then forced to leave the plane, and there was a "baggage parade" to see whose bags belonged to whom. Watch more details on the incident. »
Amsterdam's Schipol airport Web site listed flight KL 1804, the scheduled morning flight from Cologne to Amsterdam, as having arrived at 9.17 am local time, one hour and two minutes after it was due to arrive.
In September 2007, German authorities arrested three suspected militants planning what were described as "massive" attacks on American targets in Germany.
German media said at the time that potential targets could have included Ramstein Air Base, the U.S. military's main installation in Germany, or the major international hub of Frankfurt Airport.
Terrorism expert Sajjan Gohel told CNN the arrest showed Germany faces a major threat from extremists. Watch Gohel explain details behind the arrests »
"This was a long term operation, there was a couple of individuals that the German intelligence agency was monitoring," he said.
"The feeling was that they had come back specifically with the purpose of planning and plotting a terrorist attack."
CNN's Diana Magnay in Berlin contributed to this report | e8d68c5e0ed04a17809127cf7595c6f0 | What did police say were found from the men? | [
"\"farewell\" letters"
] |
NewsQA | Rome (CNN) -- Seven people have died and seven others are missing after rains triggered severe flooding in northern Italy, civil protection officials said Friday.
Especially hard hit was the tourist-popular Cinque Terre region on Italy's northwest coast.
The Italian Council of Ministers declared a state of emergency in the flood region, which means 65 million euros ($91 million) will be put aside to deal with the disaster, the Corriere della Sera newspaper reported.
A special cabinet meeting was called Friday to discuss the situation, the Italian government said.
Heavy rains continued to fall Thursday night in Milan and other spots across the southern European nation, according to the Servizio Meteorologico, Italy's official weather agency. The agency gave an alert about intense, widespread rainfall -- potentially with strong wind gusts and hail -- in the regions of Calabria and Basilicata in southern Italy, as well as the eastern part of Sicily.
Meanwhile, Monterosso al Mare -- between Genoa and Pisa in the Cinque Terre region of Liguria -- has been "isolated, accessible only by sea" because of earlier rains and floods, Mayor Angelo Betta told the news agency ANSA.
So, too, is the nearby town of Vernazza, with even bulldozers and cranes still not able to reach it.
That said, Betta reported some progress Thursday thanks to round-the-clock efforts by emergency workers and volunteers to clean up the town. One volunteer in that community died in the flood Wednesday.
"The situation is much better compared to yesterday," Betta said.
Italy's Defense Ministry noted Thursday on its website that 348 military personnel have deployed to the provinces of Massa Carrara and La Spezia to assist in the wake of flooding here.
Three people were killed after a house collapsed in La Spezia, an ANSA report said.
ANSA also reported that prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation related to the deaths of two people from flood-related injuries in Aulla. Authorities are assessing whether their deaths had anything to do with faulty work that may have caused the Magra River to overflow.
The weather has also caused major travel headaches throughout the region. A mudslide that trapped a truck driver, who was eventually freed, has caused the A12 highway in Liguria to be blocked since Tuesday. Train services in Liguria have been halted, too, due to mud and debris on the tracks.
CNN's Hada Messia and Marilia Brochetto contributed to this report. | 6cd8fcccce3a4fecb7f682a6d814c015 | What have the storms cause across Liguria? | [
"severe flooding"
] |
NewsQA | MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- Dozens of gay and lesbian rights activists planning a parade in southwestern Moscow Saturday have been detained, Russia's Interfax news agency reported.
Gay and lesbian rights activists are detained in Moscow Saturday ahead of a planned march.
The arrests included Nikolai Alexeyev, a prominent gay activist in Russia, and his associate Nikolai Bayev, Interfax said, adding that more people trickling into the location were being arrested without explanation.
Officials of Moscow's gay community had announced earlier plans to rally at Novopushkinsky Park in central Moscow, Interfax said.
The arrests came ahead of Saturday night's Eurovision Song Contest, which is being held in Moscow. The contest has a strong following among the gay and lesbian community. Watch police break up the march »
Journalists from various countries gathered at the scene, as police barricaded the park with metal bars. Trucks with soldiers onboard were parked on nearby streets, Interfax said.
UK gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, in a statement on his Web site ahead of the march, said it was being held to coincide with the final of the Eurovision Song Contest.
"This parade is in defense of human rights. We are defending the often violated human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Russians. They want legal protection against discrimination and hate crimes. I support their cause.
"Not all Russians are homophobic, but many are. Gay Russians suffer queer-bashing attacks, blackmail, verbal abuse and discrimination in education, housing and employment. This shames the great Russian nation."
The Eurovision Song Contest, which began in 1956, sees singers and groups from a short list of European nations perform a specially written song before telephone votes from each nation decide the winner.
In western Europe, the contest is regard as a light entertainment spectacular, with a strong following among the gay and lesbian community. Many fans dress up, hold parties and gather round the TV to watch the three-hour-plus televised marathon.
In recent years, however, eastern European nations, which take the contest much more seriously, have come to dominate.
The contest is also known for its political edge, as nations either give zero points to traditional enemies -- or, if they are enjoying good relations, the maximum number of points, as a sign of friendship.
The most famous winners of the contest were ABBA, who came to attention as the Swedish entry with "Waterloo" in 1974. In 1988, Celine Dion won the contest while singing on behalf of Switzerland. The dance show Riverdance first came to attention as an interval act when the contest was held in Dublin, Ireland, in 1994.
The organizers of the contest estimate it is watched by 100 million people worldwide. | 71522e1d3338417ca14cf237c1e2f711 | Where is the contest held? | [
"Moscow."
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- The number of minors treated in hospital emergency rooms for drinking on New Year's Day 2009 was nearly four times the average daily figure, according to a federal study.
The study, published this week in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, was based on data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network, which estimated that 1,980 emergency room visits on New Year's Day 2009 involved underage drinking, versus 546 such visits on an average day.
"This stunning increase in underage drinking-related emergency room visits on New Year's Day should be a wake-up call to parents, community leaders and all caring adults about the potential risks our young people face for alcohol-related accidents, injuries and death during this time of year," Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration chief Pamela S. Hyde said in a statement about the agency's study.
"Parents, clergy, coaches, teachers and other role models must do everything they can to positively influence young people -- including talking with them early and often about the many health dangers underage drinking poses to their physical and emotional health and well being."
The findings translate into an increase in sobering statistics, said Kenneth R. Warren, acting director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
"For example, during Christmas and New Year's, two to three times more people die in alcohol-related crashes than during comparable periods the rest of the year," he said. "And 40% of traffic fatalities during these holidays involve a driver who is alcohol-impaired, compared to 28% for the rest of December."
The New Year's Day levels outstripped those of other holidays. For example, Memorial Day emergency room visits for drinking by minors were 676; the Fourth of July level was 942.
"Whereas all underage alcohol consumption is of concern, consumption that leads to ER visits on New Year's Day should be of particular concern to parents and young people because such consumption may increase other risky behaviors," it said.
"Greater access to alcohol, less parental oversight and mixed messages from parents may fuel surges in underage drinking, which can result in visits to hospital emergency departments because of overconsumption or alcohol-involved accidents or injuries. The New Year's holiday may be particularly risky because underage individuals may drink more than during most other times of the year, including other holidays." | 96763ba1926942889dc9b12f9cd728a1 | Who urged to pay attention? | [
"parents, community leaders and all caring adults"
] |
NewsQA | LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- A Georgia man suspected of shooting to death a 21-year-old up-and-coming rapper at a ritzy Los Angeles shopping center Monday afternoon is being held on $1 million bail, Los Angeles Police said.
Rap artist Dolla arrives at the Soul Train Music Awards in Pasadena, California, on March 10, 2007.
Dolla, whose real name is Roderick Anthony Burton II, was shot in the head about 3:10 p.m. at the Beverly Center, his publicist said.
Police later arrested Aubrey Louis Berry, 23, at Los Angeles International Airport, a Los Angeles Police statement said.
No other details were given about Berry, who was arrested on suspicion of murder.
Dolla, who was based in Atlanta, Georgia, was in Los Angeles recording his debut album.
He caught the attention of multiplatinium R&B singer Akon when the then-12-year-old Dolla was performing with friends at showcases around Atlanta.
The two collaborated on Dolla's first single, "Who the F--- is That?" which also featured another high-profile singer, T-Pain.
Another Dolla song, "Feelin' Myself," appeared on the soundtrack to the 2006 movie "Step Up."
According to his MySpace page, Dolla was born in Chicago, Illinois. His twin sister died at birth due to complications from an enlarged heart.
The family moved to Atlanta after Dolla's father committed suicide -- while Dolla, then 5, and another sister watched from their parents' bed, the Web page said.
Dolla began composing rhymes in elementary school and decided to pursue a career in music.
A source close to the record company said Dolla had just arrived in Los Angeles to work on his debut album.
Funeral services, which will be held in Atlanta, will be announced later, publicist Sue Vannasing said. | f4daeb1c6eff4205b40e3ec6327d3043 | Who is being held on $1 million bail? | [
"Aubrey Louis Berry,"
] |
NewsQA | Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- Samsung Electronics said Friday it is expecting weaker third quarter sales as demand for flat screen televisions and computer chips falls.
The South Korean technology giant forecasts an operating profit of 3.75 trillion won ($3.5 billion), down 13% from a year earlier. Profits are expected to rise though from the previous quarter by 12%.
Analysts say Samsung's handset sales are helping weaknesses in other businesses.
"Semi conductors are still strong and even if they don't make as much profit, it's not because they're less competitive, it's because the semiconductor market as a whole went down. As for smart phones, they are becoming comparable with Apple, they haven't surpassed Apple yet but they are catching up very fast," Lee Sun Tae of Meritz Securities in Seoul said.
Experts also say the strengthening US dollar against the Korean won helps exports and the bottom line. Lee estimates a small increase in the dollar's strength of less than one cent could result in an extra $250,000 profit for Samsung. Lee believes the US dollar will continue to gain strength for the rest of this year. | 3ab59e2903d14c4f86052d394cd8f9dd | Experts also say the strengthening US dollar against the Korean won helps what? | [
"exports and the bottom line."
] |
NewsQA | NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- An Indian paramilitary trooper shot dead six colleagues and fled his military camp with an AK-47 rifle in the remote northeastern state of Manipur, a spokesman for his unit said Thursday.
Indian Assam Rifles paramilitary soldiers on duty in the eastern state of Manipur.
"He shot dead one junior commissioned officer in a fit of rage after having an altercation with him and then turned the gun on five other troopers (who arrived at the scene)," said Shamsher Jung, the spokesman for the Assam Rifles.
Authorities launched a manhunt for the trooper.
The Assam Rifles are stationed in Manipur, on the India-Myanmar border, to combat some 30 active insurgent groups that are believed to be operating there.
The rebels want a separate homeland and have accused the Indian government of exploiting the region's natural resources, while doing little in return to help the indigenous people who live there.
In the last decade, thousands have died in separatist violence.
-- CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report. | 54b1ce3cfc6648ec9c357e44cf3cb3a0 | Who did he shoot? | [
"six colleagues"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A drunk passenger tried to hijack a Turkish Airlines flight to Russia on Wednesday before he was brought under control, the head of Turkey's civil aviation authority said.
The Turkish Airlines passenger jet was en route from Turkey to Russia when the incident took place.
The plane landed safely and on time Wednesday afternoon in St. Petersburg. Russian authorities promptly arrested a "slightly intoxicated" passenger from Uzbekistan, Russia's Interfax News Agency reported, citing a national police spokesman.
The suspect, in his early 50s, was arrested on suspicion of trying to hijack the plane, Interfax reported.
Turkish media initially reported that the plane had been hijacked. When asked about those reports, a Turkish Airlines spokesman said the flight experienced an "urgent situation" as it headed to St. Petersburg, without offering further details.
Interfax said the flight was carrying 164 Russian nationals.
There have been several attempts to hijack Turkish airlines in recent years.
In August 2007, two men hijacked an Istanbul-bound Atlasjet Airlines flight with 136 passengers and crew on board from Cyprus, claiming to have a bomb on board the flight. They forced the crew to make an emergency landing in Antalya. Both hijackers eventually surrendered to Turkish authorities.
In April 2007, Turkish authorities detained a man they believed tried to hijack a Turkish airliner, possibly to Iran. The suspect, Mehmed Goksin Gol, was not armed and all 178 passengers and crew aboard the Pegasus Airlines flight were unharmed.
The flight was heading from southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir to Istanbul, but landed at Ankara's airport, where the suspect was detained.
In October 2006, a Turkish man hijacked a Turkish jetliner with 113 people aboard en route from the Albanian capital Tirana for Istanbul. He forced it to fly to a military airfield in Brindisi, Italy, where the passengers and crew were released unharmed.
CNN's Maxim Tkachenko in Moscow and Nicky Robertson in Atlanta contributed to this report | 0b2b223bcdd2439ca3912d7f0392fcf8 | What incident happened on flight between Antlaya, Turkey and St Petersburg, Russia? | [
"drunk passenger tried to hijack a Turkish Airlines"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A spray-painted anti-Muslim message was discovered Thursday morning on the front of the Al-Farooq Islamic Center in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, according to police. A written note disparaging Islam also was left at the mosque, police said.
Video from the scene showed "Muslims go home," in red spray paint across a window of the mosque.
The mosque was established in 2003, according to the center's Web site.
The FBI also is involved in the investigation.
CNN could not immediately reach mosque members for comment. | 2e57cf55781c4268b3a19f5338ffc3b3 | Is The FBI involved in the investigation? | [
"also is"
] |
NewsQA | LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Pop singer Ricky Martin declared publicly this week what he avoided discussing for years: He is gay.
"I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man," Martin wrote on his official Web site. "I am very blessed to be who I am."
A decade ago, when ABC's Barbara Walters pressed Martin to address rumors about his sexuality, he declined to confirm or deny them. "I just don't feel like it," Martin said.
Now, Martin wrote, "these years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn't even know existed."
The 39-year-old Puerto Rican native started off with the Latin boy band Menudo before launching his solo career in 1991.
His song "Livin' La Vida Loca" rose to the top of the music charts in 1999 and propelled Martin to stardom.
Martin said he decided years ago to not share "my entire truth" with the world because people he loved warned him that "everything you've built will collapse."
"Allowing myself to be seduced by fear and insecurity became a self-fulfilling prophecy of sabotage," he wrote. "Today I take full responsibility for my decisions and my actions."
The decision to come out was initiated a few months ago, when he began writing his memoirs, he said. "I got very close to my truth," he wrote.
"From the moment I wrote the first phrase I was sure the book was the tool that was going to help me free myself from things I was carrying within me for a long time," he wrote. "Things that were too heavy for me to keep inside."
Martin said that disclosing his secret is important because of his two sons, born via surrogate.
"To keep living as I did up until today would be to indirectly diminish the glow that my kids were born with," he wrote.
"Enough is enough. This has to change. This was not supposed to happen five or 10 years ago, it is supposed to happen now. Today is my day, this is my time, and this is my moment."
Writing the seven paragraphs, he said, "is a solid step towards my inner peace and vital part of my evolution."
"What will happen from now on? It doesn't matter. I can only focus on what's happening to me in this moment." | e4695c34f6db47d08e869c92d5fec018 | what does he say? | [
"is gay."
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- This may be the last time Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest will answer to that name.
The NBA star, who is known for his defense and unpredictable behavior, will now be known by a different name.
On Friday, the basketball player formerly known as Ron Artest will officially become Metta World Peace, his publicist says.
"Metta is his official first name; which in the Buddhist tradition means loving-kindness and friendliness toward others and his last name is World Peace," his publicist said.
The basketball star is scheduled to be at the Los Angeles County Superior Court at 8:30 a.m. (11:30 a.m. ET) where he will officially become Mr. World Peace.
Artest (World Peace) joins a fraternity of sports stars who have changed their names.
Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and Ahmad Rashad changed their names for religious reasons. Chad Ochocinco changed his name because .... maybe he likes incorrect Spanish versions of his jersey number?
Artest's (World Peace's) reason for changing his name seems similar to the reason that former NBA player Lloyd Bernard Free changed his name to World B. Free in the 80s.
"Ron Artest, (World Peace) has contemplated the name change for years and always knew that he wanted his last name to be World Peace but it took many years of research and soul searching to find a first name that was both personally meaningful and inspirational," his publicist said.
Artest (World Peace) first announced that he was seeking the name change in the summer. At that time, some said seeing the name World Peace on the back of his jersey would be ironic given that he is known for thrashing fans in an infamous 2004 brawl during a game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Artest (World Peace) was suspended a record-setting 86 games for jumping into stands and punching fans during that incident when he played for the Indiana Pacers.
But the new name may speak to his new reformed image. In recent years, Artest (World Peace) has shed his bad boy image and is more known for his basketball skills and his random acts of kindness.
Recently, he raffled off his 2010 NBA Championship ring to help youngsters with mental illnesses and he won the NBA's citizenship award for his philanthropy in that field.
He will also be in the upcoming season of "Dancing With the Stars."
CNN's Alan Duke and Eliot C. McLaughlin contributed to this report. | 0058f6739cd645e68bc01b384a4fb6b1 | who have changed their names? | [
"Ron Artest"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Two Italians, a Dane, a German, a Frenchman and a Brit walk into a space station... or will, in 2013, if all goes according to European Space Agency plans.
Europe's six new astronauts hope to join their American counterparts on the Internation Space Station.
The six new astronauts named Wednesday were chosen from more than 8,400 candidates, and are the first new ESA astronauts since 1992, the space agency said in a statement.
They include two military test pilots, one fighter pilot and one commercial pilot, plus an engineer and a physicist.
"This is a very important day for human spaceflight in Europe," said Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of Human Spaceflight at ESA.
