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[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A Nepalese journalist who reported on women's rights and wrote several articles criticizing the dowry system was hacked to death in her room, a media rights group said Monday. A Nepalese journalist takes part in a protest last month demanding more freedom for the press. The killing of Uma Singh, 26, is part of a growing and troubling pattern of violence directed at reporters in the South Asian country, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists said. In protest, journalists throughout Nepal are expected to stage demonstrations Tuesday, calling on the government to ensure their safety. \"If the government is not ready to provide any kind of security to journalists, it will be very difficult to do journalism in a free mode,\" said Dharmendra Jha, president of the federation. Singh wrote for a daily newspaper and reported for a radio station in Janakpur, about 240 km (150 miles) southeast of the capital city of Katmandu. When she got home from work Sunday night, a group of about 15 men barged into the room she rented at a house and hacked her with sharp objects in full view of other boarders, Jha said. \"I am very very shocked,\" said Jha, who arrived in Janakpur Monday to probe the killing. \"She was my student and I brought her into active journalism.\" Authorities do not have a motive for the killing. In some of her articles, Singh spoke out against the dowry system, where a bride's family is forced to give cash and property to the groom's family before the wedding. Also Sunday, a group of men ransacked the house of another journalist, leaving a cross on her door and telling her it was her turn next, media groups said. Police do not know if the two incidents are related. In recent months, the number of attacks on journalists in Nepal has shot up. The federation released a year-end report, recording 284 incidents -- including three deaths and a kidnapping. The incidents also include shutting down media outlets, burning copies of magazines and beatings. Some of the assailants have ties to the Communist Party of Nepal, the largest party in Nepal's coalition government, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch. The party is led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, or Prachanda -- a man who led a decade-long bloody insurgency before being sworn in as prime minister. During the decade-long civil war, Maoist forces under him carried out numerous attacks on journalists they believed were opposed to their cause, Human Rights Watch said. And after he became prime minister, Prachanda issued a public warning to journalists while addressing a massive crowd in Katmandu: \"Now we will no longer tolerate criticism as we have already been elected by the people.\" \"The problem we're facing is the problem of impunity,\" Jha said. \"There are many armed groups in plain sight. The government has to hold them accountable. Otherwise, we are not safe.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Nepalese journalist who reported on women's rights is hacked to death .\nKilling of Uma Singh is part of pattern of violence directed at reporters in Nepal .\nJournalists throughout Nepal expected to stage demonstrations Tuesday ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Elizabeth and Mary Profit will not be taking center court at the U.S. Open women's doubles final to face Venus and Serena Williams, but they share many of the athletic qualities that have made Venus and Serena the most dominant sisters in tennis history. Elizabeth Profit plays tennis while wearing an insulin monitor at her waist in this family photo. Elizabeth is 13 years old and holds a top ten ranking among 14-year-olds in Southern California. She is already defeating top-ranked players in the 18-year-old division. Her sister Mary, at 11, is also a top-ranked player and dominating her age group. Mary won her first tournament at the age of 6. Both girls started playing tennis as infants by hitting balls of socks across their living room. Their mother, Yvonne Profit, recognized their talent and saw it as an opportunity to develop sportsmanship and character and help them earn athletic scholarships at top national universities. So far, they have exceeded her expectations. In a sport that more often tends to develop players from affluent backgrounds, Elizabeth and Mary have already beaten overwhelming odds and endured the kind of adversity that too often ends in defeat. Watch how the sisters hope to achieve their tennis dreams » . The Profit sisters grew up in a single-parent household and trained with less than stellar coaches. They developed an exemplary work ethic to compensate for a lack of resources, Elizabeth said. Yvonne, who earned a degree at the University of Michigan, decided to give up her full-time job and move her daughters into an RV to keep up with the rigorous demands of traveling for tournaments. Elizabeth sleeps on a couch. There is a portable stove and shower. But the girls view living in an RV as an inconvenience rather than a hardship. The Profit sisters may be on a path toward a professional tennis career, but Elizabeth's story off the court is just as compelling. She has juvenile diabetes and has been living with the disease since the age of 2, when her body stopped producing insulin. Elizabeth learned how to test her blood sugar levels before the age of 3 and two years later, she began administering insulin injections on her own. \"My mom said I'm not going use my diabetes as a disability,\" said Elizabeth. \"I've got it for the rest of my life. And if they miraculously find a cure for it then that's great, but I have to live with it. I can't make excuses.\" Until she learned how to manage diabetes, Elizabeth found herself collapsing at times. \"In this one particular tournament Elizabeth played in, her blood sugar was totally out of control and I kept hollering out to her, 'Quit! Retire, you don't have to do this,' \" said Yvonne. \"She stopped and she turned around and said, 'I can do this. I can do this, Mom.' \" Elizabeth went on to win the match and the tournament. \"By the time we got home, she had collapsed on the floor. And I said, 'Sweetie pie, why didn't you quit?' \" Yvonne remembered. \"Because you didn't raise me to be a quitter,\" Elizabeth told her mother. In spite of her diabetes, Elizabeth reached the No. 1 ranking in her age group in Southern California at 10 years old. Her sister Mary knows that diabetes can be debilitating and a matter of life and death, so she constantly watches over her older sister. \"Sometimes when I wake up to go to the bathroom, I check her blood sugar, when my mom's sleeping,\" said Mary. \"Sometimes I wake up and give her something if her blood sugar is low.\" For the past ten years, Yvonne said, she has been unable to obtain private health insurance on the open market for her daughter because diabetes is considered a pre-existing medical condition. Elizabeth used to rely on a large insulin pump to make it through the day, but now she wears a small patch that releases insulin. Despite the inconvenience of checking her blood sugar level a dozen times a day, Elizabeth has not let diabetes deter her from achieving her goals. \"At 17, I hope to see myself in the quarters of the U.S. Open like Melanie Oudin,\" she said. \"I hope to win some grand slams and get that No. 1 ranking.\" Elizabeth's advice to anyone with diabetes is universal. \"I'd say if you give up, you're going to have to look back on your life and say, 'Oh I could have done this, I could have done that,' \" she said. \"You don't want to let life pass you by. You're going to have so many years to live, so you might as well have fun while you do it. And once you die, you're going to have a legacy behind, so make your life as fun as you can.\" Next year, Yvonne is planning to enter Elizabeth on the women's professional tour, at the same age that Serena and Venus Williams turned pro." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Tennis player Elizabeth Profit, 13, ranks high in her age group; to turn pro next year .\nElizabeth has juvenile diabetes, manages it; \"I can't make excuses,\" she says .\nSister Mary, 11, also a rising tennis star, watches over her older sister .\n\"You don't want to let life pass you by,\" Elizabeth advises others with diabetes ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Many skiers who visit Colorado prefer the slopes of Aspen, Vail or Breckenridge. But there's a cool little day trip from Denver that often gets overlooked by out-of-towners. The Ski Train begins its round-trip journey to Winter Park at Union Station in Denver, Colorado. The Ski Train is a 68-year-old local favorite that shuttles about 750 people between Denver and Winter Park. It runs on weekend days -- leaving Denver's Union Station at 7:15 a.m. -- and begins the return leg nine hours later. The 56-mile trip takes about two hours each way, and many riders say it's worth the cost to avoid the traffic hassles of the oft-congested I-70. A roundtrip ticket costs between $49 and $85. There are additional expenses, such as parking at the train station in Denver and lift tickets for skiers. If someone chooses to shop instead of ski, a free shuttle into Winter Park is available. Train riders love the trip route, which winds through the Rockies and climbs to 9,000 feet. It also travels through almost 30 tunnels, including the 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel, which passes underneath the Continental Divide. \"The train ride up there is spectacular. You see wonderful vistas as you leave Denver through the northern plains and into the mountains,\" Kristal Kraft, a real estate agent in Denver, says. \"And once you get through the Moffat Tunnel, you're right there at Winter Park.\" Kraft says she enjoyed her maiden voyage on the train, which came courtesy of a local home builder that bought group tickets in one of the club cars. \"I loved the convenience [of the train],' she says. \"We relaxed, talked, socialized. And when you get off the train, you are right there at the slopes.