"These young men and women are the next generation of European space explorers. They have a fantastic career ahead, which will put them right on top of one of the ultimate challenges of our time: going back to the Moon and beyond as part of the global exploration effort."
Humans have not walked on the moon since 1972, just over three years after the first manned mission to Earth's nearest neighbor.
The six will begin space training in Germany, with an eye to being ready for future missions to the International Space Station and beyond in four years.
They are: Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy, a fighter pilot with degrees in engineering and aeronautical sciences; Alexander Gerst, a German researcher with degrees in physics and earth science; Andreas Mogensen, a Danish engineer with the private space firm HE Space Operations; Luca Parmitano of Italy, an Air Force pilot with a degree in aeronautical sciences; Timothy Peake, an English test pilot with the British military; and Frenchman Thomas Pesquet, an Air France pilot who previously worked as an engineer at the French space agency. | 29b8f7f81313439eabd98da611ff52de | In what country will the group of new astronauts undergo training? | [
"Germany,"
] |
NewsQA | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Tuesday that another stimulus package might be needed to help the ailing economy.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with economists and other Democrats on Tuesday to discuss the stimulus.
Pelosi, whose comments followed a meeting with several economists, said the measures already taken by the Obama administration are helping to restore confidence in the shaky financial markets.
But "we have to keep the door open and see how this goes," the California Democrat added.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey of Wisconsin said on Tuesday night he's already instructed his staff to start drafting a second stimulus proposal. Obey said his staff is preparing the outline of a stimulus bill but he cautioned there is no timeline to move on it.
One of the economists in the meeting with Pelosi and other Democrats, Mark Zandi with Moody's Economy.com, said more taxpayer money would likely be needed to bolster the economy.
Another economist, Allen Sinai, chief global economist at Decision Economics Inc., urged patience. But he questioned President Obama's prediction that the $800 billion stimulus package enacted last month would create or save as many as 3 million to 4 million jobs.
"Initially ... the jobs created may be a little disappointing," Sinai said.
Sinai said his analysis showed that about 2.5 million jobs would be saved or created over the next two years and he said it is more realistic to project 3 million jobs over a longer period of three years.
The most recent prediction from the Congressional Budget Office, released last week, estimates the recovery package will create or save from 1.2 million jobs to 3.6 million jobs. | 96b5e41faf074cc5a7d8e20ed19b674b | What are the House Appropriations Committee chairman's staff preparing? | [
"the outline of a stimulus bill"
] |
NewsQA | SEATTLE, Washington (CNN) -- A 16-year-old girl was found dead and another girl was found unconscious in an Army barracks at Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Washington, during the weekend, a base spokesman said Monday.
"Neither of the two women had any outward signs of trauma on them," said Fort Lewis spokesman Joseph Piek.
He said that an Army solider who was "allegedly an acquaintance" of the two 16-year-olds was questioned by investigators, but no arrests had been made.
The spokesman said the name and rank of the soldier who had been questioned was not being released.
According to an Army news release, the names of the two girls "are not being released due to their ages, their civilian status, and the nature of the ongoing investigation."
The Fort Lewis Criminal Investigation Division is trying to determine why the two girls were in the barracks, where soldiers live, and what led to their conditions when they were found.
Emergency personnel from the base responded to a 911 call about 3:30 a.m. Sunday and found the two girls in one of the barracks. A doctor declared one of the girls dead on the scene, and the second girl was transported to Madigan Army Hospital, where she was in stable condition Monday.
The Office of the Armed Forces Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy, Piek said, and it will be at least a week before results are complete.
Both girls are from the nearby South Puget Sound area but were not related to anyone living on base, Piek said. Both girls' families had been notified, he said.
Although Fort Lewis is not open to civilians, they can be escorted in by a soldier living there if they have identification and a reason for coming onto the facility.
The circumstances of how the girls came unto the base are under investigation, Piek said, but there was no evidence that security had been compromised.
About 30,000 military personnel are based at Fort Lewis. Barracks where soldiers live are usually split into rooms for one to three soldiers, Piek said. Details about the barracks where the girls where found were not released. | b5888e8a288f436398606ed34eba3df5 | Who needs to escort civilians onto the base? | [
"a soldier living there"
] |
NewsQA | JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- A U.S. mining company has denied a report by Indonesia's state media that a convoy of its buses came under fire in the province of Papua Wednesday.
Indonesian soldiers provide security near a PT Freeport-owned gold mine in Timika, Papua province, on July 18.
The state-run Antara News Agency had said that two people were reportedly killed when a 12-bus convoy carrying employees of PT Freeport was attacked by unidentified gunmen in the country's eastern-most province.
The company clarified that a vehicle was wrecked in the province, killing one person and wounding several others. When police and mechanics drove to the area to assist, shots were fired at them. Three people were hurt in the shooting, the company said.
"No shots were fired at the PT-FI bus convoy as earlier reported," the company said.
Following the company's comments, Antara's Web site changed its report to reflect the new information.
PT Freeport is the largest copper and gold mining company in the province.
Attacks directed at the company killed an Australian mine technician and two Indonesians on July 11 and 12.
And two directors of the company were wounded Friday in a twin attack at the Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott hotels in the capital Jakarta.
Papua residents have long resented the presence of PT Freeport in the province. They have criticized the environmental impact of the mining operations and the small share of revenues the province receives.
In 2008, a separatist group claimed responsibility for a series of bomb attacks in the area. No one died in the attacks, Antara said.
In 2002, two American teachers and an Indonesian colleague who worked at the mine were shot dead in an attack, the news agency said.
Meanwhile, authorities on Wednesday released sketches of two men believed to have carried out the bombings at the luxury hotels in Jakarta.
One was about 40; the other 17, officials said. Analysis of their DNA matched those obtained from a homemade explosive found in a room at the Marriott where they had checked in, police said.
But authorities still do not know their identities.
CNN's Andy Saputra contributed to this report. | 0bac4c18c3aa48069d280a53c49594f4 | Where there gunshots fired at the convoy? | [
"province of Papua"
] |
NewsQA | CARDIFF, Wales -- Former Wales and British Lions center Ray Gravell has died of a suspected heart attack aged 56, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has announced.
Gravell won 23 caps for Wales and played on the Lions tour of South Africa in 1980.
Gravell had been on holiday with his family in the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca at the time.
A WRU statement praised Gravell as being "a man who epitomized the passion, flair and dignity of his beloved Welsh nation."
Gravell made his debut for Wales against France in 1975, three years after helping his club side Llanelli to their famous win over the touring All Blacks.
In all he made 23 appearances for what was then a dominant Wales side, winning Grand Slams in 1976 and 1978, and played all four Tests on the Lions' tour of South Africa in 1980.
After retiring as a player in 1985, Gravell became president of Llanelli RFC and the Llanelli Scarlets. He also pursued a career as an actor and a respected rugby broadcaster.
Earlier this year, Gravell had his right leg amputated below the knee following complications linked with his diabetes but he had been recovering well.
WRU chief executive Roger Lewis said: "We are all in total shock because Ray was so full of life even through the difficult health problems he suffered recently.
"He was a wonderful ambassador for rugby and for Wales and a great example of how the game can bring out the best in a man.
"As a player, he always gave a huge amount of respect to his opponents but never gave an inch of ground to anyone he faced on the field of play.
"It is a measure of the man that he forged rugby friendships which lasted long after his playing days up until the present day." E-mail to a friend | 2a7046370428412485157143c9f2a30c | What did he do after retirement | [
"Gravell became president of Llanelli RFC and the Llanelli Scarlets."
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Somalia's hard-line Islamic group Al-Shabab seized control of Jowhar, the president's hometown, after a battle with pro-government forces Sunday.
An Islamist fighter mans a position in the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia, on Saturday.
Jowhar is a major town 55 miles (88 kilometers) southeast of Mogadishu, the capital.
"All businesses are closed and residents are already fleeing while Al-Shabab are roaming the streets," a local journalist said.
The town had been under the control of forces backing the transitional government, which is scrambling to cope with deadly advances from Al-Shabab in Mogadishu.
Al-Shabab was once the armed wing of the Islamic Courts Union, which took over most of southern Somalia in the second half of 2006. The United States says the group is affiliated with the al Qaeda terrorist network, and the U.S. backed an Ethiopian invasion that drove the ICU from power in 2006.
After seizing control of Jowhar on Sunday, the rebels started conducting "search operations in the police station and the provincial headquarters of the town," the journalist added.
The clashes extended into the suburbs of the town, where sporadic fighting was going on between the rebels and government forces, said the journalist, who requested anonymity for safety reasons.
The town's seizure comes amid escalating tension between Somalia's transitional government and the Al-Shabab militia, which has waged days-long attacks in the capital. In the latest round of violence, one person was killed and 15 others wounded when mortars slammed into a police academy in Mogadishu on Sunday.
Clashes between the rebels and the government in Mogadishu have left at least 103 people dead and 420 wounded, Somali officials said Friday.
The east African nation has not had an effective government since 1991.
Last week, a spokesman for the rebel group said that it had successfully recruited more fighters.
"It is not only Somali jihadists that are fighting in Mogadishu against the government," said Sheikh Hassan Ya'qub, a spokesman for Al-Shabab. "There are also foreign Muslim jihadist brothers who are fighting side by side with us."
The new round of fighting stems from an interpretation of sharia, or Islamic law, the spokesman said.
Somalia's new president, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, recently approved implementing sharia, but the rebel group wants the country to institute a stricter form.
Meanwhile, a powerful Islamist warlord defected to the government Saturday after he disagreed with rebel Islamist groups on the war against the transitional government.
The warlord, Sheikh Yusuf Mohamud Siad Indha Ade, was the military commander of Hassan Dahir Aweys, who is suspected by the United States of being a terrorist. | c686cf02c642428b919ec9c5319f7550 | Who is affiliated with al Qaeda? | [
"Al-Shabab"
] |
NewsQA | NEW YORK (CNN) -- Consumer advocates Wednesday hailed the settlement of a class-action lawsuit over Sears stoves in which the retailer agreed to install safety brackets for free to prevent the appliances from tipping over or provide other reimbursements.
Stoves in danger of tipping over can be fixed for free under terms of a settlement announced Wednesday.
According to the court-approved agreement, Sears will notify nearly 4 million customers who may have bought stoves between July 2000 and September 2007 that they either can get anti-tip safety brackets installed for free or receive gift cards or reimbursements of up to $100 to qualifying customers.
The brackets keep the appliances bolted to the floor or wall to prevent them from tipping over. Such accidents have caused more than 100 deaths or injuries, mostly from scalding and burns, according to the nonprofit consumer group Public Citizen.
The value of the settlement depends on how many customers respond to Sears' offer, but Public Citizen said it could end up costing the retailer more than $545 million. Watch to see if your stove is in danger of tipping »
In addition to paying $17 million in legal fees, Sears will install brackets on all new stoves for free for the next three years.
"This agreement by Sears and the lawyers for the consumer is a real deal," said Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen. "This is a fantastic deal for a lawsuit to make this headway and get the protection for the consumer."
Sears Holdings Corp. spokesman Chris Brathwaite said the plaintiffs' counsel is overestimating the settlement's monetary value.
"The parties dispute many aspects of the case, including the value on this settlement -- which Sears estimates to be a small fraction of what plaintiffs' counsel estimates," Brathwaite said in a statement.
Claybrook and other consumer advocates said they would like the Consumer Product Safety Commission to require anti-tip brackets for all stove installations. Installing brackets is now voluntary.
Claybrook said the agreement "sets a model for what the Consumer Product Safety Commission should do and should have done. They've known about it for 25 years and done nothing."
She said an amendment requiring anti-tip stove devices should be added to Senate legislation intended to beef up the safety commission.
Commission spokeswoman Patty Davis disagreed, saying, "The statistics and risk do not support mandatory rule-making at this time. We believe the voluntary standards are working."
Brathwaite said customers can visit the Web site http://www.searsrangesettlement.com/ for information. E-mail to a friend | 2c70a85fa8764d7fa0cefcfc7b3ea773 | What company will install brackets at no cost? | [
"Sears"
] |
NewsQA | (Budget Travel) -- Thanks to a vibrant design culture and growing tourism industry, Spain now has some of the best boutique hotels on the continent -- including a recent wave of hotel chains that's making chic accommodations affordable.
The real estate boom has been a key factor. Spying the potential, many entrepreneurs snapped up 19th-century residential buildings and converted them. Gat, a trailblazer, operates two hotels in Barcelona's Raval, a multicultural neighborhood just off Las Ramblas. Both feature abstract art, acid green walls, and stylishly minimalist furniture.
Book weeks in advance for the Xino (more appealing than sister hotel, the Raval). All its rooms have private baths, and you can admire the city skyline from the rooftop terrace (doubles from €70 ($110)).
The Room Mate chain is multiplying rapidly, with branches in Granada, Madrid, Malaga, Oviedo, Salamanca, Valencia and counting. (It first caught our attention last year.) But don't think chain-like conformity. Each property, named after an imagined roommate, has its own personality, as interpreted by a crew of hot young interior designers.
In Madrid, book Room Mate Alicia, a cultured, original, and slightly edgy creature, according to the owners. Near major museums, the hotel's light-filled, airy rooms are stylish without going overboard on showy design elements. Ask for one that looks out over Santa Ana, the city's hottest 'hood (doubles from €100 ($157)).
Hot is regularly used to describe Madrid these days -- and not just in reference to the climate. Finally stealing some of the limelight from Barcelona, Spain's capital is going through a renaissance in food, design and counterculture. Visiting creative types head for fashionable Chueca and check in to Colors Host, decorated in a chromatic riot of shades. Book rooms 1, 2, 10 or 11 for an enclosed balcony overlooking Calle Fuencarral (doubles from €45 euros ($71)).
At the other end of the spectrum, the Analina Rooms offers tastefully modernist brown-and-white interiors and breakfast next door at Maestro Churrero, a café famous for the quintessential Spanish snack, chocolate con churros (doubles from €65 ($102)).
Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you FREE - CLICK HERE! | 0cc0e31142b34e55b28a6ef4724cde47 | Is there abstract or modern art there? | [
"Both feature"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A Sri Lankan court sentenced a journalist Monday to serve 20 years in prison for articles that criticized the military, according to the Asian Human Rights Commission.
Tamil journalist J. S. Tissainayagam is led from court after being sentenced.
"The AHRC is not surprised by this judgment because at the very inception of this case, the AHRC pointed out that this is purely a political case," the commission said in a statement.
J.S. Tissainayagam, the editor of a monthly magazine, was arrested in March 2008 for printing articles critical of the Sri Lankan military's treatment of civilians during the country's war on the Tamil Tiger rebel group, according to several human rights groups.
The Tamil journalist was held without charge for several months, prompting outrage from human rights and press freedom organizations. He was later charged under the country's controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act.
His case has drawn international attention to the plight of press freedom in Sri Lanka, which ended its decades-long war against the Tamil rebels earlier this year.
The country's military has been accused of numerous atrocities against civilians during the final months of the 26-year conflict.
Sri Lanka has denied the accusations, and routinely rejects calls by human rights groups for independent investigations into its campaign against the Tigers.
U.S. President Barack Obama mentioned Tissainayagam in his May 1 statement on World Press Freedom Day:
"In every corner of the globe, there are journalists in jail or being actively harassed: from Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe, Burma to Uzbekistan, Cuba to Eritrea. Emblematic examples of this distressing reality are figures like J.S. Tissainayagam in Sri Lanka, or Shi Tao and Hu Jia in China."
The Asian Human Rights Commission condemned Monday's sentence as "the most glaring proof of the absence of freedom of expression in Sri Lanka."
It called on Sri Lanka and the international community "to condemn the judgment and the sentence in Tissainayagam's case and to call for his unconditional release." | 6322b23ed50f4149948a3e58a671bc36 | What are critical of Sri Lankan military's treatment of civilians during the civil war? | [
"articles"
] |
NewsQA | LONDON, England (CNN) -- "Why do I find it hard to write the next line?" If you recognize the lyric then brace yourself for some good news.
Spandau Ballet, pictured aboard HMS Belfast, on Wednesday.
Twenty years since their acrimonious split, Spandau Ballet -- the pin-up boys who helped shaped the sound of 1980s glam pop -- have announced the first dates of what band members say will be a full world tour.
The Tony Hadley-fronted band, who enjoyed worldwide success with hits such as "True" and "Gold," will launch their comeback in Dublin, Ireland, on October 13 before playing seven dates across the UK.
Wednesday's announcement took place onboard HMS Belfast, a retired Royal Navy moored in the Thames that was the scene of a key early gig by the band in 1980 that launched them on the road to global stardom.
"It is impossible to stress too highly how achingly fashionable Spandau Ballet were in the winter of 1979 and the summer of 1980," GQ magazine editor Dylan Jones writes in a biography of the band.
Formed at a London school in 1979, Spandau Ballet went on to sell 25 million records worldwide, emerging out of the post-punk "New Romantic" music scene.
Along with fellow British band Duran Duran, their sound, style and attitude came to define an era dominated by ostentatious glamour, gold lame suits and big hair.
"Not only did their albums sell by the millions, but their look and style impacted on the fashion world and beyond," said a press release, summing up the band's influence on the decade.
"They created their own style, combining creativity with entrepreneurship and the 'can do' spirit of early 80s youth at a time of crisis and upheaval eerily reminiscent of 2009. Spandau Ballet are both commercially and culturally enormous."
Following the band's split in 1989, several members including Hadley unsuccessfully sued main songwriter Gary Kemp for a larger share of songwriting royalties.