\" According to skitrain.com, three additional cars are available for charter and one for company retreats. The Web site lists the price for the presentation car at $5,000 for a winter trip. The site says the current train cars were purchased after Ansco Investment Company bought the Ski Train in 1988. Kraft says the cars are comfortably heated and there is ample room to move around. Kraft, an amateur photography buff, enjoyed switching from window to window, side to side, to take pictures. There is one occasional hitch to riding the train. It shares the track with the Union Pacific Railroad and at times has to stop or pullover to make way for a freight train or Amtrak. And there are instances where another train has an accident. One time a coal train derailed in a tunnel and the Union Pacific officials told the Ski Train operators it would take two days to clear the tracks, says Ski Train media relations director Jim Bain. They called the passengers together in a cafeteria in Winter Park and advised them to call friends and family to come pick them up. The company also arranged for a few buses to come gather the remaining passengers and Bain says they were all headed back to Denver by 8:30 p.m. It was a worst-case scenario, he says, and it only happened once. There are occasional delays of a few hours. The bad news is you're delayed; the good news is you're on a full service train with food service and restrooms. And there's the ability to find a beverage. One reviewer on the Web site yelp.com said there's another bonus to the train. \"What's great is that once you get back into Denver you can hit Wynkoop brewery or any other bars around there to keep the party rolling,\" Ramon G. wrote." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ski Train from Denver to Winter Park has been a local favorite for 68 years .\nTrain ferries skiers to slopes in Colorado's Rocky Mountains .\n\"The train ride up there is spectacular,\" says Denver resident .\nTrain passes through 6.2-mile Moffat Tunnel underneath the Continental Divide ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Rep. Joe Wilson said Sunday he will not apologize again for yelling out that President Obama lied during the president's speech to Congress last week. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina, shouts \"You lie!\" during President Obama's speech Wednesday night. \"I am not going to apologize again,\" the South Carolina Republican said on \"FOX News Sunday\" when asked about pending disciplinary steps against him by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. Wilson said he already apologized to Obama and that the president accepted it. However, he insisted that Obama \"was misstating the facts,\" and that Democratic leaders in the House were \"playing politics\" by continuing to focus on the issue. House Democrats plan to censure Wilson if he refuses to apologize on the House floor this week. Wilson issued a statement about that Sunday, saying, \"The American people are fed up with the political games in Washington, and I refuse to participate in an effort to divert our attention away from the task at hand of reforming health insurance and creating new jobs.\" Watch the debate over Wilson's comment » . The controversy has shifted the focus of the heated health care debate by calling attention to claims by Republicans that a health care overhaul sought by Obama and Democrats would provide free insurance coverage for illegal immigrants. Obama and Democratic leaders insist that nothing in any of the health care proposals currently before Congress includes health care coverage for illegal immigrants or would provide taxpayer money to help illegal immigrants buy private health coverage. However, Wilson and other opponents of Democratic proposals say the plans provide no enforcement mechanism to screen applicants for citizenship requirements. Wilson said Sunday that Republican amendments calling for such enforcement were rejected by congressional committees that have passed the Democratic proposals. When asked if Obama had lied to Congress, Wilson responded: \"I believe he was misstating the facts.\" He noted that Senate Finance Committee members negotiating a compromise agreement have called for enforcement mechanisms similar to what Republicans are proposing. The national response to Wilson's nationally televised outburst, in which he yelled \"You lie\" as Obama spoke about health care to a joint session of Congress, shows the deep public divide over the issue. Wilson and his opponent for re-election next year have each raised more than $1 million since Wilson's heckling of the president on Wednesday, according to aides for each. In addition, Wilson has posted a Web video that asks for campaign cash to fend off attacks from political opponents. Immediately after Obama's speech Wednesday, Wilson issued a statement that apologized for inappropriate behavior. He also called the White House that night and spoke to Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, who told Wilson that Obama accepted his apology. Obama said publicly that he accepted the apology. Wilson \"apologized quickly and unequivocally, and I'm appreciative of that,\" the president said. Wilson said Sunday that should be enough, adding that he respected the president and \"would never do something like that again.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rep. Joe Wilson says he apologized to Obama and that should be enough .\nWilson yelled \"You lie\" as Obama made health care speech to Congress last week .\nHouse Democrats plan to censure Wilson unless he apologizes in House this week .\nWilson says he respects president, \"would never do something like that again\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "HAMILTON, Bermuda (CNN) -- Two of four Uyghurs relocated to Bermuda after seven years of detention in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, denied Friday that they had ever been terrorists and expressed gratitude toward U.S. President Barack Obama for working to free them. Salahidin Abdalahut and Kheleel Mamut were two of four Uyghurs released from Gitmo. Thirteen remain there. Asked what he would say to someone who accused him of being a terrorist, one of the men, Kheleel Mamut, told CNN's Don Lemon, \"I am no terrorist; I have not been terrorist. I will never be terrorist. I am a peaceful person.\" Speaking through an interpreter who is herself a Uyghur who said she was sympathetic toward the men, the other man -- Salahidin Abdalahut -- described the past seven years as \"difficult times for me ... I feel bad that it took so long for me to be free.\" The two Chinese Muslims were among four relocated from Guantanamo to Bermuda; another 13 remain in detention on the island. He said he had traveled to Afghanistan not to attend any terrorist training camps but because -- as a Uyghur -- he had been oppressed by the Chinese government. \"We had to leave the country to look for a better life, a peaceful life, and Afghanistan is a neighboring country to our country, and it's easy to go,\" he said. \"It is difficult to obtain a visa to go to any other places, so it was really easy for us to just travel to Afghanistan.\" Asked what he hoped to do next, he said, \"I want to forget about the past and move on to a peaceful life in the future.\" In addition to the four relocated from Guantanamo to Bermuda, another 13 Uyghurs remain in detention on the island. The four were flown by private plane Wednesday night from Cuba to Bermuda, and were accompanied by U.S. and Bermudian representatives as well as their attorneys, according to Susan Baker Manning, part of the men's legal team. The men, who are staying in an apartment, are free to roam about the island. Mamut accused the Bush administration of having held them without cause, and lauded Obama for having \"tried really hard to bring justice and he has been trying very hard to find other countries to resettle us and finally he freed us.\" He appealed to Obama to carry out his promise to shut Guantanamo Bay within a year. \"I would like President Obama to honor that word and to free my 13 brothers who were left behind and all of the rest of the people who deserve to be free,\" Mamut said. Asked how he had been treated in Guantanamo Bay, Mamut said, \"It is a jail, so there will be difficulties in the jail that we have faced and now, since I am a free man today, I would like to forget about all that. I really don't want to think about those days.\" He cited a proverb from his homeland that means, \"What is done cannot be undone.\" Asked if he had anything to say to anyone watching, he said, \"Thank you very much for those people who helped me to gain freedom.\" He said he had spoken earlier in the day with his family. \"They told me, \"My boy, my son, congratulations on your freedom.' \" The move has had international repercussions, including causing a rift between the United States and Britain. A British official familiar with the agreement but not authorized to speak publicly on the matter told CNN the United States had informed London of the agreement \"shortly before the deal was concluded.\" A U.S. official, speaking on background, said the British feel blindsided. Bermuda is a British \"overseas territory.\" The four were twice cleared for release -- once by the Bush administration and again this year, according to a Justice Department statement. The issue of where they go is controversial because of China's opposition to the Uyghurs' being sent to any country but China. Uyghurs are a Muslim minority from the Xinjiang province of far west China. The 17 Uyghurs had left China and made their way to Afghanistan, where they settled in a camp with other Uyghurs opposed to the Chinese government, the Justice Department said in its statement. They left Afghanistan after U.S. bombings began in the area in October 2001 and were apprehended in Pakistan, the statement said. \"According to available information, these individuals did not travel to Afghanistan with the intent to take any hostile action against the United States,\" the statement said. However, China alleges that the men are part of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement -- a group the U.S. State Department considers a terrorist organization -- that operates in the Xinjiang region. East Turkestan is another name for Xinjiang. China on Thursday urged the United States to hand over all 17 of the Uyghurs instead of sending them elsewhere. The United States will not send Uyghur detainees cleared for release back to China out of concern that they would be tortured by Chinese authorities. China has said no returned Uyghurs would be tortured. A senior U.S. administration official told CNN that the State Department is working on a final agreement with Palau to settle the 13 remaining Uyghur detainees. CNN's Don Lemon and Brian Vitagliano in Hamilton, Bermuda, and Jill Dougherty contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Two Uyghurs relocated from Guantanamo spoke Friday with CNN's Don Lemon .