Since then, Hadley has appeared in the London production of the hit musical "Chicago" and also won an 80s revivalist reality TV show "Reborn in the USA." Several other members of the band have carved out moderately successful acting careers. | aa7b6b3dd2944952932c68f712eca964 | When did the band first split? | [
"1989,"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- So, let's say you're flying into town for the beginning of your trial and you're running a little late.
What do you do?
A. Call the Court.
Or,
B. Ask your twin brother to go to court and pretend he is you.
It doesn't appear to be a difficult question, but in Clearwater, Florida, one defendant made the wrong choice, and two brothers are now in jail.
According to court officials, 40-year-old Matthew Mauceri was due in court Tuesday morning for the beginning of his trial on scheming-to-defraud charges. But, court officials said, he was flying in from out of town and when he realized he wasn't going to make it on time, he called his twin brother, Marcus, for help.
So, Marcus Mauceri showed up in the courtroom of Judge Joseph Bulone, with Marcus claiming he was Matthew, according to the officials.
It was Matthew Mauceri's defense attorney who judged that something was amiss, court officials said, and he alerted Bulone. In the judge's chambers, defense attorney James Thomas told Bulone he had represented both brothers previously, and that the right brother might not be present in court.
Bulone put Marcus Mauceri under oath, and according to court transcripts, Marcus swore that he was Matthew. The judge launched a quick investigation.
"One of our fingerprint technicians was called by the judge to do a print comparison," said Sgt. Tom Nestor of the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
"They made a comparison and said, 'No, this is not Matthew,'" Nestor said.
Bulone then appointed a public defender for Marcus and, according to a court transcript, declared, "I'm just going to find that by Marcus pretending to be Matthew ... that perpetrates a fraud upon the court."
Marcus Mauceri was charged with criminal contempt and sentenced to 179 days in jail. Marcus told the judge he would appeal, and that he would hire his own attorney.
"As usual, perpetrators of crimes don't usually think the consequences through, and as is often the case, it doesn't work out for them," court spokesman Ron Stuart said.
Later, Matthew Mauceri appeared and was cited for failure to appear and contempt of court. His $100,000 bond from his original case was revoked.
Court officials said the twins were remanded to the county jail -- in separate cells. | 71ce6ab075df4e8abb24bd8c0fd4dd20 | What was Matthew Mauceri cited for? | [
"failure to appear and contempt of court."
] |
NewsQA | London, England (CNN) -- Spanish banking giant Santander on Monday began its campaign to rename hundreds of Abbey and Bradford and Bingley bank branches across Britain.
The banking group acquired Abbey in 2004, before it purchased Bradford & Bingley and the Alliance & Leicester in 2008.
The first of 300 official Santander branches in the south-east of England was launched in London Monday morning by Banco Santander Chairman Emilio Botín, with a further 700 branches across the UK expected to follow suit by the end of January.
In a statement Botin said: "This is a historic day for Santander as its name is firmly established on the UK high street.
"When Santander acquired Abbey in 2004, there were some who doubted we could make it a success. Today, there can be no doubts.
"Over the last five years we have transformed our UK business into one of the most successful banks in the country. The decision to become Santander will put us in an even stronger position the UK."
António Horta-Osório, Chief Executive of Santander UK, added: "The success of our UK business has given us the confidence to move to the Santander name now and with it deliver the next phase of our transformation program and make 1,300 branches available to our 25 million customers in the UK.
"I am confident that this is a very positive move - both for our customers and our employees."
Over the next few years, Santander says it aims to increase the number of products each of its customers hold through increasingly competitive and market-leading products to its customer base.
At the end of 2008, Santander, which was founded in 1857, was the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization and third in the world by profit. It has has 90 million customers, around 14,000 branches -- more than any other international bank -- and over 170,000 employees. | ad851956ba7243dfaae903e4001097ab | How many branches will rename? | [
"hundreds"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Former Philippines President Gloria Arroyo was stopped from boarding a plane at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport Tuesday, hours after the country's Supreme Court overruled government-imposed restrictions on her travels.
The Philippines government fears that Arroyo, who is facing allegations of corruption and electoral fraud, will flee if allowed to leave the country.
But the Supreme Court ruled 8-5 in favor of a temporary restraining order on the travel ban, declaring it was unconstitutional as Arroyo has yet to be formally charged with a crime. A Supreme Court spokesman, Midas Marquez, told reporters the court's ruling was "consistent with the constitutional presumption of innocence."
Arroyo was reportedly boarding the flight to seek medical treatment abroad for her bone disease diagnosed earlier this year, following three unsuccessful spinal operations in the Philippines. She arrived at the airport in an ambulance and was transported to the departure gate in a wheelchair while wearing a neck brace.
Arroyo's lawyer, Raul Lambino, told CNN that the former first couple was "subjected to indignity and embarrassment at the airport", calling the government's defiance of the Supreme Court order "abhorrent and in violation of the rights of the individual guaranteed by the (Philippine's) constitution and the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights."
But presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda described the situation as "all high drama," according to media reports. "They (the Arroyos) want the public to sympathize with them," he added.
He said that while the Arroyo couple would be treated with dignity, the government would be "firm in our decision not to allow them to leave the country." Arroyo's husband, Jose Miguel Arroyo, is also accused of corruption.
The Supreme Court, which is mostly staffed by judges hired under Arroyo, defied current President Benigno Aquino's stated mandate of investigating allegations of corruption during Arroyo's 2001-2010 presidential term. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the government intends to appeal the court's decision.
Lambino told CNN that even though the government plans to file a motion for reconsideration, its defiance of the Supreme Court order yesterday was nevertheless "illegal." | e0647c90a555415f96d77eab617c3101 | What did the supreme court do? | [
"ruled 8-5 in favor of a temporary restraining order on the travel ban,"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Manager Jose Mourinho was sent off as Italian leaders Inter Milan crashed to a 2-1 defeat at title hopefuls Juventus on Saturday night.
Second-placed AC Milan are now four points adrift of their city rivals after a 3-0 home crushing of Sampdoria, who remained in fifth.
Ten-man Juve went third, five points behind Inter, after ending the defending champions' eight-match unbeaten run in Serie A.
Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo was credited with the 20th-minute opening goal in Turin as he deflected in a free-kick from compatriot Diego, and Mourinho was ordered from the dugout following his protestations about the foul being awarded in the first place.
Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o leveled six minutes later with a header from Dejan Stankovic's cross, but new Italy international Claudio Marchisio gave the home side victory in the 58th minute after goalkeeper Julio Cesar blocked a shot by midfielder Mohamed Sissoko.
Melo was sent off with three minutes left for his second yellow card after aiming an elbow at Mario Balotelli, who was also booked for his theatrical reaction.
The defeat was a blow to Inter's confidence ahead of Wednesday's Champions League showdown with Russia's Rubin Kazan at the San Siro, with the winner earning a place in the knockout stages.
AC Milan scored all three goals in the first half as striker Marco Borriello, who used to play for Sampdoria's city rivals Genoa, headed the opener in the first minute from Ronaldinho's cross.
The Brazilian was in fine form, and also set up the second goal for Clarence Seedorf in the 21st minute as he threaded a neat pass to the veteran Dutch midfielder.
Ronaldinho's compatriot Alexandre Pato made it 3-0 just two minutes later with his seventh goal of the season, netting at the second attempt after goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi blocked his initial effort following a header on by Borriello.
It was Milan's fifth successive victory, with coach Leonardo taking Ronaldinho off at halftime as a precaution due to a slight knee problem ahead of Tuesday's Champions League trip to FC Zurich, which will determine whether the Rossoneri qualify for the knockout stages.
Sampdoria slumped to a third defeat in a week, having been knocked out of the Italian Cup by lowly Livorno in midweek following the embarrassing 3-0 derby defeat to Genoa last weekend. | 068ca83413e24dd5871d33d5a9b2b457 | Who was sent off? | [
"Jose Mourinho"
] |
NewsQA | Tehran, Iran (CNN) -- Iran's Intelligence Ministry has compiled a list of 60 groups -- several based in the United States -- saying it considers them "soft war" agents against the country, Iranian media reported Monday.
The semi-official Mehr news agency reported the following are on the list:
-- U.S. philanthropist George Soros' Open Society Institute in New York.
-- The Washington-based nonprofit National Endowment for Democracy.
-- The National Democratic Institute and its GOP counterpart, the International Republican Institute.
-- Human Rights Watch.
-- The Washington-based Brookings Institution.
-- U.S. National Defense University.
Media outlets BBC and Voice of America are also on the list, as are the East European Democratic Center in Poland and British nonprofit Wilton Park, among dozens of others.
Iran's deputy intelligence minister urged Iranians to avoid any "unusual relations" with the groups and with foreign embassies and foreign nationals.
"He stated that it is illegal to sign contracts with these organizations, and it is also against the law for groupings and political parties to receive financial assistance from foreign countries," Mehr reported.
Such crackdowns have become commonplace in Iran since the summer, when thousands of protesters were arrested in the aftermath of Iran's disputed president election in June. The government has been trying to limit the flow of online information and other forms of communications in Iran, according to activists and human rights officials.
Amid the unrest, Iran's judicial chief in July ordered the the prosecution of individuals "who cooperate with satellite television programming providers," according to reports by reformists.
Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi-Shahroudi called on local judicial heads to work with investigators to determine "intentions, objectives and their sources of financial, political and intelligence support" of individuals who "operate against the system," according to Hamshahri, a widely circulated pro-reform publication that has been in print for more than a decade.
At the time, Iranian-American Kian Tajbakhsh, an independent consultant and urban planner employed by Soros' Open Society Institute, was among roughly 100 people accused of participating in a "velvet revolution" against the Islamic republic.
Tajbakhsh, the only American on trial in Tehran at the time, resigned from his position with the foundation after he was arrested and detained for four months in 2007 on unspecified charges. He holds dual citizenship in Iran and the United States.
Iran's election authority declared incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner of the June 12 race. Opposition supporters accused the government of fraud. | bb806d6acdb04c18abe06f42d2cdbf43 | How many groups are there? | [
"60"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- More than 200 former fighters and other members of the Maoist People's Liberation Army -- including minors -- were discharged from a Maoist camp Thursday in line with Nepal's ongoing peace process, officials said.
Those being discharged were part of a group deemed "disqualified" by United Nations findings in 2007, which identified at least 4,008 such combatants -- including 2,973 minors.
The "disqualified" status applied to anyone under the age of 18 who was serving in the liberation army, and those who joined the Maoist group after its 10-year insurgency to abolish the country's monarchy ended in 2006.
More than 15,000 died in the fighting and more than 100,000 people were displaced, according to the United Nations Web site.
Nepal became a republic in 2008 following elections in which the people voted to abolish the monarchy.
"Those who left the Sindhuli camp today are no more members of the [Maoist] People's Liberation Army," Nanda Kishore Pun, commander of the Maoist People's Liberation Army, told CNN in a phone interview from Sindhuli, about 150 km (93 miles) southeast of Kathmandu.
The discharge process is expected to end in about a month.
As part of the rehabilitation package for the disqualified combatants, the United Nations has offered to provide vocational skills training and education up to high school to those who want such opportunities, but Pun said that these offers are still being discussed.
The process of the discharge is seen as in important part of the Nepal's ongoing peace process. The Maoists and other political parties in the country are discussing ways to integrate the 19,602 verified Maoist combatants into Nepal's security forces -- a move that made up part of the peace deal signed in 2006 to bring the peace process to a conclusion.
Once the minors remain out of the command and control of the Maoist military structure for six months to a year, the Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (UCPN-M) can be considered for removal from the list of parties that recruit and use children, which is included in the annual U.N. Secretary-General's report on Children and Armed Conflict.
As the discharge and rehabilitation process began, about a dozen of the disqualified combatants were listed as being under the age of 16 and about 500 were under the age of 18. Though called combatants, the United Nations said the minors were used as messengers, cooks and porters during the fighting. | e249260eed75428dafcd8205a087d7f0 | What is their discharge seen as | [
"in important part of the Nepal's ongoing peace process."
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- On a videotape released Sunday, American al Qaeda member Adam Yahiye Gadahn renounces his U.S. citizenship, destroys his passport and cites U.S. President Bush's upcoming trip to the Middle East.
"American jihadist" Adam Gadahn, originally from California, in a video released in September 2006.
The 50-minute tape -- titled "An Invitation to Reflection and Repentance" -- was released by As Sahab, al Qaeda's video production wing and was provided to CNN by www.LauraMansfield.com, a Web site that analyzes terrorism.
In it, Gadahn renounces his citizenship to protest the imprisonment of Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman, a blind Egyptian Muslim leader serving a life sentence for his role in the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center; and John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban who was arrested in Afghanistan in 2001, and others.
Gadahn displays his passport to the camera, rips it in half and says, "Don't get too excited -- I don't need it to travel anyway."
Though Gadahn speaks mostly in English, he references Bush -- who is to travel this week to the Middle East -- only in Arabic.
"We raise an urgent appeal to our mujahedin brothers in the Muslim Palestine, the Arabian Peninsula in particular, and the region in general, to be prepared to receive the crusader butcher Bush on his visit to Muslim Palestine and the occupied peninsula at the beginning of January," he said. "They should receive him not with roses and applause, but with bombs and booby-traps."
The video also refers to the Annapolis Conference, indicating it was produced after last November 27, when the conference was held.
National Security Council Spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the U.S. president would not be deterred.
"His comments are indicative of an al Qaeda ideology that offers nothing but death and violence," Johndroe told CNN in a written statement.
"President Bush will travel to the region to stand with the mainstream governments who want liberty and justice for their people."
The self-proclaimed American jihadist, also known as Azzam the American, is on the FBI's Most Wanted List, with a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to his capture.
Gadahn was indicted in 2006 on charges of treason and offering material support for terrorism, the first American charged with treason since World War II.
Gadahn, who grew up in rural California, embraced Islam in the mid-1990s and moved to Pakistan. Since October 2004 he has appeared in at least eight al Qaeda videos in which he speaks in English and praises the terrorist network. E-mail to a friend | e6be22811f7b4e468ef585e82ffc2b77 | What is the reward for Gadahn? | [
"up to $1 million"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Liverpool have secured the biggest sponsorship deal in the English Premier League club's history after they announced a four-year deal with Standard Chartered Bank.
Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish and managing director Christian Purslow confirm the new sponsorship deal.
The Reds have confirmed that the bank will replace current sponsors Carlsberg at the start of the 2010-11 season, ending a 17-year association with the Reds, for the beer maker.
The figure for the sponsorship has not be disclosed but reports in British newspaper The Guardian suggest the deal is worth $133 million.
Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow spoke of his delight on sealing the sponsorship agreement for the Anfield-based side.
"I am tremendously excited - it's a hugely important day in the history of Liverpool FC," he told the club's official Web site.
"This is the largest commercial agreement we have ever entered into. To have attracted a partner of the caliber of Standard Chartered Bank says everything about where we are trying to take this football club.
"They operate in a number of markets around the world where we have a long term plan to increase the family of Liverpool fans and this agreement will be very helpful to us in doing that."
Purslow added: "Many branches in these countries will effectively be a shop window for Liverpool FC and a means of attracting more supporters to the cause.
"We aspire to be the best at what we do on and off the field. This is the first commercial agreement the club has entered into which can truly be described as the best of its kind in world football.
"I hope this tells everyone, especially our fans, what we are trying to do with this football club in the future."
The move follows Liverpool's American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks, concluding a deal in July to re-finance a $380 million bank loan they took out to buy the club in 2007.
Plans to develop a new 60,000-seater stadium at a cost of $580 million were shelved due to the recession in 2008 by the club, despite planning permission being granted by the local city council. | 4767c18f4f19424cb2fc8ddc4a392476 | Liverpool is making a deal with whom? | [
"Standard Chartered Bank."
] |
NewsQA | Hong Kong (CNN) -- A nearly 9-hour flight delay turned into a standoff at Hong Kong airport Wednesday, with passengers refusing to leave the plane for 5-hours until the airline agreed to higher compensation.
The incident underscores just how high tensions can rise in modern air travel with passengers and airlines jockeying it out in a low-frill, high-fee world. There is no global standard for passenger compensation in the case of airline delays and wide gulf can exist between passenger expectations and airline offers.
When Hong Kong Airlines flight 752 from Singapore arrived at 530 a.m. Wednesday morning, the airline says 80 passengers refused to get off. The travelers, mainly members of package tours from mainland China, demanded the airline increase the original compensation offer of $50 per passenger.
Twenty-one of the passengers stayed on board for another five hours, requesting reimbursement for the unused hotel rooms they had paid for the night before. The airport police were called in to negotiate and the passengers finally at 10:25 a.m., after the airline agreed to pay them $150.
Hong Kong's I-Cable News quoted one passenger who said it wasn't the money, but the attitude of the airline that irked them.
This isn't the first such incident in Hong Kong. The Standard newspaper reported in February that a group of Mainland tourists staged an all-night protest in the airport over flight delays.
Hong Kong Airlines spokesperson Eva Chan blamed the incident on cultural differences. "Our air staff never had any bad attitude towards the passenger," she said. "They tried to negotiate and explain that the compensation policy of HK airlines is different from mainland Chinese airlines."
The irate travelers would likely have been better off if they had been traveling within the European Union. The EU requires passengers be compensated between $330 and $800 if their flight is delayed by two hours or more, depending on the flight length. However, the airline can claim exclusion for "extraordinary circumstances," including weather and security incidences.
The United States has no federal regulation on delay compensation, but it has instituted regulations that penalize airlines if passengers are stuck in a plane on the tarmac for more than three hours. The Department Transportation just fined an American Airlines' subsidiary $900,000, in the first penalty since the regulations went into effect last year. | 1d2f17d20b174b2e8098202b68cfbc93 | On which day the flight has delayed? | [
"Wednesday,"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Adventurer and TV show host Bear Grylls injured his shoulder in Antarctica during an expedition to raise money for an international charity, the Discovery Channel said Sunday.
Bear Grylls, host of "Man vs. Wild," was injured in Antarctica during an expedition to raise money for charity.
Grylls was injured Friday night after falling during the expedition, which was not for the Discovery Channel, according to the network's statement.
The statement said that Grylls is returning to the UK to receive medical attention.
"Once he sees a doctor, we will have a better sense of the level of seriousness of his shoulder injury and the recovery time needed to get him back to his full physical activity," according to the statement.
Grylls, 34, is the host of Discovery's "Man vs. Wild" in which he demonstrates extreme measures -- including eating snakes and insects -- used to survive in harsh environmental conditions.
In his blog, Grylls said the aim of his expedition in Antarctica -- sponsored by Ethanol Venture -- is "to promote alternative energies and their potential."
"We will be using lots of different forms of alternative power, including wind-powered kite-skiing, part bio-ethanol powered jetskis and inflatable boats, electric-powered paragliders, solar- and wind-powered base camps -- and good old foot work," Grylls wrote in a November 14 entry.
Grylls is a former member of the British Special Forces and has broken his back in several places during his service. In his blog, he said he and his wife Shara are expecting their third child in January. | dd39a4ad990e4133b3ee7cad345f4b50 | What TV show does Bear Grylls host? | [
"\"Man vs. Wild,\""
] |
NewsQA | (EW.com) -- So long, Reege.
At least, that's what fans of "Live! With Regis and Kelly" will be saying when the 80-year-old co-host tapes his last episode of the syndicated talk show on Friday, November 18.
Philbin made the announcement during today's show. "Friday, November 18 is my last day," Philbin said, adding, "But don't worry, the show goes on."
Back in January, the television icon officially announced that he would be stepping down from "Live!" after co-hosting for nearly 28 years.
Philbin said of his retirement from the show at the time, "There is a time that everything must come to an end for certain people on camera, especially certain old people." The Emmy-winner joked on Tuesday, "Last January I made the announcement that I'll be moving on. But I never gave you an exact date. So I'm pushing it back five years. Just kidding."
While no new co-host has yet been named for Philbin's right-hand woman Kelly Ripa (we here at EW had some suggestions of our own, however), the two discussed finding a replacement. "Kelly will be trying out new co-hosts, just like we did 11 years ago when we found her," Philbin said, kidding that Ripa would be looking for a "new young hot" male co-host.
Ripa, who joined Philbin in 2001 after Kathie Lee Gifford exited, fired back by saying that she was just looking for someone, "Alive and breathing."
Will you be tuning in for Regis Philbin's last episode of 'Live!'?
See full article at EW.com.
CLICK HERE to Try 2 RISK FREE issues of Entertainment Weekly
© 2011 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved. | 512e1f5c3b474f2daf88cbefc2417dca | When did he announce his retirement? | [
"\"Friday, November 18"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- The Saudi lawyer who represented a woman kidnapped and raped by seven men said his license to practice has been reinstated.
A protest appeared in India in November against the Saudi sentence.
Lawyer and human rights activist Abdul Rahman al-Lahem told CNN's Nic Robertson that the Justice Ministry has reinstated his license.
Al-Lahem had previously told CNN that the Saudi judge revoked his license as punishment for speaking to the media about his client's case, which attracted international attention.
His client, an engaged teenager, was raped by seven men who found her alone with a man unrelated to her. She has said she was meeting with the man to retrieve a photograph. The attack took place in Qatif in March 2006.
The seven rapists were sentenced to two to nine years in prison but she also was sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in prison for having violated the kingdom's strict Islamic law by being alone with an unrelated man.
The woman's sentence provoked outrage in the West and cast light on the treatment of women under Saudi Arabian law.
Under Saudi law, women are subject to numerous restrictions, including a strict dress code, a prohibition against driving and a requirement that they get a man's permission to travel or have surgery.
In challenging what he said were his suspension and disbarment, al-Lahem said he had received threats on his life from the religious right.
Last month, Minister of Justice Abdallah bin Mohammed al-Sheikh, in a phone call to a Saudi Television newscast, said the lawyer's license had never been revoked.
"Such decisions are made through institutions in the kingdom," he said. "The punishment of the lawyer or any lawyer does not come from a reaction; it comes from a carefully examined procedure within a special council in the ministry."
He said the council charged with deciding law license revocations had not issued any decisions in the case. E-mail to a friend | 4701d770fe224d71892ec177dba76db9 | What did Al-Lahem publicize? | [
"his client's case,"
] |
NewsQA | To: Interested Parties From: John King Re: Monday Memo
Egyptain President Hosni Mubarak will visit the White House on Tuesday.
(CNN) -- Health care remains, without a doubt, President Obama's top priority, though the week ahead will bring more of a public focus on international and security issues.
One key dynamic to keep an eye on is the reaction among leading House Democrats to the latest indication the White House is prepared to accept a health care bill that lacks a robust "public" or government insurance option.
"Not the essential element," is how Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius described the public option to us on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.. "Very difficult," is how veteran House Democrat Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas told us when asked how hard of a sell a health care bill absent a robust public option would be in among House Democrats.
This might be a good time for Obama and former President Clinton to swap notes about 1993-94.
Out of the box on Monday in Phoenix, Arizona, Obama addresses the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention. It's a platform to share his views on the escalation of the U.S. commitment in Afghanistan just as U.S. forces begin to quicken their pace of withdrawal from Iraq.
Back in Washington on Tuesday, a White House meeting with longtime Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will turn attention to the Middle East, where the administration and traditional Arab allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia are unhappy with the lack of discernible movement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
And Thursday's national elections in Afghanistan will keep a spotlight on the international stage and the uncertainties facing the Obama administration. It's safe to say the White House has profound worries about President Hamid Karzai's commitment to fight corruption and lead aggressively, but it's also safe to say the White House expectation is another Karzai term.
The market closed down at the end of last week because of doubts the worst was over. This week offers a few interesting tests:
• Earnings reports on tap from companies that offer key glimpses of consumer spending -- among them Home Depot, Lowe's Target and Hewlett-Packard.
• The Labor Department's Producer Price Index is released on Tuesday, along with Commerce Department figures on new housing starts.
• And the report on economic leading indicators comes Thursday morning.
And, finally, a few political notes for the week ahead:
• Fred Thompson and Bill Clinton will be lighting birthday candles on Wednesday.
• Southern governors gather in Williamsburg, Virginia, with the economy and health care topping the agenda.
• Mike Huckabee's political action committee gathers this week, through a series of house parties. | 8086057037234ae7813e193d3231b1f2 | When will Obama discuss Afganistan? | [
"Monday"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- The investigation of the E. coli outbreak linked to Nestle Toll House cookie dough is nearly over, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The cause of the contamination has not been identified.
Nestle recalled all its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products made at a Danville, Virginia, plant.
David Acheson, the FDA's associate commissioner for foods, says the samples of cookie dough his agency has tested do not contain the E. coli strain that sickened 74 people in 32 states.
On June 19, Nestle recalled all its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products made at a Danville, Virginia, plant. Thirty-four people have been hospitalized; no deaths have been reported. The CDC reports that the majority of the patients were teenage girls who reported eating the cookie dough raw.
Last month, the FDA found E. coli in a production sample of Toll House cookie dough, but after testing, investigators found that the strain in the sample did not match the outbreak strain.
"We are still in speculation mode," Acheson said, but the E. coli "most likely came from raw ingredients" such as flour.
The E.coli strain that caused the outbreak, 0157:H7, is typically found in fecal contamination from animals such as cows, sheep or goats. Acheson points out that it's not unusual for those animals to be carrying more than one strain of the bacteria. But he believes that the root cause of the contamination may never be known.
"We have to conclude we're unlikely to have a definitive determination," he said.
Most people with E. coli 0157:H7 experience diarrhea and abdominal cramps within eight days of infection.
The FDA notified Nestle USA on Thursday that its investigation at the Danville plant was over.
Nestle says FDA inspectors were at the plant for more than a week and found no E. coli on equipment. More than 1,000 tests have been conducted at the facility after the outbreak.
"We've dismantled the production line and done extensive testing on all equipment and not found any E. coli," Nestle USA spokeswoman Laurie MacDonald said.
MacDonald announced that Nestle is easing back into production at the plant. The company has purchased new lots of eggs, flour and margarine and says it is thoroughly testing the new products and all raw ingredients.
Consumers will have to wait to see cookie dough back in grocery stores.
"You're not going to see anything on the shelves for quite some time," MacDonald said. But when it does appear, the company will mark the cookie dough with a new label that clearly designates it as a new batch.
It will also continue to carry a reminder to not eat the dough raw. | 9e0613e13e3748ffb20ebc6ef61bd52a | Who recalled all dough made at Virginia plant? | [
"Nestle"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Cycling legend Lance Armstrong -- a survivor of testicular cancer -- and girlfriend Anna Hansen are expecting a baby, CNN learned on Tuesday through his charitable organization.
Cyclist Lance Armstrong has announced he will come out of retirement and race once again in the Tour de France.
The baby is due in June.
Armstrong was diagnosed in 1996 with testicular cancer that had spread to his brain, lungs and abdomen.
He underwent treatment for the disease and was able to return to cycling, eventually winning seven consecutive Tour de France's.
The harsh chemotherapy left him unable to have children, although he and then-wife Kristin Richards had three children using sperm the cyclist had donated before the treatment. Armstrong and Hansen, however, are expecting without the use of any artificial fertilization process.
"This is a hopeful thing for testicular cancer survivors," CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta said. "It means his body healed from the chemotherapy and surgery."
Armstrong retired from cycling after his seventh Tour de France win in 2005, and focused his energy on the Lance Armstrong Foundation (livestrong.org), which supports people affected by cancer. Armstrong founded the organization in 1997.
The 37-year-old Texan announced in September that he was launching a comeback with the goal of winning the Tour de France in 2009.
"After talking with my children, my family and my closest friends, I have decided to return to professional cycling in order to raise awareness of the global cancer burden," he wrote on LiveStrong's Web site.
He is training for several races leading up to the Tour de France, including Australia's Tour Down Under and the Giro d'Italia. | 9509aab8e41a404ba76ceb83cf34cbfa | Who is the seven-times Tour de France winner? | [
"Lance Armstrong"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- After 20 years of mega-success together, country duo Brooks & Dunn say they are done.
Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn have decided to call it quits as a country singing duo.
In a statement on their Web site, the pair said they will tour one last time next year as a goodbye to fans -- and then call it a day.
The decision to part was mutual, the duo said.
"If you hear rumors, don't believe them, it's just time," the Web statement said.
Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn were successful singer-songwriters in their own right when they joined forces and scored their first hit as a duo with their 1991 debut CD, "Brand New Man."
Since then, they have released more than a dozen albums, had 20 No. 1 hits and won the Country Music Association's Vocal Duo of the Year award every year from 1992 until 2006 -- with their streak broken just once in 2000.
The duo will release a compilation, ".1's . . . And Then Some," on September 8.
"The Last Rodeo" tour will begin in 2010, but dates have not been announced. | c9e3f197b58b48dd80ecb14585c6895a | How many No. 1 hits have Brooks & Dunn had? | [
"20"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A JetBlue flight from Boston, Massachusetts, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was diverted Saturday when a fight broke out after someone was smoking in the bathroom, federal officials said.
A JetBlue plane was held in North Carolina for two hours while passengers were interviewed.
One passenger aboard JetBlue Flight 455 was taken into custody at Raleigh-Durham International Airport in North Carolina after the plane landed about 5:45 p.m.
A federal Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman said one person was injured in the face by what may have been a punch. She said the fight involved three people who are thought to be related.
According to the airline, there were 88 people and four crew members aboard the jet. The flight had been scheduled to leave Boston at 1 p.m. but did not take off until 3:11 p.m., spokeswoman Alison Eshelman said.
Eyewitnesses said the scuffle was between two brothers, one of whom was angry that his brother had smoked on a plane.
One passenger interviewed by CNN affiliate WFOR said the fight left one of the men bloody.
"I saw the guy holding his head with the blood coming out," Mike Rocha said.
The jet was held at the North Carolina airport for about two hours while FBI investigators interviewed passengers. | 576ed7ddb74249268ec781452fa7c8cc | where was the person taken | [
"into custody"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Osiel Cardenas Guillen, the former head of a powerful Mexican drug cartel, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and will forfeit to the United States $50 million in illegal proceeds, a judge ruled.
Cardenas Guillen, 42, was the leader of the Matamoros, Mexico-based Gulf cartel until his capture in 2003. He was subsequently extradited to the United States to face drug trafficking charges in 2007.
U.S. District Judge Hilda Tagle handed down the sentence Wednesday, following an earlier guilty plea by the drug kingpin.
Under Cardenas Guillen's leadership, the Gulf cartel was responsible for smuggling thousands of kilograms of cocaine and marijuana into the United States, the FBI said in a news release.
According to the FBI, in 1999 Cardenas Guillen threatened to kill a U.S. undercover sheriff's deputy. In another incident, he threatened the lives of two U.S. agents.
"The successful prosecution of Cardenas Guillen underscores the joint resolve of the United States and Mexico to pursue and prosecute the leadership of the drug trafficking cartels, dismantle their organizations and end the violence and corruption they have spawned," U.S. Attorney Jose Angel Moreno said.
Cardenas Guillen pleaded guilty to five felony charges, including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, conspiracy to launder money and threatening to assault and kill federal agents.
Tagle also fined Cardenas Guillen $100,000 and ordered him to five years probation once his sentence is served. He is not eligible for parole. | d7d0b15f89a545419e84620e9cdf36ef | What is the drug kingpin accused of? | [
"trafficking charges"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Boeing is asking pilots who fly its 737 jets to pay careful attention to flight instruments after Dutch investigators said a faulty altimeter contributed to the recent crash of a 737 in the Netherlands.
Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 broke into three pieces near Schiphol Airport on February 25.
The 737 is the most widely flown jet in commercial aviation. More than 6,000 have been sold, according to Boeing.
"Boeing reminds all operators to make sure flight crews pay close attention to all primary flight controls during critical stages of a flight," Boeing spokesman Jim Proulx told CNN on Thursday.
On February 25, Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 from Istanbul to Amsterdam dropped from the sky on approach to the landing strip at Schiphol Airport, breaking into three pieces in a muddy field.
Nine people died and 80 people were hurt in the accident.
In a memo to pilots, Boeing says there was a malfunction in one of the plane's two altimeters, which measure the altitude above the terrain where the plane is going to land.
The left altimeter was giving "erroneous" information, indicating that the plane was below 7 or 8 feet from ground level when it was actually about 2,000 feet in the air, the memo said.
That caused the automatic throttles to slow the plane down.
"Boeing recommends operators inform flight crews of the above investigation details and the (Dutch Safety Board) interim report when it is released. In addition, crews should be reminded to carefully monitor primary flight instruments," the memo said.
The plane was on automatic pilot when it crashed, said Pieter van Vollenhoven, head of the Dutch Safety Board.
The weather was misty at the time of the crash, possibly keeping the pilots from noticing their altitude, Van Vollenhoven said. Automatic pilot should not be used for landings if altimeters are malfunctioning, he said. Dutch investigators said there had been faulty meter readings on two other flights of the same jet, but the pilots were able to land.
In the Amsterdam crash, the pilots did not recognize the altimeter problem until it was too late, Van Vollenhoven said.
The Boeing memo notes that "the autothrottle, which uses the left radio altimeter data, transitioned to landing flare mode and retarded the throttles to the idle stop. The throttles remained at the idle stop for approximately 100 seconds during which time the airspeed decreased to approximately 40 knots below the selected approach speed."
Proulx said he did not know what that speed was for that particular 737 model.
The warning issued by Boeing was for many other models of 737 jets, not just the 737-800 involved in the Amsterdam crash. | 329a2e67805a42d78ec20c95211c57c2 | What contributed to Netherlands crash? | [
"faulty altimeter"
] |
NewsQA | "Everything can be improved." -- Ross Lovegrove
Designer Ross Lovegrove
Fiercely original and unapologetically innovative, Ross Lovegrove describes himself, somewhat reluctantly, as an industrial designer. "It's not as grimy, it's not as deep and dark as that sounds," he says. Famous for his tactile and sensual fluid forms, he takes his inspiration from nature to create an organic minimalism that he calls "fat free" design.
"Nature is a very big part of my work and always has been. I've never seen it as a trend or a fashion," he told CNN.
In the early 1980s, with Frog Design in West Germany, he worked on projects including Sony Walkmans and Apple computers. He later moved to Paris as a consultant to Knoll International.
Since returning to London in 1986, Lovegrove has worked with a wide range of clients including Airbus Industries, Peugeot, Apple Computers, Issey Miyake, Olympus Cameras, Tag Heuer, Herman Miller, Japan Airlines and Toyo Ito Architects in Japan, as well as a host of top design brands. See some of Ross Lovegrove's designs. »
Away from his client work, one of Lovegrove's projects is the "Car on a Stick," an electric bubble car that turns into an elevated streetlight at night.
"I'm interested in developing an aesthetic for the 21st century which comes from the intelligent use of resources, materials and structures," he says.
Lovegrove's methods blend organic inspiration, a fresh approach to function, cutting-edge manufacturing technologies and cross-application of techniques.
"In my own work, I'll learn from doing a super-lightweight suitcase in Osaka," he says. "Then I'll think, 'How can I use that super-lightweight technology to do the chassis of a car?' It's transfer and exchange of knowledge."
His work has been extensively published and exhibited internationally and is held in permanent collections of various design museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MOMA), the Design Museum in London and the Vitra Design Museum Weil Am Rhein, Basel, Switzerland.
..........................