\nBoth denied having been terrorists and expressed gratitude toward U.S. president .\nFour of the Chinese Muslims were relocated to Bermuda; 13 remain at Gitmo .\nIncident has had international repercussions centering on where to relocate men ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Dutch Harbor, ALASKA (CNN) -- In Dutch Harbor the smell of fish wafting from the docks and the canneries is the smell of money. And lately, the town has smelled a lot less fishy. High seas high jinx: Tobias gives his shipmate Hanns a haircut at sea using a sail bag as a barber cape. Over fishing, new quota systems and changes in expected weather patterns have all played a role in changing the face of this once swashbuckling Alaskan town, fishermen say. \"Last summer we thought that pollock fishing was over for good, it was so bad. Time to turn out the lights and go home. But then they cut the quotas by 30 percent and now there are some small signs of more small fish, so maybe they are coming back,\" said Guy Collins, who coordinates with fishing captains who unload their catch at the Unisea docks in Dutch Harbor. \"The fishermen have to go further north toward Russia now to get the fish that are near the ice. It used to be the boats would go out 100 miles, now they go out 500. It could be partly due to temperature change and weather patterns.\" Dutch Harbor saw a revival in popularity with the reality show The Deadliest Catch, but even the high-fiving enthusiasm of the deck hands on the TV show can't match what the town was like in the glory days. \"Those were the days, in the mid 1980's, there was booze, drugs and partying. You had lines of coke going down the bar and no one said anything,\" says Byron Singley, captain of the 24-ton fishing boat the Nancy Allen. \"People were making big money and spending it as fast as it came in. I earned $78,000 as a deckhand the first year I was here but I can't remember where it went. Those days are long gone.\" Aboard the Silent Sound, as we sail north through the Bering Sea, we're finding other things are not quite like they used to be. For starters, we've been becalmed for much of the trip when we were expecting to encounter strong winds on the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. We have motored nearly half of our 2,300 miles so far. More importantly, the ice we were bracing ourselves for may not be where we expected to find it. While this is good news for the expedition from a sailing perspective, it's less attractive for wildlife such as polar bears, seals and walruses that use the ice as a platform for hunting, mating and migration. \"The present extent of northern sea ice is very similar to the extents at this time in 2008 and in 2007. It is close to values seen also in 1995 and 1990. It is about five per cent below the long-term average of 12.2m square kilometers,\" said Dr Humfrey Melling, a research scientist with the Institute of Ocean Sciences near Victoria, British Columbia. September 2007 was the first time that the Northwest Passage was open water from end to end. An ice forecast issued by the Canadian Ice Service on July 1 showed earlier than normal break up in many key areas in the Western Arctic. \"In the Western Arctic region, the breakup pattern is one to three weeks early in many coastal areas and by as much as one month in isolated areas,\" the report said. But we're still some 400 miles from the Arctic Circle and a month from entering the heart of the Northwest Passage, which gives the Arctic plenty of time to surprise us." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Team aims to discover how climate change has affected Arctic and Inuit people .\nAt Dutch Harbor, Alaska, discovered how fishing quota transforming community .\nUnexpected calm weather on trip so far despite sailing \"Deadliest Catch\" seas .\nRead the first ship's log from the crew of the Silent Sound ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- Billionaire Bill Gates has urged industrialized nations to honor aid pledges to developing nations despite the recession. Bill Gates Thursday said industrialized nations need to do more to help developing countries. ONE, the advocacy group backed by Gates and rock musicians Bob Geldof Bono released a report Thursday attacking several Group of Eight nations for meeting financial aid goals, set in 2005, to countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The report said that Italy, host to the next G8 summit, has \"performed especially poorly\" in its share of aid spending and that France has fallen behind on its commitment. In an interview with CNN's Richard Quest, Gates said nations such as France had not been able to fulfill their promises due to pressures on budgets and suggested they needed to \"raise the priority so the promises are met.\" Are G8 nations doing enough during the recession to help developing economies? The former Microsoft chief set up the philanthropic Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 1994. Part of its remit is to help nations trapped by hunger and extreme poverty, donating billions of dollars on health aid during the past two decades. Gates said that as industrialized nations cut their budgets over the next few years to get deficits down there would be a real question of whether aid money will be untouched or increase. But if people knew how valuable such aid was, he said, the pressure on governments would be enough to allow it to be a priority. \"When you get young girls into schools and they're literate,\" said Gates, \"not only do they contribute to the economy, but the population growth that is overloading resources and is creating these problems, that starts to go down. And so the portion of the world that needs aid is far less today than it was 50 years ago.\" Watch full Quest Means Business interview with Bill Gates. » . Trade was also key to developing nations being able to become self-sufficient, said Gates, rather than relying on foreign aid or philanthropy. \"Why did China get to the point it got to?\" Gates asked. \"Aid was part of it but they got their governance and infrastructure up to a level where they are now going to be a net contributor. That's a very positive story for 20 percent of the world. \"We need to improve the trade rules,\" said Gates. \"The Doha Round would have been very beneficial to Africa. That's a failure that one hopes would be fixed.\" Gates, answering a question submitted by CNN viewer Jairo Martinez on how aid money was monitored, said that health priorities such as AIDs treatment, vaccines and malaria nets were all measurable. \"My foundation says for every dollar we put in, how many lives have we saved? And, as you save lives, amazingly you actually reduce the population growth and improve the entire ability of the country to move forward.\" CNN viewer Phill Elliott asked Gates, through a submitted question, about the importance of the $100 laptop, intended to improve access to education in developing nations. Gates replied that educational technology was a priority once more fundamental basics were in place. \"You have got to get your priorities right,\" he said. \"When children are dying and vaccines that only costs dollars aren't being delivered, that's the most important thing. If you do not have food, that's the most important thing.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Gates: If people could see direct benefit to nations then aid would not drop off .\nBill & Melinda Gates Foundation sends billions of dollars to developing nations .\nGates: China is a great example of a nation which has progressed in recent times .\nQuest Means Business: Monday to Friday, 1800 GMT, 2000 CET, 0300 HK ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (CNN) -- Former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner resigned as leader of the ruling political party Monday following a poor showing in Sunday's elections, the official news agency Telam reported. Former Argentine Nestor Kirchner accepts defeat Sunday in legislative elections in Buenos Aires. The ruling Justicialist Party, or PJ by its Spanish acronym, lost its majority in the Chamber of Deputies after being defeated in 18 of 60 races, the newspaper Clarin reported in its Monday editions. The party also lost four Senate contests. The new composition of Congress could shift power away from Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, Kirchner's wife. Nestor Kirchner also lost a race for a congressional seat in Buenos Aires province. He lost his bid to Francisco de Narvaez, who leads a rival Peronist party, Union PRO, by a tally of 34.6 percent to 32.1 percent. The Kirchners' party also lost in some of the most important urban centers, including Santa Fe, Cordoba, Mendoza and Entre Rios. Argentina's ability to withstand the global economic slowdown was a key election issue. Economic indicators from Argentina look good, but there is broad agreement among analysts that indicators such as inflation are underreported by as much as half. An effort by Cristina Kirchner, who succeeded her husband, to tax agricultural exports led to a standoff with angry farmers who ultimately forced the government to backpedal. \"The Kirchners have been weakened by this latest economic crisis,\" said Robert Pastor, who was a Latin America national security adviser for former President Carter. The election could signal that the limelight on the country's most powerful political couple could be evaporating. \"They'll probably begin to fade from the scene,\" said Peter Hakim, president of the Inter-American Dialogue policy institute. \"It's going to be very hard for them to govern unless they do something they haven't been willing to do -- compromise and reach consensus.