What do you think of Ross Lovegrove's work? What do you make of his "car on a stick"? Share your views -- or read others' thoughts in the Just Imagine forum. | aa9f9f3e1e7b4ae1acfeea5637357ed5 | Where is his work held? | [
"in permanent collections of various design museums around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MOMA), the Design Museum in London and the Vitra Design Museum Weil Am Rhein, Basel, Switzerland."
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Hundreds of U.S. and Afghan soldiers have embarked on a major operation against militants in the eastern Afghan region of Tora Bora, near the border with Pakistan, officials have told CNN.
File photo of the remote mountain Tora Bora region on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Air and ground strikes under way in the remote mountain region are aimed at large numbers of militant fighters.
The troops are targeting "hundreds of hardened al Qaeda and Taliban in dug-in positions," said officials familiar with the intelligence.
The operation started two days ago in the region, where al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was once thought to be hiding.
The Bush administration has been criticized for not sending enough ground forces to Tora Bora in December 2001 to capture the militant after the invasion that toppled the Taliban.
"U.S. and Afghan forces engaged al Qaeda and other violent extremist fighters in eastern Afghanistan during a combined arms assault using precision munitions. There have been no substantiated reports of civilian casualties in this engagement," said Capt. Vanessa R. Bowman, a U.S. Army spokeswoman.
"The targets were carefully chosen to pinpoint enemy positions and eliminate the likelihood of harming innocent civilians," she said.
"This region has provided an ideal environment to conceal enemy support bases and training sites, as well as plan and launch attacks aimed at terrorizing innocent civilians, both inside and outside the region."
Also Wednesday, a manager at a private British security firm in Afghanistan was shot and killed in the capital Kabul, a spokesman for the company said.
"We did lose a manager today in Kabul to unknown assailants," Christopher Beese, spokesman for ArmorGroup International, said Wednesday.
He said next of kin have been notified and an inquiry into the incident has begun. The name of the man, a British national, was not released.
"It's bad news. He was a very well-respected man," Beese said, noting that the victim had experience in Afghanistan going back to the early 1980s.
Beese -- who said the man's role was to run the administration of the 1,200-person-strong security presence in the country -- described the man as a "logistics manager" and "all things to all people."
The firm, which has been operating in Afghanistan since 2002, mostly provides diplomatic protection and has contracts with the British and American governments.
The man recruited and trained Afghan guards and was the most senior administrator at the company's Kabul base, Camp Anjuman, the company said. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Joe Sterling contributed to this report. | d6edc441579a4fdb8ed35f89ec77d473 | Where there any civilian casualties? | [
"no"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- At least 24 people were killed in cities across Syria during a government crackdown Saturday against those in opposition to President Bashar al-Assad, according to a U.K.-based human rights group.
Gunfire and explosions could be heard in the western Syrian city of Homs, as residents contended with fuel shortages and power outages throughout the day, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
CNN cannot independently confirm accounts from the ground in Syria because the government has not provided access to Western media.
Also Saturday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that al-Assad had passed the "point of no return -- no way that he will resume his authority or legitimacy over his people."
"I think that the world response ... these are real signals that there is acceleration toward the end of this regime," he said, citing the responses of the Arab League and Jordan.
The clashes come the same day as a deadline set by the 22-member Arab League to put forth a peace plan meant to stem violence against protesters which has resulted in months of bloodshed.
Earlier this week, Syria accepted "in principle" the alliance's plan to permit observers into the country to verify whether the regime has taken measures to protect civilians, a senior Arab diplomat said Friday.
Originally, 500 observers were believed to be destined for Syria. But on Friday, Arab Doctors Association Head Ibrahim Zafarani said he received an email from Arab League officials that indicated only 40 names would be submitted.
U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Friday afternoon that the proposed number had been reduced to 40.
Last week, the league's 22 nations voted to suspend Syria's membership, but later gave Damascus three days to implement a protocol to allow observers to enter the nation.
International pressure has since been mounting against al-Assad over his regime's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators, amid concerns that violence in Syria is escalating.
CNN's Yasmin Amer contributed to this report. | c24dab8dc9f54f7895912da663a8599b | Where were the deadly clashes? | [
"cities across Syria"
] |
NewsQA | ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani authorities have arrested four men in connection with the suicide truck bombing of a Marriott Hotel last month in Islamabad that killed more than 50 people, officials said Friday.
More than 50 people died in last month's attack on the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad.
The men appeared Friday before a magistrate in an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi, police and Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency investigators said.
Although they have not been charged, the magistrate is allowing police to hold them for a week while the investigation continues.
The magistrate ordered them back to court on October 31.
Authorities have not said how they believe these men are connected to the September 20 bombing.
The men -- one of whom is a doctor -- were arrested at different times in different places, authorities said, but gave no additional details.
They identified them as: Dr. Muhammad Usman and Tehseen Ulla Jaan, both from Peshawar; Ilyas Rana Muhammad, from a village near Faiselabad in Pakistan's Punjab province; and Hameed Afzal Muhammad, from Toba Taik Singh district, also in Punjab province.
In addition to the dozens killed, some 250 people were wounded in the suicide truck attack, which sparked a fire that left the hotel in ruins.
The hotel, located near the diplomatic section of Islamabad, had been popular among tourists visiting Pakistan. It was crowded the night of the bombing. | 043e4461b9d34a979fff31f0415da20a | How many were arrested in connection with hotel blast? | [
"four men"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A Utah man trapped for more than 26 hours in a crevice of a popular cave tourist attraction died as rescuers struggled to save him, authorities said Thursday.
John Edward Jones, 26, of Stansbury Park was stuck in the Nutty Putty Cave, which sits west of Utah Lake near Cedar Valley, according to the sheriff's office of Utah County.
The cave is 55 to 60 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Sheriff's officials said Jones entered the cave at around 6 p.m. Tuesday with a group of about 11 people and became stuck about 8:45 p.m. in a "tightly confined" feature inside Nutty Putty Cave called "Bob's Push."
Utah County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Spencer Cannon told CNN affiliate KSL that Jones was trapped upside down in a crevice that was about 18 inches wide and about 10 inches high. The crevice is about 150 feet below the surface and about 700 feet from the cave entrance, according to the sheriff's department.
"They had him to a level spot where he wasn't heading downhill with his head below his feet," Cannon said. "During the course of that, they have a raising system to hold him in position, and one of the devices of that system failed, and Mr. Jones actually fell back to the area where he had been stuck for so long."
Shortly before midnight on Wednesday, rescuers got close enough to Jones to conclude that he was not breathing and he had no pulse. Rescue officials were meeting Thursday to determine how to recover Jones' body.
Rescuers had tried to reach Jones for more than 24 hours, but had problems navigating the treacherous terrain, Cannon said.
"Getting people to him is very difficult," Cannon told KSL before Jones died. "It is a tightly confined space. When there is movement, it is literally millimeters at a time."
There are narrow areas of the cave where visitors have to crawl on their bellies to get through, according to the attraction's Web site. Up to 5,000 people visit each year, the site said. | 62cc42c1f3e94878a35081b28f2b92d9 | The space he was trapped in was how deep? | [
"about 18 inches wide and about 10 inches high."
] |
NewsQA | NEW YORK (CNN) -- Sunday night's "2009 MTV Video Music Awards" will feature a personal tribute from Janet Jackson to her late brother, MTV said.
Michael Jackson receives the Legend Award during the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards.
Michael Jackson fans also will get their first peek during the MTV show at the behind-the-scenes documentary of the pop star's final three months, the network said.
MTV announced this week that Janet Jackson "will help open" its video music awards show Sunday night with a tribute to her brother. No other details about her "special appearance" were released.
The trailer for the upcoming documentary "Michael Jackson: This Is It" will also debut on the MTV show.
It comes a month after concert promoter AEG Live handed over to Sony Pictures about 100 hours of video captured between April and June, when Jackson was preparing for his concert comeback.
Fans who miss the MTV show, which will air live at 9 p.m. ET Sunday at New York's Radio City Music Hall, can preview the documentary online at www.thisisit-movie.com beginning Sunday night, the network said. See guests arrive to awards show »
British comedian Russell Brand will return to host Sunday's Video Music Awards for the second straight year.
It will be the first time the awards show has aired from New York since 2006. | 3f875f2624a846439aed8c0b622c4b3b | When does the show air | [
"9 p.m. ET Sunday"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Comedian Jay Leno's plan to hold a free concert for the jobless of Detroit, Michigan, drew criticism from a politician in the city.
A Detroit politician believes Jay Leno should change the location of his free show for the city's unemployed.
Detroit City Councilwoman Martha Reeves likes the idea, but she said the "Tonight Show" host needs to change the location.
"When I heard Jay Leno say Detroit is one of his favorite places and he's going to do a free concert for the people laid off, to people who don't have any money right now, given the economic state we're all in, I was elated," Reeves said. "Then he said Auburn Hills... and that's not Detroit."
Auburn Hills is a well-to-do suburb of Detroit, but is located in Oakland County, which has had its share of economic troubles as well.
The free comedy show -- called "Jay's Comedy Stimulus Plan" -- is set for April 7 at the Palace of Auburn Hills, which holds about 24,000 people.
"I thought I might try to get a word to him that we have a Ford Field, we have a Cobo Hall, we have wonderful theaters here, the Fox Theater," Reeves said. "He could come and present something to Detroit as he said."
Free tickets for the show will be given out beginning Monday at 10 a.m., according to Leno's Web site.
Leno, host of NBC's Tonight Show for more than 15 years, has a new job himself. He will move from late night to a 10 p.m. show. | 6ea6a63aa36b4b858861246591b7fbf7 | Who says Jay Leno should change his concert location? | [
"Detroit politician"
] |
NewsQA | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Department of Homeland Security will bypass environmental and land-management laws to build hundreds of miles of border fence between the United States and Mexico, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Tuesday.
A border fence stands at Juarez, Mexico. More than 360 miles of fence are supposed to be finished by year's end.
"Criminal activity at the border does not stop for endless debate or protracted litigation," Chertoff said.
"These waivers will enable important security projects to keep moving forward."
Chertoff cited a congressional requirement that 361 miles of fence be completed by the end of the year. He also pointed out that Congress had given him the authority to bypass laws.
But the executive director of the Sierra Club, an environmental group, said the move "threatens the livelihoods and ecology of the entire U.S.-Mexico border region."
"Secretary Chertoff chose to bypass stakeholders and push through this unpopular project on April Fools' Day. We don't think the destruction of the borderlands region is a laughing matter," said Carl Pope.
The Sierra Club says the waivers will affect a range of federally protected lands, including national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges, forests and wilderness areas.
The Sierra Club says the waivers themselves are unconstitutional and has asked the Supreme Court to rule on the question.
This is the fourth set of waivers issued by the department, and is the most sweeping.
Chertoff's orders Tuesday affect two areas. First, the department proposes to place fencing, towers, sensors, cameras, detection equipment and roads along a 470-mile stretch of the border in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.
Second, it plans to integrate a concrete wall into proposed levee reinforcements along a 22-mile section of the Rio Grande in Hidalgo County, Texas.
The department said it is committed to working in an environmentally sensitive manner and cooperating with resource agencies so it does as little damage as possible. E-mail to a friend | 98a57c474a8147c783eee27abe8e3367 | What did the Sierra Club say? | [
"\"threatens the livelihoods and ecology of the entire U.S.-Mexico border region.\""
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A white tiger mauled a zookeeper to death at a New Zealand wildlife park Wednesday as a group of tourists watched in horror, police say.
The zookeeper at Zion Wildlife Gardens in New Zealand could not be saved by other staff.
The attack took place at the Zion Wildlife Gardens near Whangarei, about three hours north of Auckland.
Two zookeepers had gone in to clean an enclosure at the park, when one of two white tigers inside lunged at a keeper, said Sarah Kennett, spokeswoman for Northland Police.
The second keeper and other zoo staff tried to pull the tiger off the man but failed. He died shortly after, Kennett said.
The tiger was put down, the park said. Watch park officials, visitors react »
A group of eight tourists who were on a guided tour of the park witnessed the Wednesday morning attack, Kennett said.
"This is an incredibly sad day," the park said in a statement, adding that it would provide counseling to its employees.
The Zion Wildlife Gardens is home to several endangered tigers and lions. It is best known in New Zealand as the setting for the popular television series "Lion Man."
In February, an employee needed surgery after he was attacked by a white tiger, according to local media reports.
Last year, the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry released documents to CNN affiliate TVNZ that said animals at the park were kept in crowded, unsanitary conditions.
Inspectors were so concerned about the conditions that they considered having 40 cats put down, the documents said. | ad6dcb4f8494482a97b94bb10c277d30 | What did white tiger do? | [
"mauled a zookeeper to death"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- The deaths within a week of four women -- three of whom had advertised in an adult personals section of a website -- are being treated as the work of one person or group of people, Detroit's police chief said Tuesday.
"At this point, we are working it as one case or one suspect or set of suspects," Chief Ralph L. Godbee told CNN. "There are too many common links for us not to, at this point, work this as one single investigation."
Among those links, he said, is the fact that three of the women had placed online ads dealing with "prearranged adult dating services" and posted on backpage.com, Godbee told reporters Monday.
"We felt it is imperative to alert the public that deciding to meet unknown persons via the Internet can be extremely dangerous," Godbee said.
But a lawyer for backpage.com, Steve Suskin, said it was not clear that his company's website was involved.
"Our team has already provided the police with detailed information about the ads that the suspect or others posted on numerous web sites. Law enforcement authorities now have evidence that the investigation appears to connect to at least 30 different ads or other postings on at least 15 different websites, separate and distinct from ours," Suskin said.
"We are not aware of the existence of any evidence that would indicate which of these many sites were used by the suspect to establish contact with his victims."
The most recent deaths were discovered early Sunday, when police found the bodies of two women, burned beyond recognition, in the trunk of a burning car. The victims have been tentatively identified and are believed to be 28 and 29 years of age, Godbee said. Neither body showed obvious signs of trauma, he said.
Six days earlier, on December 19, the bodies of two other women were found in the trunk of a car parked at a vacant dwelling, Detroit police said.
While autopsy results, including toxicology tests, are not complete, "we are proceeding as if this is two murder scenes," he said.
Backpage representatives have been cooperating with police, who plan to get search warrants and trace computer Internet Protocol addresses and cell phone numbers in an attempt "to start putting this puzzle together," the police chief said.
Postings on the escort section of the website cost $1. Referring to the advertisements on the website as "borderline prostitution," Godbee said that his priorities lie elsewhere. "Right now, we want to get to the bottom of how these four individuals passed away, and who had a hand in their demise," he said.
CNN's Dan Verello contributed to this story. | 5359002c22f948fc9a54a12121140c37 | Who cites at least 15 different websites? | [
"Steve Suskin,"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A monument to communism, the Palace of Culture and Science dominates Warsaw's skyline.
But soon the city's most prominent piece of architecture, a "gift" from Josef Stalin in the 1950s, will be joined by a building that will reflect the spirit of 21st century Poland.
Designed by Daniel Libeskind, Zlota 44 is the star architect's first project in the country of his birth.
Currently under construction the 54-story luxury apartment building that is supposed to resemble an eagle, Poland's nation symbol, is situated opposite the Palace of Culture and Science and close to one of the city's few synagogues that survived the Second World War.
Explore more with Eye on Poland
Many see it as a statement of the country's desire to continue its revival and redefine its identity.
"Now this world-recognized architect is coming back to Poland and building a symbolic structure in front of the Palace of Culture, a symbolic structure of communism," said Alicia Kosciesza of the Zlota 44 project.
Libeskind left Poland with his parents as an emigrant to the U.S. when he was 13, but he has seen his homeland transformed since his childhood.
"I grew up under the gray skies of communism, a depressed society, a totalitarian regime. A dismal period really." he said.
"I return now and it's a new country, it's a renaissance. Skies are blue, people have light in their eyes, there's energy."
Libeskind commonly accentuates the positives and transformative affects that buildings can have.
From the Jewish Museum in Berlin, to his role as Master Planner for the new World Trade Center buildings in New York, his structures have engaged and inspired many and made him one of the world's most sought-after architects.
"The re-building of Warsaw shows that despite the horrors (of the past) it's a beautiful city," he said.
"It wasn't rebuilt perfectly (after the Second World War), but it's a city that has always had the spirit of something positive."
Libeskind's Polish roots and formative years living in the U.S. as an immigrant are experiences that have shaped his attitude and were a direct inspiration for his plans for the World Trade Center.
"This is a place that needs to have a spiritual feeling, this isn't just a piece of real estate anymore," he said of the World Trade Center site.
"(When visiting 'Ground Zero') I looked South and I saw the Statute of Liberty and I saw myself arriving on that ship (when I was 13) and I thought, '"That's what America is like, that what this site is about.' It's how to connect that memory, that tragedy with the incredible city of New York." | c3c706b0619b4ad1b8f501e9080b9391 | What building is the new project opposite? | [
"Palace of Culture and Science"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- News stories saying authorities thwarted a plot to bomb the U.S. Embassy in Mexico are not true, the Mexican secretary of the navy said Tuesday.
At least two Mexican media outlets published a supposed internal report on the plot that had been leaked to the media. But the navy said the report is "fake."
In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, only hours after the news stories were published, the navy said it "categorically rejects the authorship of the alleged report in possession of some media outlets."
"The print seals and watermarks that appear on the document, as well as its format, do not correspond to the ones utilized by this federal government agency," the release read.
The secretary of the navy reported in June 2010 that four people had been detained for allegedly being in possession of 20 kilograms of explosives in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City.
According to the stories published by the two Mexican media outlets, the finding was related to a plot by the Somali terrorist group Al-Shabaab to attack the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City.