\" CNN's Arthur Brice contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Ex-Argentine President Nestor Kirchner steps down as leader of ruling party .\nRuling Justicialist Party loses majority in Argentina's Chamber of Deputies .\nNew composition of Congress could shift power away from president .\nAnalyst: \"The Kirchners have been weakened by this latest economic crisis\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Investigators are looking into whether employees at the Los Angeles County coroner's office illegally leaked information about Michael Jackson's death probe to the news media, according to a sheriff's spokesman. Police stand outside the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office when Michael Jackson's body was there in June. Vivid descriptions of Jackson's corpse, which was in the coroner's custody for an autopsy, were published by tabloid newspapers in the days after his death. The Los Angeles County Supervisors office on Friday asked the sheriff to conduct a \"preliminary inquiry,\" which will determine whether there is enough evidence to launch a full investigation, said Steve Whitmore, a sheriff's spokesman. Whitmore did not provide details on what prompted the request. The Los Angeles Times quoted Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas as saying his office called the sheriff's department after reports that coroner's employees not involved in the Jackson death probe had viewed his death certificate in the office database. Ridley-Thomas has not responded to CNN requests for comment. The coroner's office is investigating the cause of Jackson's June 25 death. It has been waiting on toxicology lab results, but a final autopsy report is expected as soon as next week, a coroner's spokesman has said. Los Angeles police are also investigating the death. Detectives traveled to Houston, Texas, this week to search the medical office of Dr. Conrad Murray, Jackson's personal doctor. CNN's Sonya Hamasaki contributed to this report ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Vivid descriptions of Jackson's corpse are published by tabloid newspapers .\nL.A. officials ask sheriff to conduct preliminary inquiry .\nA sheriff's spokesman did not say what prompted the request .\nThe coroner's office is investigating the cause of Jackson's June 25 death ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- After a town hall meeting on health-care reform in Belgrade, Montana, President Obama will escape to Big Sky country on Friday evening where he'll spend time with family and go fly-fishing for the first time. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel carries fly-fishing tackle to Marine One on Friday. Fly-fishing requires a singular focus, much like golf. Having newly discovered the sport myself, it occurred to me as I watched Marine One lift off the South Lawn on Friday that there are probably some lessons on the river that could apply to Obama's presidency. Thinking like a producer, I called an expert -- fly-fishing instructor Tony Derosier, who described the evolution most fishermen go through. \"Usually, when you first go fishing, all you want to do is catch a fish, and then all you want to do is catch a lot of fish, and then you just want to catch the larger fish. After you've caught a lot of large fish, you kind of go back to square one and catch just one fish,\" said Derosier, manager at Taylor Creek Fly Shop in Aspen, Colorado. \"You basically just want to go fishing -- the numbers, the size, it doesn't matter any more.\" Obama is in the \"big fish\" stage of his presidency: He's trying to get health-care reform legislation passed hook, line, and sinker. If he's successful, anything else he gets passed will be icing on the cake. Learning the fundamentals of fly-fishing can serve as a metaphor for health care reform. Obama just needs to look at hooking and landing Blue Dog Democrats and Republicans like he would trout. The first step -- learn how to cast. \"Fly-casting is all about maximizing the energy you put in your rod and you lose energy if you wait too long,\" Derosier said. \"And conversely, if you don't wait long enough, your line will crack like a whip.\" Obama has to strike the right balance between rushing things through and losing momentum; and maintaining support while bringing others over to his side. The second step -- reading the water: \"Instead of blindly casting anywhere in the river you want to understand where you might find fish,\" Derosier explained. Obama zeroed in on a fairly conservative state, Montana, where he faces a land full of skeptics about his health care reform plan. Third -- hook and land the fish: Derosier said once you hook the fish you have to know how to play the fish, which is a delicate balance between applying pressure but not so much that the line breaks -- much like the delicate balance of Obama's courting members of Congress. \"The ultimate goal is to gain an advantage over the fish so that you can land him,\" he said. \"It's the hardest thing to teach when it comes to fly-fishing,\" he said. Out in Montana, the game is catch-and-release trout. But in Washington, Obama is trying to hook Congress and take home health care reform, or risk it being the big one that got away." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "CNN White House producer: Fly-fishing is a metaphor that fits Obama's presidency .\nBeginning anglers desire to catch bigger and bigger fish, expert says .\nObama is in the \"big fish\" stage of his presidency, Shawna Shepherd writes .\nDelicate processes of political success are like casting, reading the water, etc." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "SWAT VALLEY, Pakistan (CNN) -- The boys shuffle into the room in a remote army base high in the mountains of Pakistan's Swat Valley. They are disheveled, disoriented. These boys say they were kidnapped by the Taliban and trained to be suicide bombers. There are no smiles, their eyes stare at the floor. These are the lost souls of Pakistan's battle with the Taliban. Each has a story of terror to tell, but the trauma runs so deep they can't even begin to properly find the words to describe what they have been through. That task is best left to the psychiatrist who, with her team, was brought in to try to pick through the pieces of this nightmare; to make sense of the brutality here and try to put broken lives back together. Watch Stan Grant's report on the boys » . Dr. Fareeha Peracha describes these boys variously as \"psychotic,\" \"depressed,\" and in some cases, \"psychopathic.\" \"They have been brainwashed. Brainwashed against people like you and me,\" she said. CNN was given limited access to about a dozen boys. They had all been kidnapped by the Taliban and taken to camps where they would be trained to kill; trained to be suicide bombers. Watch Grant's exclusive interview with a wanted a Taliban leader » . CNN cannot reveal the boys' names; they have handkerchiefs tied across their faces to conceal their identities. The army fears they could face retribution should they be returned to their homes and families. The boys sit in a circle as I try to get them to open up about their ordeal. What happened? Were they brutalized? What did the Taliban ask them to do? So many questions. They answer hesitatingly, their voices barely a whisper. \"The first day they beat us and then made us exercise,\" one boy said. \"They made us run and told us you will wage jihad.\" They said the Taliban especially poisoned their minds against the Pakistan army. \"They just told us that they (army) are against Islam, are against the Quran. They said wage jihad against them; we are waging jihad for the Quran,\" said another boy. They all say they were kidnapped by the Taliban, some snatched from fields and others from the towns they lived in. \"I was coming from the shop to my house, I had some stuff with me. They said, 'put your stuff in the car.' I helped them put stuff in the car. They asked if they should drop me in my village, but when we reached the village they blindfolded me and put a hand over my mouth,\" one boy said. The Taliban's tactics seem to have worked. I ask one boy, would he kill for God? He replied: \"Yes.\" I asked the psychiatrist, Dr. Fareeha, if she believes the boys are capable of killing. \"Oh yes,\" she said. \"Two of them would not even give it a thought.\" The army freed the boys during fierce fighting with the Taliban. Now they are hoping to rehabilitate the boys and one day return them home. But Fareeha thinks that is a long way off -- if ever. She told army chiefs the boys are unpredictable. One boy, she said, told her if he had a suicide bomber's jacket he would use it, that if he had a Kalashnikov, he would shoot. Of course, it is impossible to verify all of the accounts of the boys, but the doctors have no doubt about their trauma. Fareeha told Army chiefs that these boys were just a tip of the iceberg. After talking to the boys, she believes there are possibly hundreds of others just like them. These boys are the victims of the Taliban's uprising here. All they are left with are the terrible memories, the voices in their heads: the voices of the Taliban telling them to kill, they said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Boys rescued from the Taliban in Pakistan are receiving psychiatric help .\nThey are abducted from their homes and are being trained for suicide missions .\nPsychiatrist says they have been brainwashed; fixing that will take time .\nArmy hopes the boys can one day return to their homes ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Rob Thomas is a busy guy -- so busy, he apparently hasn't had much time to check in with his Matchbox Twenty bandmates. Rob Thomas prefers to focus on the \"musician\" side of his career, rather than \"celebrity.\" We only know this because we ran into guitarist Paul Doucette at the BMI Pop Awards in Beverly Hills several weeks ago, where he was picking up a plaque for songwriter of the year. \"We're interviewing Rob about his solo album,\" I told him. \"Hey,\" Doucette exclaimed. \"Tell that guy to call me, would you? I didn't even know he was in L.A.!\" By the time we met up with Thomas the next day, he and Doucette had already connected over drinks somewhere between midnight and the morning -- musician's hours. Thomas recently released \"Cradlesong,\" his second solo CD. Even though he's clearly excited about it, he spends as much time talking about Matchbox Twenty as he does the solo album he's in town to promote. For the 37-year-old singer-songwriter, it's all interconnected. One has fed into the other since he gained household name status a decade ago, after scoring a massive, Grammy-winning hit with Carlos Santana on \"Smooth.\" Watch Thomas describe the difference between being a celebrity and a musician » . The following is an edited version of the interview. CNN: Who has given you the best piece of advice? Rob Thomas: Carlos [Santana] will constantly send you messages out of nowhere. Carlos will call me at 10 at night and be like, \"Listen, I had a dream about you, and so much good is happening, but there's dark forces at work, and when you get out of here, I have this woman who wants to cleanse you.\" I think Carlos' most important piece of advice ever was that he taught me the difference between being a celebrity and being a famous musician. CNN: But some artists don't have that kind of success, and they try for celebrity instead. Thomas: Sure, and sometimes that works -- but none of my favorites have done that. I remember when Matchbox Twenty started years ago, and we had a lot of success, but nobody knew who we were. The first time we did an interview with MTV, it was about how no one knew who we were. We had sold 8 million records. I don't know if we were being naive at the time, but we thought we'd won because our songs were more famous than we were. I'm much more known for the music that I make than what I do with my life. It's never, \"Oh yeah, I've been seeing you in [the New York Post gossip column] Page Six at these clubs that you go to\" or \"I know who you're sleeping with.\" CNN: When you became famous for being Rob Thomas the solo artist, did that cause problems within the band? Thomas: No. I think the guys would rather it be me than them. None of them want the job, and they realize that it's working now. They have a singer. I can go out and do it [publicity] for them, and they're fine with it. They can stay home. I think there's nothing more attractive than wealth and anonymity. If I'm not out supporting my work, I really don't want people to see me. I go to movie premieres -- my wife and I -- all the time, and nine out of 10 of those movie premieres, much to my publicist's dismay, I get there, but I sneak around the pictures and get into the party [using the back entrance]. If I have a record coming out, I'll go in front of the cameras, and I'll say, \"Hi! Hey, I'm at this movie premiere.\" I liken it to being a switch that I can move on and off. CNN: What has doing a solo project enabled you to do that you can't do with a band? Thomas: I get to pick my own schedule, and that's nice. Matchbox Twenty -- it's four lead singers, there's four front men, and everybody's tastes, everybody's schedule, everybody's personal life comes into account when you're doing something like that. We all live [in four different cities] ... so we literally have to pull ourselves up from all over the country and go somewhere, just to get us into a room to write. And you have to not think you're so great so you don't get upset when somebody doesn't like your stuff. Like \"Her Diamonds\" -- one of the singles on this solo album -- is one of my favorite songs that I've ever written, and the guys loved the song, but didn't want to play it. [They said,] \"When you do a new solo record, you should put it on there. It doesn't sound like a song we would do right now.\" And they were right. When we put together the last Matchbox record, it was much more of a rock record. CNN: What's the most surprising thing on your iPod? Thomas: Britney Spears. Come on! \"Toxic,\" man, is just one of the baddest tracks ever! I remember the first time we listened to \"... Baby One More Time.\" ... We were like, \"Oh, let's go play Britney Spears on the piano!\" And we all come over drinking, and after a couple of minutes, we're like, \"This Britney Spears is a lot harder than we thought!\" CNN: Whose career would you like to emulate? Thomas: Tom Petty is a famous musician. He's not a music celebrity. When Tom Petty walks down the street, you know that it's Tom Petty, but it would be like, \"Oh my gosh, it's Tom Petty! I love Tom Petty, right on!\" It would never be like, \"Aaaaaaaah!\" -- and 3 million teenage girls follow him down the street." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty has new album out, \"Cradlesong\"\nThomas says Matchbox Twenty is still very much together .\nSinger: \"Nothing more attractive than wealth and anonymity\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Six hip-hop artists from five countries speaking four languages are on stage, warming up for their show at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. International hip-hop artists warm up for their show at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday. \"Warming up\" doesn't really capture it; the dancers explode across the stage, each one with a different hip-hop style. Michelle Salazar is chic-grungy in black jeans and white T-shirt, her long black hair swirling around her head. Hassan El Haf, from Lebanon, tall and thin, does a kind of electric hip-hop mixed with salsa. Argentines Mauricio Trech and Silvia Fernandez move in a dramatic break dance. Both hail from Argentina, home of the tango. Hien Ngoc Pham from Vietnam, with a buzz cut and dressed in white jeans and a white T-shirt, has Broadway bravado in his every move. The dancing stops and Samer Samahneh begins rapping -- in Arabic. No translation needed; it comes from his soul. Three weeks ago, the dancers had never met, but now they're a team, participating in the State Department's Cultural Visitors Program. The program consists of three weeks of meeting American hip-hop artists and dancers and visiting New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. \"It's like a dream come true for me,\" Salazar said Tuesday, the day of the team's show, \"because I only read their names in the Internet and now, like, I met Afrika Bambaataa, the founder of hip-hop. I was right next to him. It's a real immersion into the culture. I don't want to wake up!\" Salazar isn't just star-struck. She's learning a lot and she plans to bring it back to her fellow dancers in the Philippines. \"Dancers in the Philippines don't have much of a foundation [in hip-hop],\" she says. \"They don't understand why dancers do this\" -- she moves her arm -- \"or why they do this\" -- she strikes a pose. \"Because if they knew why they would feel it. I can feel it by watching these [American] hip-hop dancers.\" Samahneh agrees: \"You've got to feel it.\" His rapping, he says, comes from inside-out. \"Even if you don't know the language, you can get involved with what I'm saying.\" Samahneh says that when he raps in his hometown of Nablus in the West Bank, he is \"asking God to bring peace to our land.\" Colombia Barrosse, the vibrant head of the State Department's Cultural Programs Division of the Bureau of Cultural Affairs, says the cultural cross-fertilization is the goal of the program. \"There is nothing that can substitute for being in the United States and meeting Americans in their place, to look at the richness and diversity of the United States. That's irreplaceable,\" she says. The Cultural Visitors Program is part of the State Department's cultural programming around the world. The $8.5 million budget is supplemented by institutions like the Kennedy Center, which is co-sponsoring this performance. Most of the visiting artists in the program found their way to professional dance through hip-hop. Pham, a member of the Vietnam Dance Association, is currently working to open a hip-hop training center in Ho Chi Minh City to reach out to young people. With a broad smile, he says, \"Hip-hop is such energy. It's so young. It's also an opportunity for our countries to get closer, and I have a lot of friends all over the world.\" Hip-hop may have started in the United States, but it belongs to everyone. Here's how Hassan El Haf puts it: When he got to New York, he felt as if he had landed on his \"real planet.\" \"Yeah, I see them, all the dancers in the street, the music, all the people that like hip-hop music,\" he says. \"When I do hip-hop, it makes me feel happy all the time. This is my life.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Hip-hop artists from five countries visit the U.S. to meet U.S. artists, perform .\nVisit is part of State Department's Cultural Visitors Program .\nTeam visits New York City, Washington, Philadelphia over three weeks .\n\"It's a real immersion into the culture,\" Philippine performer says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BERLIN, Germany (CNN) -- Women's boxing will be included at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the president of the International Olympic Committee announced Thursday. Germany's Ina Menzer, left, fights American Franchesca Alcanter during a WIBF and WBC featherweight bout in May. The decision came during a two-day IOC Executive Board meeting in Berlin, at which board members also decided to propose golf and rugby for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic Games. \"I can only rejoice about the decision of inclusion of women's boxing,\" IOC President Jacques Rogge told reporters. \"I think it's a great decision. Boxing was the sole (Olympic) sport with no women involved. \"The sport of women's boxing has progressed a lot, a tremendous amount, in the last five years and it was about time to include them in the Games.