Reports of a possible explosives cache came to the U.S. State Department in June 2010, according to a State Department source. A Somali citizen was arrested, but when Mexican authorities looked into the matter, they found nothing conclusive, said the source, who asked not to be identified. The suspect was then released, the source said.
The Mexican president's office and the Mexican Embassy in Washington told CNN they had no information regarding the alleged plot.
Officials with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Washington also denied any knowledge of the report. | ad905a60e2c54f70a8bfa3a58ab04b2d | Who said the report is a fake? | [
"the navy"
] |
NewsQA | Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- Roy Edward Disney, the nephew of Walt Disney, died Wednesday after a yearlong battle with stomach cancer, according to a Walt Disney Co. spokesman.
Disney "played a key role in the revitalization of the Walt Disney Co. and Disney's animation legacy," the company said.
He died in a Newport Beach, California, hospital at the age of 79.
His father -- Roy O. Disney -- co-founded the Disney entertainment business with Walt Disney in 1923.
Roy E. Disney's 56-year association with the company culminated in 2003 when he stepped down as vice chairman of Disney's board and chairman of the Disney Studio's Animation Department. He kept the title director emeritus and consultant in recent years, the company said.
"As head of Disney Animation, Disney helped to guide the studio to a new golden age of animation with an unprecedented string of artistic and box office successes that included 'The Little Mermaid,' 'Beauty and the Beast,' 'Aladdin' and 'The Lion King,' " the company said.
A private funeral service and cremation are planned, the company said. His ashes will be scattered at sea, it said.
He was born in in Los Angeles seven years after his father and uncle began building the Disney empire.
His entertainment career began in 1952 -- after he attended Harvard University and Pomona College -- with a job as an assistant film editor on the "Dragnet" TV series.
He joined the family business a year later as an assistant film editor at the Walt Disney Studios.
He received two Oscar nominations. One was as a writer and production associate on the 1959 short subject film "Mysteries of the Deep," and the second was for his work in 2003 as executive producer of "Destino," a film based on storyboards and original art by the iconic artist Salvador Dali.
Disney founded Shamrock Holdings, an investment company owned by the Disney family, in 1978.
He also was an avid competitive sailor, the company said. He held several elapsed-time records for offshore races in the Pacific Ocean, including multiple wins in the 2,225-mile Transpac race between Hawaii and California, it said.
CNN's Brittany Kaplan contributed to this report. | 0cd82f80a56c4d61a6de7e2eef369d1d | how long was is career? | [
"56-year"
] |
NewsQA | LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- John Travolta, still in mourning over the death of his teenage son earlier this year, issued a rare public statement urging fans to see his latest movie, "The Taking of Pelham 123," which he filmed last year.
John Travolta stars as a villainous ex-inmate in "The Taking of Pelham 123," which opens in theaters Friday.
"I promise, you won't be disappointed," said Travolta, who plays a deranged ex-inmate who takes hostages on a New York subway.
Travolta did not join co-star Denzel Washington in the promotional tour for the movie -- which hits theaters Friday -- because he said his family needed "additional time to reconcile our loss."
His son Jett, 16, was found unconscious on January 2 while on vacation with his family in the Bahamas. The teen was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, local police said.
Washington, who plays a subway train dispatcher forced to face down Travolta's character, said he talked to the actor about three weeks ago.
"Needless to say, he's struggling," Washington said in an interview last week.
Travolta's statement, which can be read on his official Web site, said Washington, director Tony Scott and the producers "stepped up without hesitation to help promote this wonderful film, and their unselfish efforts have allowed my family the additional time to reconcile our loss."
Making the movie was "a labor of love," Travolta said.
"Tony gave me the freedom to define, and then to become, the ultimate evil mastermind," he said. "This role as an actor gave me the chance to dispense with all moral and ethical limitations, and explore just how bad this character could really be. I believe you will like the result."
Much of the movie is a dialogue between Washington and Travolta's character over a two-way radio.
Many of the action shots were filmed in New York subway tunnels. | e369764f126f4fe782a0766605b2aee1 | When did the death occur of Travolta's son? | [
"January 2"
] |
NewsQA | CARDIFF, Wales -- Former Wales and British Lions center Ray Gravell has died of a suspected heart attack aged 56, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has announced.
Gravell won 23 caps for Wales and played on the Lions tour of South Africa in 1980.
Gravell had been on holiday with his family in the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca at the time.
A WRU statement praised Gravell as being "a man who epitomized the passion, flair and dignity of his beloved Welsh nation."
Gravell made his debut for Wales against France in 1975, three years after helping his club side Llanelli to their famous win over the touring All Blacks.
In all he made 23 appearances for what was then a dominant Wales side, winning Grand Slams in 1976 and 1978, and played all four Tests on the Lions' tour of South Africa in 1980.
After retiring as a player in 1985, Gravell became president of Llanelli RFC and the Llanelli Scarlets. He also pursued a career as an actor and a respected rugby broadcaster.
Earlier this year, Gravell had his right leg amputated below the knee following complications linked with his diabetes but he had been recovering well.
WRU chief executive Roger Lewis said: "We are all in total shock because Ray was so full of life even through the difficult health problems he suffered recently.
"He was a wonderful ambassador for rugby and for Wales and a great example of how the game can bring out the best in a man.
"As a player, he always gave a huge amount of respect to his opponents but never gave an inch of ground to anyone he faced on the field of play.
"It is a measure of the man that he forged rugby friendships which lasted long after his playing days up until the present day." E-mail to a friend | 99b47b57326c43708fecfe034e45af8a | At what age has Ray Gravell died? | [
"56,"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A single-engine airplane made an emergency landing on a California highway Sunday morning, though no major injuries were reported, authorities said.
The Piper Comanche 260 carrying a married couple landed on the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101.
The Piper Comanche 260 carrying a married couple landed on the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101 just outside Santa Barbara and a few miles from the airport, said California Highway Patrol spokesman Officer James Richards.
The plane's engine quit, and as the pilot descended, he lost control of the plane and landed in the southbound lane facing oncoming traffic. The plane struck two vehicles while landing, then spun and hit another one with its tail, Richards said.
One vehicle passenger was treated for minor injuries, he said. No other injuries were reported.
The landing happened at 10:36 a.m. (1:36 p.m. ET) and held up traffic for less than two hours, Richards said.
He added that the plane had departed Temecula in southwestern Riverside County, California, and was destined for the airport in Santa Barbara, a flight of about 180 miles.
The pilot told authorities that he attempted to switch fuel lines during the flight, but was unable to restore power to the plane. He said he alerted a tower at the airport that a landing on the highway was imminent, Richardson said. | d538699646dc467897ca54105e6f120c | How many vehicles did the plane strike while landing? | [
"two"
] |
NewsQA | ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN) -- The head of a Kurdish nationalist party in Turkey addressed his party members Tuesday in the Kurdish language -- which is illegal -- prompting the national broadcaster to pull the plug on the live broadcast.
Ahmet Turk began his speech in Turkish before switching to Kurdish.
In his address, Democratic Society Party leader Ahmet Turk began his speech in Turkish, addressing the value of a "multilingual culture" and decrying the fact that the Kurdish language is not protected under Turkey's constitution.
"We have no objection to Turkish being the official language, yet we want our demands for the lifting of the ban on Kurdish language to be understood as a humanitarian demand," he said.
Turk then announced he would deliver the rest of his speech in Kurdish and, at that point, state broadcaster TRT cut the broadcast.
"Since no language other than Turkish can be used in the parliament meetings according to the constitution of the Turkish Republic and the Political Parties Law, we had to stop our broadcast," the TRT announcer stated. "We apologize to our viewers for this and continue our broadcast with the next news item scheduled."
The situation is somewhat ironic because Turkey began a new Kurdish language state television channel, TRT6, on January 1. Turk pointed out that paradox in his speech to parliament.
"Despite the Kurdish broadcast on TRT 6, there is no legal protection (for the language)," he said. "(Politicians) get punished for speaking Kurdish while Prime Minister (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan speaks Kurdish during rallies. Therefore, Kurdish is forbidden to Kurds yet free for (the ruling party) and the state."
The issue comes ahead of hotly contested elections scheduled to be held on March 29. Political analysts have said Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party, known by its Turkish acronym AKP, is trying to gain votes in the Kurdish southeast, which has traditionally been held by the Democratic Society Party, or DTP.
Erdogan's launching of the Kurdish language channel is considered a historic development not only because speaking the language in parliament is illegal, but also because the Turkish republic for decades officially denied the existence of ethnic Kurds, calling them "mountain Turks" instead.
-- CNN's Ivan Watson contributed to this report. | 48a6d2becdde44d1860815ca608ce1b4 | What did Ahmet Turk switch to in his address? | [
"speech in Kurdish"
] |
NewsQA | Washington (CNN) -- President Obama will welcome Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for an official state visit Tuesday.
The two leaders will discuss a range of global, regional and bilateral issues, the White House said. Those discussions are likely to center on Afghanistan, climate change and nuclear energy cooperation. Singh has been quoted as saying that a Taliban victory in Afghanistan would be disastrous for Central and South Asia.
Singh's visit will be the first state visit hosted by the administration, the highest honor extended to a foreign dignitary. It will be Singh's second visit to Washington; he has also met with former President George W. Bush. Grammy- and Oscar-award-winning singer and actress Jennifer Hudson will entertain the black-tie crowd, several sources involved in the planning outside the administration said.
Hudson, raised in Chicago like first lady Michelle Obama, sang the National Anthem at the Democratic National Convention in August 2008 at the request of the Obama campaign, when Obama became the Democratic presidential nominee.
Singh arrived Sunday for his five-day visit. On Monday, he attended a luncheon hosted by the U.S.-India Business Council and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He addressed the Council on Foreign Relations later in the day.
Obama will receive the prime minister at the White House on Tuesday, and Singh and his wife will be the guests at an official state dinner Tuesday night.
On Wednesday, Singh will meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates and will later attend a reception for the Indian community hosted by Indian Ambassador to the United States Meera Shankar.
Singh will leave Washington Thursday morning and fly to Port of Spain, Trinidad, to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit.
Singh, 77, is a Cambridge- and Oxford-educated economist who was governor of the Reserve Bank of India from 1982 to 1985 and the nation's finance minister from 1991 to 1996. A member of the Congress Party, he is serving a second five-year term as prime minister. He was sworn in as prime minister in May 2004 and again this past May.
He and his wife of 51 years, Gursharan Kaur, have three daughters. | 32889ca60c974f1ea0678f7ffd822367 | Who will Singh visit on Wednesday? | [
"President Obama"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Authorities regained control of a Kentucky prison early Saturday after inmates torched buildings, shattered windows and threw rocks at guards.
Inmates set fire to a Kentucky prison on Friday after the warden said he would ease restrictions on a lockdown.
Inmates at the medium-security Northpoint Training Center in Burgin started an uprising shortly after the warden announced he'd ease restrictions on a lockdown, Northpoint Public Information Officer Mendalyn Cochran told CNN.
Two inmates were transported to hospitals with chest pains, she said, and there were no reports of hostages taken.
The lockdown was instituted Tuesday, after about 10 to 15 inmates assaulted two others in a fight over stolen property, Cochran said.
Warden Steve Haney told prisoners about 6 p.m. Friday of his plan to ease the lockdown, but 30 minutes later, fires began to spread through the dorm-styled institution, she said.
Inmates were evacuated to the prison yard and authorities threw tear gas over the fence to subdue the prisoners, Cochran said.
The damage to the facility was so severe that all the prison's 1,200 inmates had to be kept outside in a prison yard.
"There are several buildings in the front that will be a total loss," said Lt. David Jude of Kentucky State Police.
An investigation will determine whether criminal charges will be levied against some of the inmates.
Burgin is about 40 miles southwest of Lexington.
CNN's Leslie Tripp contributed to this report. | 3698c3c99a3242f4885c9dbf5747ea43 | Who regained control? | [
"Authorities"
] |
NewsQA | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate confirmed by unanimous consent retired Adm. Dennis Blair as director of national intelligence Wednesday.
Retired Adm. Dennis Blair answers questions at his confirmation hearing last week.
The confirmation followed the resignation of former director Michael McConnell, who left the post Tuesday after nearly two years on the job.
Earlier this month, President Barack Obama nominated Blair to be chief of intelligence.
McConnell had been expected to remain as DNI until Blair was in place, but a delay in Blair's confirmation prompted him to announce his resignation sooner than that. Blair's confirmation hearing was held last week.
The retired admiral will continue to advise Obama, however, having agreed to serve on the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board.
The defense consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton announced Tuesday that McConnell will return to the company as a vice president. He left the firm in February 2007 to become the nation's second director of national intelligence.
In a farewell letter obtained by CNN, McConnell thanked his colleagues for their hard work and touted some of the accomplishments during his tenure.
At the top of his list: passage of legislation revising the law governing intelligence community eavesdropping and updating the presidential order that outlines the power and authorities of the community.
"These documents lay a foundation to provide the IC the structure and the tools needed to continue our work, while expanding privacy and civil liberties protections to all Americans," wrote McConnell.
The office was created in late 2004 as part of the effort to improve intelligence gathering after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States and the faulty intelligence on Iraq weapons of mass destruction. | e1e57c1358c1406e9859fddcaed2448d | Who is Michael McConnell? | [
"former director"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A woman who gave birth to a stillborn boy was left distraught after she discovered his body was kept in a jar for four years by the hospital.
Jo-Ann Burrows believed for years that her son had been cremated before making the grim discovery about his fate.
The mother-of-five is now taking legal action against the hospital authorities in Hampshire, southern England, the UK's Press Association reported Thursday.
PA reported that Ms Burrows had daughter Ellie in April 2004 at the Hythe Birthing Centre, in Hampshire, but gave birth to the stillborn twin two days later at home.
She said that an ultrasound scan taken the previous December had not revealed that she was carrying a twin, according to PA.
After the stillbirth, Ms Burrows, 44, was taken to the Princess Anne maternity hospital in Southampton, also in southern England, where she gave her consent for the body to be cremated.
PA reported that she has spent the past four years asking for the funeral papers and ashes.
The 44-year-old is now organizing a naming ceremony and funeral for the stillborn, whose twin sister survived.
Ms Burrows was quoted in her local newspaper, the Southern Daily Echo, as saying: "This experience has made me suicidal, if it wasn't for my friends and family I wouldn't be here.
"I kept asking for my baby's funeral papers because I was always worried that he might be in a jar somewhere. I still couldn't believe it when I found out."
She was informed through her solicitor in February that the hospital still had the baby and has now filed a medical negligence claim against Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust.
It claims the Trust failed to "exercise reasonable care and skill when performing the ultrasound and also focuses on Ms Burrows' repeated requests for confirmation of the cremation," PA reported.
A Trust spokeswoman told the news agency: "Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust confirms that legal proceedings have been brought against it by Ms Jo-Ann Burrows.
"The chief executive has already written to Ms Burrows apologizing for shortcomings in the treatment provided to her and, in particular, for the circumstances which led to Ms Burrows' second twin not being cremated in 2004 as they had previously advised and for the distress this discovery may have caused." | 1c90c5307a8c4bbe98411bb462bf6a2d | What is kept in the jar? | [
"a stillborn boy"
] |
NewsQA | LONDON, England (CNN) -- A sculpture of a giant white horse taller than the Statue of Liberty is set to tower over the countryside as part of an unusual scheme to help revive the fortunes of a depressed region of England.
The 50-meter high horse will dominate the landscape around Ebbsfleet.
The 50-meter equine artwork was Tuesday announced as the winner of a competition to design a landmark to dominate the skyline of the Ebbsfleet Valley, set to be a new stop on the Eurostar London-to-Paris rail link.
Designed by artist Mark Wallinger -- whose previous work has included dressing in a bear suit and wandering around a gallery in Berlin -- the £2 million ($3 million) horse will be one of the largest artworks in the UK.
Wallinger's horse -- which echoes ancient white horse symbols carved into hillsides around Britain -- beat a shortlist of designs that included a tower of stacked cubes and giant steel nest.
Victoria Pomery, head of the panel that selected the design, described the 33-times normal size horse as "outstanding."
"Mark is a superb artist of world renown and his sculpture will become a real landmark for Ebbsfleet Valley and the whole region," she said.
It drew a less favorable response from readers of local Web site Kentnews.com, who described it as a "waste of money," an "abomination" and "depressing."
One correspondent, Andy Smith, added: "This horse looks extremely silly." | c07d1d04335b4ca4966a823daa4e6c36 | when Giant horse announced as winner of competition? | [
"Tuesday"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Authorities in Azerbaijan recently uncovered a radical Islamic terror plot against the U.S. Embassy in the capital, Baku, prompting the facility to close its doors to the public Monday, Azerbaijan and U.S. officials told CNN.
The Bibi Heybat Mosque, just outside the capital Baku.
As a precaution, Britain also shut its embassy in Baku to the public on Monday "following security concerns nearby," Britain's Foreign Office said.
The terror plot was unraveled after a weekend raid outside Baku that netted several suspected members of the radical group, two U.S. officials who asked not to be identified and a spokesman for Azerbaijan's National Security Ministry told CNN.
U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack stressed that the details "are still unfolding," and the threat "may or may not be" linked to the Saturday raid.
"There were some specific and credible threat information concerning the embassy and plans by militants to in some way do harm to individuals in and around the U.S. Embassy there," McCormack said, noting that no specific individuals were targeted.
Several days ago, an Azerbaijani army officer who had connections to a radical Islamic group seized four assault rifles, a machine gun and 20 hand grenades from his military unit and hid them in the outskirts of Baku, the ministry spokesman and U.S. officials said.
Government security forces tracked down the group and arrested several members during a sweep on Saturday in the village of Mastaga, about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Baku, the spokesman said.
One suspected member of the militant group resisted arrest and was killed in the sweep, the spokesman said. Several others are still at large, he added.
He said the terror plot also targeted Azerbaijani government buildings.
The U.S. Embassy in Baku issued a warden message warning Americans in Azerbaijan to take precautions.
"While there is no information at this time that other American or Western interests in Azerbaijan are being targeted, the U.S. Embassy encourages Americans to maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to bolster their own personal security," it said.
Azerbaijan is a former Soviet republic that borders the Caspian Sea, and lies just north of Iran.
McCormack said U.S. authorities are working closely with their counterparts in Baku and will determine when normal embassy operations will resume. He said he expects the embassy to limit its operations on Tuesday, as well. E-mail to a friend
CNN's Igor Malakhov in Moscow, Zain Verjee in Washington and Roger Clark in London contributed to this report | e058c6f25e7740c595c12da456f4ca69 | Where did Britain shut its embassy to the public? | [
"Baku"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Former England cricket star Chris Lewis was remanded in custody by a British court Tuesday, charged with attempting to smuggle drugs through an airport.
Chris Lewis joined Surrey to play in Twenty20 matches for the 2008 season.
The 40-year-old all-rounder, who played 32 Tests and 53 one-day internationals for England in the 1990s, was arrested Monday when border officials at London's Gatwick Airport found cocaine hidden in luggage that had arrived on a flight from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia.
Four kilograms of cocaine with a street value of around $350,000 was seized by the UK Border Agency, the UK's Press Association said. The drugs were in a liquid form hidden in fruit tins, officials said.
Lewis and basketball player Chad Kirnon, 26, both from London, were held and questioned by Customs officials and later charged.
British Revenue & Customs spokesman Bob Gaiger told PA: "This was an excellent detection by UK Border Agency officers.
"HMRC, together with UKBA, play a vital role in the fight to prevent illegal drugs from entering the UK and in protecting our communities from the violence and corruption that always accompany this hideous trade."
The two men made a brief appearance at Crawley Magistrates' Court in West Sussex on Tuesday afternoon, where Lewis had a bail application refused, PA reported.
They were remanded in custody to appear via video link in court next Wednesday. | 862702e154014b3f84b78fdc7e46c29d | What was seized at Gatwick airport? | [
"Four kilograms of cocaine"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Two Italians, a Dane, a German, a Frenchman and a Brit walk into a space station... or will, in 2013, if all goes according to European Space Agency plans.
Europe's six new astronauts hope to join their American counterparts on the Internation Space Station.
The six new astronauts named Wednesday were chosen from more than 8,400 candidates, and are the first new ESA astronauts since 1992, the space agency said in a statement.
They include two military test pilots, one fighter pilot and one commercial pilot, plus an engineer and a physicist.
"This is a very important day for human spaceflight in Europe," said Simonetta Di Pippo, Director of Human Spaceflight at ESA.
"These young men and women are the next generation of European space explorers. They have a fantastic career ahead, which will put them right on top of one of the ultimate challenges of our time: going back to the Moon and beyond as part of the global exploration effort."
Humans have not walked on the moon since 1972, just over three years after the first manned mission to Earth's nearest neighbor.
The six will begin space training in Germany, with an eye to being ready for future missions to the International Space Station and beyond in four years.
They are: Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy, a fighter pilot with degrees in engineering and aeronautical sciences; Alexander Gerst, a German researcher with degrees in physics and earth science; Andreas Mogensen, a Danish engineer with the private space firm HE Space Operations; Luca Parmitano of Italy, an Air Force pilot with a degree in aeronautical sciences; Timothy Peake, an English test pilot with the British military; and Frenchman Thomas Pesquet, an Air France pilot who previously worked as an engineer at the French space agency. | dea21cbacb08417286ee6129beec486c | How many years of training must the group undergo? | [
"four"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A Tennessee man -- accused in a fatal attack at a military recruiting center in Arkansas in June -- wants to plead guilty and claims to have ties to al Qaeda in Yemen in a letter he wrote to the judge presiding over his case.
In the handwritten letter dated January 12, Abdul Hakim Muhammad said he did not want a trial and insisted the shooting was "justified" under jihad.
"This was a jihadi attack on infidel forces that didn't go as plan," he wrote. "Flat out truth."
It was not immediately clear whether the judge, Herbert Wright Jr., would accept the plea.
Muhammad's lawyer, Claiborne Ferguson, called the letter "highly inappropriate."
"If my client had the intention of pleading guilty, it is misguided and misinformed as to Arkansas law," Ferguson said from Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday. "He can't plead guilty to a capital crime."
That response is why Muhammad said he decided to bypass his lawyer with a letter to Wright. He wrote that he believed it was "a lie" that he could not plead guilty.
Muhammad, formerly known as Carlos Bledsoe, is charged with killing Pvt. William Long, 23, and wounding Pvt. Quinton Ezeagwula, 18. The attack happened on June 1 at a recruiting center in Little Rock, Arkansas.
In June, Muhammad pleaded not guilty to one count of capital murder and 16 counts of engaging in a terrorist act.
Before pleading not guilty, Muhammad waived his Miranda rights and gave a video statement indicating political and religious motives, authorities said.
He "stated that he was a practicing Muslim ... that he was mad at the U.S. military because of what they had done to Muslims in the past," Detective Tommy Hudson wrote in a police report at the time.
Muhammad told police "he fired several rounds at the soldiers with the intent of killing them," according to Hudson's report.
In his letter to the judge, Muhammad claimed he had links to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen, a group that has claimed responsibility for the attempting bombing of a U.S.-bound airliner on Christmas Day.
"My lawyer has no defense," he wrote. "I wasn't insane or post traumatic nor was I forced to do this act. Which I believe and it is justified according to Islamic laws and the Islamic religion jihad -- to fight those who wage war on Islam and Muslims."
CNN's Charley Keyes contributed to this report. | 221b85272ac94701989d7d800a89a121 | What does Abdul Hakim Muhammad claim? | [
"to have ties to al Qaeda in Yemen"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- The search continued Tuesday for as many as 67 people missing after a boat carrying about 200 Haitians capsized, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted this crowded boat last week and repatriated its occupants to Haiti.
The boat overturned Monday off Turks and Caicos, a British territory about 550 miles southeast of Miami, Florida.
Searchers aboard boats and aircraft have rescued 118 passengers and found 15 bodies, said Petty Officer Jennifer Johnson, a Coast Guard spokeswoman, on Tuesday morning.
The Coast Guard described the boat's occupants as migrants from Haiti. The overcrowded vessel was believed to have set sail from the Haitian port of Cap Haitien, the Turks and Caicos Sun newspaper reported.
The search resumed at dawn Tuesday after being suspended because of darkness Monday night, Johnson said.
The Coast Guard is contributing one boat, the 210-foot cutter Valiant, and three aircraft to the search, Johnson said. The aircraft are a Falcon jet out of Miami, an HH-60 helicopter and a slow-flying C-130 cargo plane out of Clearwater, Florida. Watch Coast Guard rescue Haitians after boat capsizes »
"If the weather and conditions are right, [the C-130] can fly really low," Johnson said. "It makes a fantastic search aircraft."
Turks and Caicos authorities are using small boats in the search, she said.
About 70 people were plucked Monday from a reef near the island group, authorities said. Four other bodies were found, though it was unclear which authorities located them.
A nurse at Myrtle Rigby Hospital in the Turks and Caicos said that about 70 people were brought there, including four who had died.
Five people were admitted to the hospital, and the others had minor injuries, the nurse said.
The Coast Guard said it intercepted another "grossly overloaded" boat, with 124 Haitians aboard, late last week in the same region. Those migrants were returned to Cap Haitien on Monday.
Overloaded vessels can quickly lose stability and capsize, sending migrants into the water, a Coast Guard release said.
CNN's Jim Kavanagh and Lateef Mungin contributed to this report. | 2bfe212a381c4c6b84ceaab6bab6ef18 | How many people were on board? | [
"200 Haitians"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Juventus came from behind to defeat Bologna 4-1 on Saturday to put pressure on Inter Milan at the top of the Serie A table.
Alessandro Del Piero celebrates the first of his two goals in Juventus' 4-1 victory over Bologna.
Massimo Mutarelli put Bologna ahead in the 24th minute, but a dominant second half display from the Bianconeri gave them all three points.
Hasan Salihimidzic equalised in the 49th minute before Sebastian Giovinco put the home side ahead in the 71st minute.
A brace from Alessandro Del Piero in the 75th and 88th minutes sealed a win which takes Juve to within four points of leaders Inter, who face a tricky home match against Fiorentina on Sunday.
In Saturday's other match, Genoa boosted their hopes of playing in the Champions League next season thanks to a 1-0 win at 10-man Cagliari to move above Fiorentina into fourth place.
Cagliari lost Andrea Cossu to a red card in the 39th minute but held out until five minutes from the end when Ruben Olivera grabbed the decisive goal.
Meanwhile, veteran striker Filippo Inzaghi scored his 300th career goal to help Milan crush Siena 5-1 on Sunday to consolidate third place in the table.
The 35-year-old scored twice, while Alexander Pato also netted a brace and Andrea Pirlo scored the opener from the penalty spot, as Milan proved too strong for their opponents -- for whom Massimo Maccarone was on target.
Roma lost further ground in the race for the fourth Champions League place as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Sampdoria.
Julio Baptista gave the visitors a seventh-minute lead but Giampaolo Pazzini headed home an equalizer before the same player put the home side ahead after a mistake from goalkeeper Doni.
But Baptista levelled from the spot after Marco Padalino was penalized for fouling Max Tonetto -- the player who missed the decisive spot-kick in the midweek Champions League defeat by Arsenal. | a7333fdd593746daa7cbd84781e7c241 | Filippo Inzaghi has how many career goals? | [
"300th"
] |
NewsQA | Founded in 1805 in Geneva, Pictet & Cie is today one of Switzerland's largest private banks, and one of the premier independent asset management specialists in Europe.
Moreover, it is considered one of the leading independent asset management banks in Europe. Pictet & Cie is a partnership owned and managed by eight general partners with unlimited liability for the bank's commitments.
"Banque de Candolle Mallet & Cie" was founded on 23 July 1805. It was run by two partner-managers, Jacob-Michel François de Candolle and Jacques-Henry Mallet, and three limited partners, Jean-Louis Mallet, Paul Martin and Jean-Louis Falquet.
Following a period of relative stagnation, marked by two world wars and the economic depression of the 1930s, Pictet & Cie began to develop extensively from the 1950s on. Despite the negative outlook in the aftermath of war, the western world experienced a period of prosperity and economic growth. Geneva became one of the world's leading diplomatic and financial centres.
Since the turn of the millennium, the Pictet Group has experienced some significant changes and events, such as its continued strong growth, the Bank's Bicentennial in 2005 and, the following year, the inauguration of its new headquarters in Acacias, Geneva.
The company boasts more than CHF 430 billion ($390 billion) in assets under management and custody as at end-September 2007.
The Group employs over 2,800 people in the following locations: Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich, Barcelona, Florence, Frankfurt, Madrid, Milan, Paris, London, Luxembourg, Rome, Turin, Montreal, Nassau, Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo. E-mail to a friend | 3307d32393be40ccabc44e6907f5aef7 | Who boasts more than $390 billion in assets under management, custody? | [
"Pictet Group"
] |
NewsQA | SINGAPORE (CNN) -- Hundreds of customers flocked to the Singapore office of troubled insurer American International Group Inc. (AIG) on Wednesday, many hoping to pull their investments and policies from the company.
People in Singapore queue outside the office of AIA, a subsidiary of AIG.
The crowd formed just hours after the U.S. Federal Reserve Board authorized the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to lend $85 billion to a crumbling AIG. In return, the federal government will receive a nearly 80 percent stake in the company.
One person who lined up in Singapore, retired teacher Wong Yoke Inn, said she was going to pull her investments from AIA even though it would cost her about $3,000 -- the equivalent of about $2,000 in the United States.
She joined an orderly crowd whose members were each given a number and a time to return to meet with a representative of AIA Singapore -- AIG's division in the island nation.
AIA tried to allay investors concerns in a statement distributed outside the Singapore office and posted on the company's Web site.
"AIA Singapore has more than sufficient capital and reserves ... to meet our obligations to policyholders," the statement said.
"The funds maintained in Singapore are segregated from American International Group, Inc. (AIG) and are held specifically for the purpose of meeting our obligations to policyholders."
The U.S. government announced Tuesday night that it would act to save America's largest insurer from filing for bankruptcy. Such a move almost certainly would have further roiled world markets already reeling from the bankruptcy filling of Lehman Brothers and the sale of Merrill Lynch to Bank of America.
AIG has $1.1 trillion in assets and 74 million clients in 130 countries. | 2153ec33d71840438da9f5b68deef581 | What did the Fed announce? | [
"the U.S. Federal Reserve Board authorized the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to lend $85 billion to a crumbling AIG. In return, the federal government will receive a nearly 80 percent stake in the company."
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A Taiwanese fishing vessel that was seized by pirates and anchored off the Somali coast for nearly 10 months was released Thursday night, the European Union Naval Force Somalia reported.
The Win Far 161 was held off the coast of Harardheere until the pirates left the ship and allowed its commander to retake control, the naval force said. The vessel was hijacked April in the Somali Basin, about 184 miles north of the Seychelles islands.
The vessel reported that all 28 crew members were safe.
The boat was operating outside the EU NAVFOR area of operation and was therefore not registered with the Maritime Security Centre for the Horn of Africa, authorities said. The coordination center helps protect merchant ships from pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin and off the Horn of Africa.
The ship's owner reported that the crew was released with food, fuel and water. The ship headed out to sea, where it was being monitored by EU NAVFOR.
EU NAVFOR escorts Somalia vessels carrying humanitarian aid from the World Food Program to protect them in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. | d4867fed684448e7a6d9d8fbf29e9fb4 | Where are they now? | [
"headed out to sea,"
] |
NewsQA | KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Taliban gunmen executed a young couple for trying to elope in rural Afghanistan, a local police chief told CNN Tuesday.
The woman was forced by her parents to become engaged to a man she did not like, said Police Chief Gabar Furdali, and decided to leave home with another man.
Local Taliban commanders found out and set out to punish them, said the police officer in the village of Man De Khe in the Kash Rud district of Nimruz province, a remote southwestern province that borders on Iran and Pakistan.
The Taliban gathered residents of Kash Rud to watch the execution of the two. The man, Abdul Aziz, and the woman, who was not named, were shot to death, the police officer said. He did not say when the killings took place.
NATO troops who patrol the country have "limited presence in that particular area," a spokesman told CNN.
The killings were not "within our area of responsibility, but we are aware of the reports" said the spokesman for the NATO mission who declined to be named, in line with policy.
There is a tradition of "honor killings" in the region that long predates the Taliban, said Barnett Rubin, an Afghanistan expert at New York University.
Journalist Tawab Qurayshi contributed to this report | 2f0bbd05050f40b797a1beeec766a9d8 | What is the name of the province | [
"Nimruz"
] |
NewsQA | LONDON, England (CNN) -- Police in Belgium arrested 14 Muslim extremists on Friday after uncovering a plot to free an al Qaeda suspect from prison using weapons and explosives.
Nizar Trabelsi appeared before a correctional court in 2005 for assault and battery against a prison warden.
Security across the small European state was stepped up in the wake of the alleged conspiracy, a spokeswoman for Belgium's federal prosecutors told a news conference.
Lieve Pellens said the conspirators planned to liberate Nizar Trabelsi, a Tunisian terrorist suspect who has been in custody since his arrest two days after the September 11 attacks on New York in 2001.
Trabelsi, a former professional soccer player in Germany, was jailed for 10 years in 2003 for planning to blow up a NATO military base in Belgium that housed American soldiers.
The 37-year-old admitted planning to drive a car bomb into the canteen at Kleine Brogel, an air base where about 100 American military personnel are stationed.
Trabelsi, who testified to a Belgium court that he intended kill American soldiers, claimed to have met Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan after joining anal Qaeda group.
Pellens said most of the arrests were in the capital Brussels.
In the wake of the arrests, she said extra police were being deployed on transport networks, at railway stations and airports and commercial centers to guard against a terrorist attack over the busy holiday period.
"Since it is not excluded that this group developed other projects and because the state of emergency in this period of the year is higher, the federal prosecutor and the examining magistrate decided to take no risks and intervene in the biggest possible way," Pellens told the news conference that was broadcast on Belgium television.
On its Web site, the U.S. Embassy in Brussels issued an alert to American citizens in Belgium to maintain a high level of vigilance, especially in crowded public places.
However, it said it had "no information to indicate that U.S. citizens or facilities are an intended target." E-mail to a friend | 69dfcc0b3855402488e0f00173d13a2c | Who was jailed for 10 years? | [
"Trabelsi,"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Someone out there just leapt all comic book purchase price records in a single bound.
A near-pristine copy of Action Comics #1 -- better known as the first appearance of Superman -- sold at an online auction Wednesday night for a staggering $2.16 million.
The seller? None other than cash-strapped actor Nicolas Cage, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Cage turned a super-sized profit, the Reporter noted. He bought the 1938 Man of Steel original 14 years ago for roughly $150,000.
The buyer has remained anonymous. But "he's an extremely passionate collector, and he treasures owning the best of the best," said Vincent Zurzolo, chief operating officer of New York-based ComicConnect.com, which conducted the auction. "In particular, he loves Superman."
When the comic book first went on the auction block November 12, the top bid was around $900,000, Zurzolo noted. The price rose to more than $1.5 million Monday and smashed the $2 million mark five minutes before the close of bidding.
The previous comic book sale price record? Roughly $1.5 million for another copy of Action Comics #1 in March of 2010.