\" Have your say - should women's boxing be included? A men's class will likely be axed to make room for three women's weight categories at London 2012, the UK Press Association reported. Women will compete in the flyweight 48-51kg class, lightweight 56-60kg and middleweight 69-75kg, the agency said. When the IOC dropped baseball and softball from the 2012 Olympic program several years ago, it said it would consider adding new sports that had a clean reputation and a wide appeal. Rogge pointed out that women's boxing has around 200 athletes who could potentially compete in 2012, while softball has only around 120. As a result, he said, the IOC considered women's boxing to be more popular. Women's boxing has boomed in Britain since 2005, with the number of registered female fighters rising from 50 to 600, PA reported. Softball and baseball were considered for inclusion in the 2016 Games along with squash, karate, roller sports, golf and rugby, but the board decided to consider only the last two. Blog: IOC has picked the wrong sports, says CNN's Paul Gittings . The IOC has not yet selected the host city for 2016, but its board members will submit golf and rugby to the full IOC session for a final decision at its meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, in October. \"Golf and rugby scored high on all the criteria,\" Rogge told the IOC's official Web site. \"They have global appeal, a geographically diverse line-up of top iconic athletes and an ethic that stresses fair play.\" The International Golf Federation has proposed two four-day strokeplay tournaments for men and women, with 18 holes per round and medals awarded to the three players in each with the lowest scores. The International Rugby Board has proposed men's and women's Sevens tournaments, with 12 teams in each being divided into two pools before semifinals and finals." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Women's boxing will be included in the 2012 Olympic Games in London .\nBoxing had been the only Olympic event without any female participants .\nGolf and rugby will be considered for inclusion at the 2016 Summer Games .\nSoftball, squash, baseball, karate and roller sports did not make the cut ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Stars and Stripes, the newspaper that receives U.S. military funding to help it cover and get distributed free to American forces in war zones, complained Tuesday of censorship by military authorities in Iraq. A soldier with the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division patrols the streets of eastern Mosul, Iraq, on June 16. In a story on its Web site, the newspaper known as Stripes said the military violated a congressional mandate of editorial independence by rejecting a request to embed reporter Heath Druzin with the U.S. Army's 1st Cavalry Division, which is attempting to secure the city of Mosul. The military cited various problems in Druzin's reporting on previous embed assignments with units of the division, according to the story. One example noted by the military was a March 8 story that said many Mosul residents would like the American soldiers to leave and hand over security tasks to Iraqi forces, the Stripes Web site said. \"Despite the opportunity to visit areas of the city where Iraqi Army leaders, soldiers, national police and Iraqi police displayed commitment to partnership, Mr. Druzin refused to highlight any of this news,\" Maj. Ramona Bellard, a public affairs officer, wrote in denying Druzin's embed request, according to the Stripes story. A military official in Iraq defended the move to turn down the reporter's request. \"U.S. Army units in Iraq remain committed to the media embed program and appreciate objective media reporting,\" said Lt. Col. David H. Patterson Jr., a spokesman for Multi-National Corps-Iraq. \"The relationship that Druzin established with the command during a previous embed did not facilitate being invited back.\" Patterson added that Druzin was welcome to embed in another unit and that the 1st Cavalry Division was open to having a reporter other than Druzin. \"Accusations of censorship are without merit,\" Patterson said. Other allegations against Druzin by the military included that he used quotes out of context, behaved unprofessionally and persisted in asking Army officials for permission to use a computer to file a story during a communications blackout period, the Stripes story said. Terry Leonard, editorial director at Stars and Stripes, denied the Army's allegations, calling Druzin's previous reporting on the division accurate and fair. \"To simply say 'you can't send him because we didn't like what he wrote' is unacceptable,\" Leonard said. He noted that Congress set up Stripes as an independent newspaper so that \"no commander can decide what news troops in the field receive.\" Army officials have offered to allow a different Stripes reporter to embed with the division or to allow Druzin to embed with a different Army unit in Kirkuk, Leonard said. Stripes rejected those offers because the military has no right to deflect coverage from Mosul or decide which Stripes reporter covers its operations, Leonard said. \"To deny Mr. Druzin an embed under the reasons stated by Maj. Bellard is a direct challenge to the editorial independence of this newspaper,\" Leonard wrote in his appeal to the decision, according to the Stripes story. \"That independence is mandated by Congress. The denial of the embed constitutes an attempt at censorship and it is also an illegal prior restraint under federal law. ... The military cannot tell us what stories to write or not write.\" Stripes receives close to $10 million a year from the Department of Defense to help defray the costs of covering \"contingency\" operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, including the publishing and distribution of roughly 85,000 free newspapers a day, Leonard said. The newspaper receives additional government subsidies, with the total amounting to less than half of its budget, he said. Other revenue comes from ad sales and circulation at permanent U.S. military bases and elsewhere, Leonard said. CNN has been denied embed requests on occasion but never because of the past conduct of individual journalists. The reasons have almost always involved logistical details involving security and force coverage." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Newspaper says military's rejection of embed request is censorship .\nPaper wanted reporter Heath Druzin to be embedded with Army division in Iraq .\nArmy rejects request, cites Druzin's previous interactions with division .\nArmy denies accusations, says different reporter may embed with division ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- South Africa strengthened their grip on the Tri-Nations with a 29-17 victory over Australia in Cape Town on Saturday. The Springboks charge forward in their 29-17 victory over Australia at Newlands. It was the third straight win for the world champions, who were indebted to the boot of Morne Steyn as he totaled 24 points with seven penalties and a drop goal at Newlands. The Wallabies took a surprise lead in the second minute as Ashley Cooper barged over for a try with Matt Giteau converting, but the home side slowly took command. Steyne kicked three penalties in the space of six minutes to put them ahead and added a fourth after Berrick Barnes had restored Australia's lead with a drop goal. Steyne then sent over a drop goal of his own and South Africa moved further ahead as Victor Matfield went over for their only try of the match. With the Wallabies reduced to 13 men as Giteau and Richard Brown were sin-binned, Steyn took advantage with another penalty to put them 23-10 ahead at the half. Steyn added his sixth penalty shortly after the break, but Giteau charged through for a try and converted his score to give them hope at 26-17. Steyn's final penalty with two minutes remaining wrapped up the victory. South Africa, who have played all their three matches at home, lead the standings with 12 points, with New Zealand on four and Australia, who have played a game less, with a solitary point. Victory continues a fine run of form for the Springboks, who beat the British and Irish Lions 2-1 in a thrilling series which preceded the annual Tri-Nations tournament." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "South Africa beat Australia 29-17 in Tri-Nations match at Newlands .\nWorld champion Springboks have won three straight matches in tournament .\nMorne Steyn kicks 24 points for South Africa to seal victory ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Science fiction flicks featuring aliens can be a little formulaic: Aliens invade American territory, mass destruction ensues, and nine times out of 10, Will Smith rides to the rescue . A company operative (Sharlto Copley) gets an alien's attention in \"District 9.\" But the alien-infested \"District 9,\" opening in theaters Friday, takes things in a different direction -- if the producer may say so himself. \"It's utterly original,\" producer Peter Jackson -- yes, \"Lord of the Rings\" helmsman Peter Jackson -- told Entertainment Weekly. \"In an industry that's looking to make movies out of every obscure TV show, or sequels, or video games, you look at 'District 9' and it's unlike anything you've ever seen,\" he said. With its inventive plot and crowd-pleasing special effects, the low-profile, relatively low-budget ($30 million, a pittance these days) film was a hit at Comic-Con, creating a buzz before the film's release. The brainchild of newcomer Neill Blomkamp, \"District 9\" is a mash-up of the director's love for science fiction with his rearing in an apartheid-divided South Africa. Set and shot in the shantytowns of Johannesburg, the film is a mix of action-movie shock and sociological food for thought. The mayhem begins when an alien spaceship runs out of fuel over South Africa in 1981, and simply hovers idly in the sky. With no attack forthcoming, officials finally evacuate a group of aliens -- it turns out they've fled their home world -- and corral them into barbed-wire ghettos, effectively separating the shrimp-like creatures from the human populace. Overseeing the aliens' camp is the corporation Multi-National United (MNU). It's an obvious nod to South Africa's own violent and divisive history, but director Blomkamp says he isn't aiming for political commentary. \"This is an organic thing that has grown out of me living in South Africa. I didn't want to go, 'Here's a whole bunch of people that have been oppressed by this apartheid-esque society' and beat people over the head with it,\" he told CNN. \"I wanted to say, 'This is the city I grew up in, and this is what it felt like,' with a science fiction veneer to it so that it doesn't take itself that seriously.\" Documentary-like authenticity was of prime importance to Blomkamp, and was the reason for his casting of fellow South African unknown Sharlto Copley as leading man. Copley has no prior acting experience, but critics have lauded his portrayal of Wikus van de Merwe, a private-sector employee who goes from being the oppressor to one of the oppressed after an accidental run-in with some DNA-transforming alien goo. \"Having grown up in South Africa, I was exposed to the tail end of apartheid as a child, [and] it's something I felt I could relate to,\" Copley said. \"Playing the character, I saw so clearly how you discriminate. ... The film deals with things that are fundamentally human.\" \"District 9\" is also fundamentally a thriller, and there's no shortage of gory, gritty scenes and clever special effects that will appeal to fans who like a little action with their sci-fi. Indeed, the film has been praised for its masterful use of special effects, weaving the technology seamlessly into the documentary-style scenes. Sometimes the two are in the very same shot, Blomkamp said. \"One of the first shots completed was a motherboard shot, where [computer-generated imagery] was incorporated into some of the handheld footage, and it felt like it was working, this idea of handheld stuff with [CGI],\" Blomkamp said. \"It set a good tone; it captured the essence of what I was going for.\" Not bad for a 29-year-old novice, who had previously directed short films and commercials. But that body of work was impressive enough to catch the eye of A-list producer Jackson, who originally had Blomkamp in mind for feature version of Halo, the video game. \"[Jackson] had received all of the crazy short films and commercials I had done, and once I met him and hung out and got familiar with the kind of filmmaking universe he set up down there, he did sign off on me as director of 'Halo,' \" Blomkamp recalled. But, five months into the project, the plug was pulled on \"Halo.\" \"Right away, [Jackson] said, 'If you want, you can stay in New Zealand and we can just keep the momentum going and allow another film to take place,' \" Blomkamp said. One of Blomkamp's friends suggested his short film, \"Alive in Jo'burg,\" for feature treatment. Blomkamp ran with the concept, developing it alongside fellow screenwriter Terri Tatchell into \"District 9.\" \"It's pretty cool,\" Blomkamp said. \"I would've packed my bags and left had [Jackson] not said that.\" It's been more than two years since Blomkamp started the project, and though he's found the experience exhausting, he has quite a final product to show off. \"There is nothing better than to come out the end of that process and have it play in a movie theater,\" he said. \"For that first film, I got what I had set out to do, [and] that's a pretty awesome feeling.\" CNN's JD Cargill contributed to this story." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"District 9\" offers sci-fi thrills with food for thought .\nAliens in South Africa are separated into a township; apartheid similarities obvious .\nFilm made by relative unknowns who bring documentary-style realism to subject ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "GAZA CITY (CNN) -- A radical Muslim sheikh called Friday for the creation of an Islamic emirate in Gaza, sparking clashes with Hamas forces that left 13 people dead, Hamas sources tell CNN. Armed members of the radical Islamist group Jund Ansar Allah surround a group representative in Rafah on Friday. The clashes ended after several hours, after Hamas forces blew up the home of Sheikh Abu al-Nour al-Maqdessi, leader of the Salafist jihadist group Jund Ansar Allah, or Soldiers of the Partisans of God, the sources said. Al-Maqdessi escaped, they said, and Hamas security forces were searching for him. The clashes were the latest between Gaza's Hamas rulers, who have said they are moderate Muslims pledged to the Palestinian cause, and more radical Islamic groups. In a televised statement, Hamas ministry spokesman Taher Nunu called al-Maqdessi's group \"outlaws\" and said they have been \"terrorizing the country and attacking civilians.\" \"We hold the group and its leader fully responsible for what is happening in Gaza, and we offer our condolences to everyone who was killed during the clashes,\" Nunu said. \"No one is above the law, and we urge everyone who is a member of this group to surrender himself to the authorities, or they will be accountable for all of their actions.\" The gunfighting erupted near a mosque in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where the cleric delivered his sermon, the sources said. Hamas militants raided the mosque and seized control of it. Later, the fighting spread to al-Maqdessi's home, the sources said. The fighting has left at least 13 dead and more than 100 wounded, the sources said. Al-Maqdessi also called for a public meeting at the mosque, posting on Jund Ansar Allah's Web site an invitation dubbed \"the golden advice to the government of [Hamas leader] Ismail Haniya.\" The group posted a statement on the site announcing the establishment of the Islamic emirate in Gaza and proclaiming al-Maqdessi \"the commander of the faithful.\" The statement declared that armed forces in Gaza should unite under him. The statement urged Muslims everywhere to support the \"young emirate\" and provide the group with money, weapons and men because \"this is the hope of the Muslim nation in raising the banner of monotheism in Palestine and to liberate all the lands and purify Al-Aqsa mosque from the filth of the damned Jews.\" Al-Aqsa mosque is in Jerusalem. The group accused Hamas of not being Islamic enough, saying Hamas cares more about pleasing \"tyrants\" than \"obeying God.\" But Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zahri dismissed statements about the establishment of an Islamic emirate as \"theoretical.\" \"It is not permitted to any party or individual to enforce their own laws, because this is the responsibility of the security forces,\" he said. Salafi is the term used to describe the radical islamist movement that follows the doctrines of the \"Salaf,\" or the predecessors, referring to the early generations of Muslims. The movement rejects all modern influences such as politics and government. CNN's Talal Abu-Rahman in Gaza City contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Radical sheikh escapes; Hamas forces blow up his home .\nSheikh's call for creation of Gaza Islamic emirate sparked clashes with Hamas .\nHamas raided mosque where sermon delivered in Rafah, seized control .\nHamas spokesman calls sheikh's followers \"outlaws,\" says they attacked civilians ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A Florida jury has recommended the death penalty for a plumber who kidnapped, raped and murdered a police detective's daughter. Denise Lee's frantic 911 call was the centerpiece of her killer's trial. Michael King, 38, showed no reaction Friday afternoon as the jury's 12-0 decision was announced in Sarasota. Jurors deliberated for nearly three hours. King was convicted a week ago of first-degree murder and related offenses in the January 17, 2008, death of Denise Lee, a 21-year-old mother of two boys. Nathan Lee and Sgt. Dave Goff, the victim's husband and father, remained composed in court. They had maintained a daily presence in the courtroom during a trial that included the heartbreaking tape of Denise Lee's frantic 911 call on her captor's cell phone. Watch the jury recommend death » . In Florida, a jury's recommendation for a death sentence is advisory. King will be formally sentenced later. Judges rarely overturn a jury's unanimous decision. Jurors Marcia Burns and Pat O'Quinn told reporters that defense testimony about King's head injury from a sledding accident and his low IQ carried little weight in the jury room. Denise Lee's father and husband had hoped for the death penalty. \"I don't think he should be able to live another day,\" Nathan Lee said Friday as he awaited the verdict. Lee and Goff told the jury that she was a bright young woman who put aside her career ambitions to marry her college sweetheart and raise their two boys, now 2 and 3. \"She was everything we could wish for in a daughter and more,\" Goff said. Several jurors had tears in their eyes as Nathan Lee described his wife as a devoted mother who was nursing one son and potty-training another when a stranger abducted her from their home. \"I was so proud to call her my wife,\" he said. \"Denise was the love of my life, my soul mate. I knew after our first date that I had found the perfect girl.\" He added that their boys \"know their beautiful, courageous mommy has gone to heaven and now is an angel.\" King's siblings spoke of how a childhood sledding accident left him with a head injury that contributed to a lifetime of troubles. One expert described the injury as a \"divot\" in his brain. Experts testified that scans indicated that King's brain was abnormally shaped, especially his frontal lobe: the center for logic, planning and reason. His IQ was described as about 76, in the low range. A person with an IQ of 70 is considered to be mentally retarded, according to testimony. King's brother, Greg, testified that the defendant was 6 when he crashed head-first into a post while being pulled on a sled by a snowmobile. \"I felt bad for him,\" Greg King said. \"I felt responsible, but I wasn't.