"I've been involved in the comic book business for over 25 years," Zurzolo told CNN. Superman remains an "icon that represents the best of this great country."
Cage's copy of the all-American classic comes with a colorful back story. It was reported stolen in January 2000, according to the Reporter, and remained lost for more than 11 years before showing up last April in an abandoned storage locker in California's San Fernando Valley.
Comic book collectors' holy grails
If you're hoping to get your own original 1938 copy, don't hold your breath. There are only about 100 copies still believed to be in existence, according to ComicConnect.
About 100 copies of Detective Comics #27 -- better known as the first appearance of Batman -- are also still believed to be out there. The Caped Crusader made his inaugural appearance in 1939.
An original Depression-era Batman won't come cheap, however. One copy sold last year for a little over $1 million.
The good news: if you're willing to settle for a more modern incarnation of the two crime fighters, you can probably afford it. "All New Batman: The Brave and the Bold" went on sale last month for $2.99. | f12407711130408fb8ca7ea6ffefbb90 | The comic is believed to have been sold by who? | [
"Nicolas Cage,"
] |
NewsQA | LONDON, England (CNN) -- Profits at celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's British restaurants plunged by nearly 90 percent in the last 12 months.
Gordon Ramsay has become as successful on television as he has been off-screen.
Run by the Scottish-born chef and his father-in-law Chris Hutcheson, Gordon Ramsay Holdings reported a drop in annual turnover from £41.6 million ($68 million) to £35 million ($57 million) in the year to August 2008, Britain's Press Association reported Friday.
Pre-tax profits plummeted by over £3 million ($4.9 million) to £383,325 ($627,000), while net debt in the group, which includes London restaurants such as Claridges, Maze and the flagship Royal Hospital Road, soared to almost £9.5 million ($15.5 million).
With spiraling debts and crippling tax bills, the star of TV shows such as "Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares" and "Hell's Kitchen" was forced to pump huge amounts of his own money into the business, even selling his prized Ferrari to raise funds, The Guardian newspaper said.
Ramsay has attributed his business problems to over-ambitious expansion plans, in addition to the closure of two of his 11 London eateries. The Michelin-starred chef opened ten restaurants between 2007 and 2008, while The Savoy Grill was forced to close as the Savoy hotel was refurbished, and the lease at the Connaught expired.
The 42-year old was also forced to review his company's international operations, closing restaurants in Paris, Los Angeles and Prague, The Times newspaper reported.
"Ambition overtook me. We thought we could do anything, that we couldn't fail," PA quoted Ramsay as saying recently.
A full review of the group's operations was instigated in December as part of a refinancing deal with the Royal Bank of Scotland and to help the business get through the troubled economic times.
"2008 brought its own challenges, not just for our group, but for the industry as a whole and the broader economy," Hutcheson told PA.
"Whilst the restructuring has benefited the group, the significant contribution and commitment of all 750 staff to the business has been integral to moving us to a position of strength."
Ramsay has endured a difficult time recently. Last month he was criticized by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd after reportedly comparing television star Tracy Grimshaw to a pig during a live cooking show in Melbourne.
His trademark colorful language also came under fire last year by another Australian lawmaker. However Ramsay told the country's Channel Nine Network, which broadcasts Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen, that the shows emphasize the "pressures of working in a restaurant kitchen." | c7422d7075b14323802ba431e4ec6a38 | Turnover by Gordon Ramsay Holdings ? | [
"£35 million"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. has said he is ready to make the big-money fight with newly crowned WBO welterweight world champion Manny Pacquiao happen.
After victory in Las Vegas over Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto on Saturday, Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said the "whole world" now wanted to see a fight with Mayweather.
Reacting to the proposition the undefeated 32-year-old, who formerly held the WBC title at welterweight, told British broadcaster Sky Sports: "If he wants to fight Floyd Mayweather all he has to do is step up to the plate."
The twice-voted Ring magazine fighter of the year added that he felt Pacquiao's approach was one-dimensional but the Filipino would be a favorite with the crowd.
"The thing is with Pacquaio I don't see any versatility as a fighter; he's a good puncher but just one-dimensional. Is Pacquiao the greatest?
"The world's going to go 'wow' if Floyd Mayweather gets beaten. That's what everyone is looking to see.
"If I beat Manny Pacquaio do you know what they are going to say? 'You are supposed to beat him, you are Floyd Mayweather, you are the bigger man'. If I knock him out they'll say 'you're supposed to knock him out he's been knocked out before'.
"I'm in a no-win situation and when I beat him no one is going to be surprised because he's been beaten before; whatever I do to Pacquaio has been done before - he's been beaten on three occasions. And if I knock him out I don't want the world shouting because he's been knocked out twice before."
If the fight goes ahead it is expected to challenge the mark set by Oscar De La Hoya's bout with Floyd Mayweather for the most profitable in history.
Money generated from pay-per-view subscriptions earned the two fighters an estimated combined total of $77 million in 2007.
Mayweather, whose nickname is "Money," said: "If I go out and make $60-75 million in one night; come on - I'm not losing." | 8ed867709ee44beba81531abffe7a6f3 | What is the name of the new champion? | [
"Manny Pacquiao"
] |
NewsQA | Washington (CNN) -- Authorities evacuated Union Station, the main train terminal in Washington, D.C., for part of Sunday afternoon due to a chemical odor from an overheated battery system, according to a spokesman for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department.
The evacuation ended just over an hour after it began, after a hazardous materials team responded and all train service had been suspended, said fire department spokesman Peter Piringer.
One person was taken to a hospital for evaluation after complaining of dizziness, Piringer said.
The odor, described as smelling like sulfur or natural gas, was due to the battery that backs up the train platform's lighting system getting overheated, the spokesman said.
Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said all rail traffic in and out of the station was suspended for 75 minutes due to the evacuation. Delays from the temporary suspension would probably affect train service through the afternoon, Magliari said.
Subway service continued to operate during the evacuation, but trains were not stopping at Union Station, according to the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority. Regular subway service was to resume shortly after the evacuation lifted. | 51b5971ebdff41b7a3c38bf717ad16d8 | what was suspended for 75 minutes? | [
"all rail traffic in and out of the station"
] |
NewsQA | LONDON, England (CNN) -- A London department store has started selling coffee for $100 a shot.
Civet cats: The coffee beans are collected from the animal's faeces.
If the price sounds unappealing, shoppers also have to overcome the unusual method of cultivation, which sees the coffee beans harvested from the feces of an Indonesian jungle cat.
Even so, the Peter Jones store says the luxury blend -- called Caffé Raro -- is one of the world's rarest and most premium coffees.
Made by the Italian company De Longhi, Caffé Raro combines Jamaican Blue Mountain and Kupi Luwak, two extremely rare coffees.
The beans of Kupi Luwak are harvested after being ingested by civet cats, and only about 260 kilos (about 573 pounds) of the coffee is produced each year.
"The cats select the best beans to chew. It's rather like a natural filtering process," said Carie Barkhuzen, a spokeswoman for the upmarket store in London's upmarket Sloane Square.
The coffee, which went on sale Thursday, is available at $100 for a shot at the Peter Jones Espresso Bar, or shoppers can buy 100g (3.5-ounce) packs of the coffee beans to take away for the same price. Watch some willing to try the coffee, others not »
"It's not exactly flying off the shelves -- it's very expensive, after all -- but customers are buying it," Barkhuzen said.
The proceeds from the coffee sales will go to charity. E-mail to a friend | d36d81470d0c47fb946090e5cc9c93af | How much were coffee shots were sold for? | [
"$100"
] |
NewsQA | PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- Lined up next to Pittsburgh police officers protecting a downtown office building Thursday morning were officers who traveled a little farther to get to work.
Police officers from Tucson, Arizona, left, talk with a Pittsburgh officer Thursday outside the G-20 summit.
About 2,000 miles farther.
Thirty-six officers from the Tucson, Arizona, Police Department are in Pittsburgh as part of the G-20 security force. They were asked to assist by Pittsburgh officials as part of a Department of Homeland Security rapid response team.
Officers from departments in several cities, including Cleveland, Ohio; Miami Metro Dade, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland; and Chicago, Illinois, were sworn in as part of the massive security effort, but Tucson wins the prize for the greatest distance traveled. Watch how Pittsburgh has prepared for protests »
"There's a standardization in training," Tucson Lt. Paul Sayre said. Departments brought in to assist have undergone similar preparations in techniques and crowd control.
The Arizona officers were asked to come to Pittsburgh after taking part in the protection effort at the Republican National Convention in 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The downtown Pittsburgh street on a morning with temperatures in the 50s was nothing like a typical day for the officers. "It's a different environment," Sayre said -- but the job was the same. "We're excited to be here. It's a lot of fun."
"Our role is to support Pittsburgh," said Capt. Perry Tarrant, commanding the Tucson team.
The additional help protecting downtown locations "gives Pittsburgh the flexibility to send its officers where needed," Sayre said. | 3468edefe050435597fd6eaa1a06545d | What the Tucson police said? | [
"\"There's a standardization in training,\""
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- A sandy stretch in the tony Hamptons topped 2010's best beaches list, compiled each year by a coastal scholar known as Dr. Beach.
Coopers Beach, the main beach in the village of Southampton on the east end of Long Island, New York, took top honors this year on the 20th annual list released by Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman, director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University.
Coopers Beach's sandy shoreline is dotted with historic mansions and the picturesque St. Andrews Dune Church.
Sarasota, Florida's, Siesta Beach took the second spot on the list, followed by Coronado Beach in San Diego, California.
Leatherman uses 50 criteria to evaluate the nation's beaches, including water quality, sand quality, beach width and environmental management.
The full list includes coastal recreation spots from Hawaii to Massachusetts:
1. Coopers Beach in Southampton, New York
2. Siesta Beach in Sarasota, Florida
3. Coronado Beach in San Diego, California
4. Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks of North Carolina
5. Main Beach in East Hampton, New York
6. Kahanamoku Beach in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
7. Coast Guard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts
8. Beachwalker Park in Kiawah Island, South Carolina
9. Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii
10. Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne, Florida | 932a24e8bacd41ab925ad7b3c33786db | Which beach tops the 2010 best beaches list? | [
"Coopers"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- German sailors foiled an attempt by pirates to hijack an Egyptian cargo ship off the coast of Yemen, the German Defense Ministry said.
Pirates like these threaten the Somalian coast.
The German navy frigate Karlsruhe responded to an emergency call from the Wabi Al Arab Thursday morning, sending helicopters to the stricken vessel. When the helicopters arrived, the pirates broke off the attack, the ministry said.
A crew member on the Wabi Al Arab was wounded when the pirates attempted to board the vessel. He was flown by helicopter for treatment aboard the Karlsruhe, the ministry said.
The German sailors captured the pirates and disarmed them, destroying the weapons, the ministry said.
The German government in Berlin later ordered the Somali pirates released because they were not caught while harassing German interests, according to BBC.
The Karlsruhe joined the fight against the pirates on Tuesday from Djibouti, the defense ministry said.
On Wednesday a top Japanese official said the country was considering sending vessels to join U.S., Russian, NATO and Indian vessels in the waters off Somalia, a key shipping route that sees around 20,000 oil tankers, freighters and merchant vessels each year.
China said Tuesday that two destroyers and a supply ship from its navy would set sail for the region on Friday to protect Chinese merchant ships. Watch why China's dispatch of forces is significant »
The U.N. Security Council passed a resolution last week aimed at combating piracy along the Horn of Africa by allowing military forces to chase pirate onto land in cases of "hot pursuit."
The Security Council resolution, which passed unanimously, expands upon existing counter-piracy tools, including a stipulation that would allow for national and regional military forces to chase pirates onto land -- specifically into Somalia, where many of the pirates have their bases.
Over 124 incidents -- attempted attacks, averted attacks and successful hijackings -- have been recorded to date this year, according to Kenyan Seafarers Association. | ad9f994392954a82a42833abacf475c4 | Number of vessels that use the key shipping route? | [
"20,000"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Search crews have recovered the bodies of the flight captain and a steward from the Air France flight that crashed off the coast of Brazil.
A Brazilian diver floats on wreckage of Flight 447 earlier this month. The search for more debris continues.
The two flight members are among the victims that have been identified, Air France said in a statement Thursday.
About a dozen victims have been identified among roughly 50 bodies recovered from the crash of Flight 447, which killed 228 people on June 1, authorities in Brazil said this week.
Crews continue to search for bodies, wreckage and flight-data recorders that apparently rest deep on the ocean floor. Data from the recorders may be crucial in helping investigators determine what caused the plane to crash. Watch more wreckage recovered from crash »
Autopsies conducted on some of the 50 bodies found so far show they suffered broken bones, including arms, legs and hips, Brazilian authorities have told French investigators, according to Paul-Louis Arslanian, head of the French accident investigation board.
Such injuries suggest that the plane broke apart in midair, experts have said.
Asked about that theory, Air France Chief Executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told France's RTL radio this week that he would not go that far.
"What I know is that the investigators would like to know the causes of death," Gourgeon said. "That knowledge of causes of death will better clarify what exactly happened. Were the victims killed before the impact, or during impact?"
Searchers have found dozens of pieces of debris in the water and think they know the general location of the wreck, but Arslanian said this week that there is a chance the entire aircraft may never be found.
Air France plans to pay relatives of the victims an initial compensation equivalent to about $24,500, or 17,500 euros, for each victim, Gourgeon has said.
The airliner said this week that it has been in touch with about 1,800 relatives of the people who died when the Airbus A330 crashed, but that it has been difficult tracing the relatives of all 228 victims.
"The modern world is different and we often have only a cell phone, and as you can imagine, this cell phone is unfortunately in the aircraft," Gourgeon said. "So we probably (will put in) more hours to access all the relatives."
The company is also providing families with counseling, he said.
The were 32 different nationalities present on Flight 447. | 6dc2453006b543b087f4b4b3af6c969c | Who did the search crew recover? | [
"bodies of the flight captain and a steward from the Air France"
] |
NewsQA | (CNN) -- Manchester United have hit back at Owen Hargreaves after their former midfielder claimed he had been mistreated by the English champions' medical staff.
Hargreaves, who joined United's archrivals Manchester City in August after his contract at Old Trafford expired, was reported in the British press as having said he felt like a guinea pig during an injury plagued four-year spell with the Red Devils.
The England midfielder was speaking after making a goal-scoring debut for City in their 2-0 Carling Cup win over Birmingham City on Wednesday.
"Manchester United is disappointed with Owen Hargreaves' remarks after the game on Wednesday," read a statement on the three-time European champions' website.
What are the reasons behind Man Utd's flying start?
"The club gave him the best possible care for three years and is as disappointed as anyone he was not able to play a part in the team's success at that time.
"It has shared all the medical records with Manchester City and is comfortable with the actions taken by its medical staff at each step of his many attempts at rehabilitation."
The Canada-born star arrived at United from German outfit Bayern Munich in 2007, but only made 27 appearances for Alex Ferguson's team due to persistent injury problems relating to the tendons in his knee.
"They said I would be fit for the start of pre-season but, after that, I never got back on my feet," Hargreaves was reported as saying in British newspaper The Guardian. "My tendon was never the same. They said my tendon was good, but it felt like I was made out of glass.
"We treated it and it got significantly worse through the injections. That obviously had a huge impact. Basically, I was left to pick up the pieces, which was incredibly frustrating. That was surgery, and that was 18 months gone."
But United denied Hargreaves' claims, with the statement continuing to say: "United does not acknowledge any validity in the comments Owen is alleged to have made.
"Manchester United has some of the best sports medical staff in world sport, who have made a significant contribution to United's on-pitch success in recent seasons."
Prior to joining City, Hargreaves posted a series of clips on the video-sharing website YouTube aimed at proving his fitness.
The 30-year-old made his professional debut for Bayern in 2000, and went on to win four Bundesliga titles with the club and the European Champions League in 2001.
Hargreaves also represent England at both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, and won a second career Champions League title when United beat Chelsea in Moscow in 2008. | 1f54035b647544de85e8cfa620e47faf | What did he join recently? | [
"United's archrivals Manchester City"
] |
NewsQA | WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama reached out to citizens of the world Tuesday, saying in an op-ed piece that ran in 31 newspapers around the globe that there is an urgent need for worldwide economic cooperation.
President Obama will discuss the economic downturn with other world leaders next week at the Group of 20 meeting.
Obama's move comes ahead of next week's Group of 20 meeting in London, England, in which leaders of the world's richest nations will discuss the global economic downturn.
"My message is clear," Obama wrote. "The United States is ready to lead, and we call upon our partners to join us with a sense of urgency and common purpose. Much good work has been done, but much more remains."
The president is scheduled to hold his second prime-time news conference at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday.
In the op-ed, Obama spoke about the upcoming G-20 meeting, saying that world leaders have to work together. Watch as the White House press secretary outlines Obama's economic strategy »
"We are living through a time of global economic challenges that cannot be met by half measures or the isolated efforts of any nation," Obama said. "Now, the leaders of the Group of 20 have a responsibility to take bold, comprehensive and coordinated action that not only jump-starts recovery, but also launches a new era of economic engagement to prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again."
The president also pointed out that although the United States is separated by two oceans from most of the rest of the world, a global economy renders those geographic distinctions moot.
"Once and for all, we have learned that the success of the American economy is inextricably linked to the global economy," Obama said. "There is no line between action that restores growth within our borders and action that supports it beyond."
Next week's G-20 summit will be Obama's first meeting as president with many of the world's leaders. He will meet many of the Western Hemisphere's leaders at the Fifth Summit of the Americas next month in Trinidad and Tobago. | c12062ae2a654673bb9dde9aa8e9d9f4 | Where are the newpapers located? | [
"around the globe"
] |
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