\" As a child, Michael King would get a faraway look in his eyes, witnesses said. Once, he fired his BB gun at witches he said he saw in the trees. Another time, he chased family members around the house with a running chainsaw. His eyes were \"bugging out,\" his brother testified. King also complained of headaches and hearing \"a buzzing sound\" in his head, Greg King told the jury. King seemed to be deteriorating mentally in late 2007, according to testimony. He faced foreclosure, was considering filing for bankruptcy and broke up with a girlfriend on Thanksgiving Day. The ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Robb, testified that he sat on the bed staring into space and unable to dress himself. \"He acted as if he were somewhere else,\" she said. But she said she never knew him to be violent. According to testimony, Lee was taken from her home during the afternoon, driven to King's home, sexually assaulted and then shot in the head and buried in a ditch. During the trial, Lee's voice filled the courtroom as her desperate 911 call was played to the jury. Listen to the heartbreaking 911 call » . A 911 operator repeatedly said \"Hello,\" and Lee was heard pleading with her captor: \"I'm sorry. I just want to see my family. ... I just want to see my family again. Please. ... Oh, please, I just want to see my family again. Let me go.\" Eventually, Lee managed to say, \"My name is Denise. I'm married to a beautiful husband, and I just want to see my kids again. ... Please, God, please protect me.\" Lee's heart-shaped ring, a gift from her husband, was found in King's car, and hair matching hers was found on duct tape at King's house. According to testimony and court records, Lee fought frantically for her life, banging on the windows of King's green Camaro, screaming for help and begging one witness, \"Call the cops.\" Several people reported seeing something suspicious and called 911. But authorities didn't find Lee in time, and allegations that dispatchers mishandled the calls have led to criticism of the local 911 system. The 911 communications breakdown was blamed on a shift change, and two dispatchers were suspended, according to the St. Petersburg Times. Lee's husband has launched a foundation bearing her name that works toward 911 reform. He plans to file a lawsuit this month, a family spokesman said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jury votes 12-0 to recommend death sentence .\nMichael King convicted of kidnapping and murdering Denise Lee .\nMother of two was taken from her home by man in green Camaro .\nCenterpiece of trial was victim's frantic 911 call ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "NEW YORK (CNN) -- Misdemeanor assault charges have been dropped against \"24\" star Kiefer Sutherland in a head-butting incident at a New York City nightclub, according to Alicia Maxey Greene, spokeswoman for the Manhattan District Attorney's office. Kiefer Sutherland turns himself in to the NYPD on May 7. Charges against him have been dropped. \"We decided to drop the charge after a full investigation, including after speaking to a complaining witness, who was uncooperative,\" Greene told CNN Tuesday. The charges stem from an incident in which Sutherland allegedly head-butted designer Jack McCollough at a New York City nightclub in May. McCollough had claimed he was \"the victim of a vicious, violent, unprovoked assault,\" according to a statement released after the incident from McCollough's publicist.. Several weeks after the incident, Sutherland and McCollough issued a joint statement, through Sutherland's attorney, in which Sutherland apologized." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Manhattan DA's office: Misdemeanor assault charges against actor dropped .\nCharges stemmed from alleged head-butting incident at New York club in May .\nKiefer Sutherland stars in the hit television drama \"24\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "PARIS, France -- Samoa center Brian Lima's World Cup is over after his dangerous tackle on England star Jonny Wilkinson. Lima arrives for his hearing regarding his dangerous challenge on England's Jonny Wilkinson. Lima, the only player to feature in five World Cups, has received a three-week suspension after being cited for the tackle during Saturday's Pool A clash in Nantes. Wilkinson escaped injury and match referee Alan Lewis did not punish Lima during the game, which England won 44-22 to knock Samoa out of the competition. But World Cup judicial officer Professor Lorne Crerar has upheld the complaint lodged by match citing commissioner Steven Hines. It means 35-year-old Lima will miss Samoa's tournament finale against the United States on Wednesday, with an additional two weeks' punishment also imposed. Lima is poised to quit international rugby after the World Cup, and although he has 48 hours to appeal against the decision, it is improbable a hearing could be convened before Wednesday's game. Samoa will head home after the U.S clash, having already seen the current World Cup campaign consigned to being the worst in their history. E-mail to a friend ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Samoan Brian Lima is banned for three weeks and is out of the World Cup .\nThe center was cited for a dangerous tackle on England's Jonny Wilkinson .\nThe 35-year-old is the only player to feature in five World Cup tournaments ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- A killer bug is spreading like wildfire. Armed guards stand outside the Mexico City Respiratory Hospital to control the flow of people. Streets of one of the world's biggest cities are eerily empty. Bars and restaurants have been shuttered for days. The president goes on TV to tell workers to stay at home for their own safety. Those who venture outside are clad in surgical masks. Once healthy people are suddenly falling sick and dying from a new disease, H1N1 swine flu. The government swears the situation is under control. But down at the hospital, medics scurry around behind the glass door of an isolation ward. They're clad from head to toe in biohazard suits, goggles and two pairs of gloves. At the airport, officials set up a barrage of thermal imaging machines. If the picture flashes up red or orange, would-be passengers are whisked off to medical facilities. See where the virus has been confirmed » . It may sound like a sci-fi movie. It's not. Welcome to Mexico City. It's a nightmare scenario and despite twice-a-day news conferences featuring Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova, people on the streets fear the virus may be out of control and that the real death toll may be greater than anyone is letting on. Watch how the city has been shut down » . \"The measures we're taking are working and are helping us to slow the spread of the virus. But the situation continues to be serious,\" Cordova said at a news conference this week. Government orders to its citizens are clear: wash frequently, don't shake hands or kiss, and stay away from crowded places. That's easier said than done. The doors on the subway car snap open at Hidalgo station. Dozens more passengers clad in surgical masks stream on. It's rush hour deep below the streets of downtown Mexico City. The subway system is the veins of the capital, ferrying millions of people from all social classes to and from work. It's hot and humid down there and there's little fresh air. It's just the kind of crowded place that Mexican authorities say could be a prime breeding ground for swine flu. \"I'm pretty nervous of this whole virus thing,\" welder Frontino Valdez mumbled through one of the masks. Watch passengers packed onto trains trying to protect themselves » . Sitting one carriage down, Berta Hernandez, a product demonstrator, tries not to show her panic and applies eyeliner like any other morning. But today she has a problem, she has no intention of lifting her mask to paint on lip gloss. \"I'm nervous of those people who aren't wearing masks. Maybe they will suddenly sneeze or cough,\" she said. In these days of swine flu paranoia, just coughing, or worse sneezing, in the subway, or \"metro\" as they call it here, brings black looks from fellow passengers. This has been a strange epidemic since the outset. So far, the Mexican government has been unable to pinpoint where or when this outbreak started. Authorities admit there was an outbreak of influenza in a village in the Gulf Coast state of Veracruz in early April. But only one patient -- 5-year-old Edgar Hernandez -- was diagnosed as having swine flu. Watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta ask the boy about his symptoms » . The international media have taken to calling him \"Patient Zero.\" He made a full recovery. So far there's no evidence a pig farm near his home reported any problems with its livestock. The family hasn't explained how little Edgar could have infected a capital city let alone the world. The authorities haven't drawn up a genetic map of Edgar's illness nor compared it to the lethal strain that swept through Mexico City and other parts of the country. Lethal it is. But getting to the truth of who has really died from the virus is tough. Since midweek, the government abandoned its initial reporting and began to speak only of confirmed swine flu cases and confirmed deaths due to the H1N1 virus. Previously it had also tallied suspected cases and others under observation. In practice, it is taking days for the government to get test results from autopsies and tests. By the time a case is confirmed the patient may be long buried. One afternoon this week, at a cinder block home perched on a hillside in a poor northern neighborhood of Mexico City, a coffin was mounted on the living room table. A steady stream of neighbors filed in to pay their final tribute to a dead 24-year-old. Biting back tears, a young man said his brother had died of \"respiratory problems.\" When asked what kind of a person his brother was, he said simply: \"He was an honest man. He never got in any trouble.\" The man seemed to be feeling an underlying sense of shame. Suddenly there was a huge stigma attached to swine flu -- like in the early days of AIDS-related deaths -- and Mexican families were keen to dispel notions their loved ones had died of the mutant virus. They didn't want the prying eyes of the media near their home. We wanted to tell their story, observe the wake and follow the funeral. But death is a rite of passage. They had a right to mourn in private. The following day came a tip-off that a 5-year-old girl, Maria Fernanda Garcia, had died. The modest side street outside her home in eastern Mexico City was swarming with police, health workers and civil protection officials. Watch how armed guards were part of Maria Fernanda's funeral » . Little Maria Fernanda's father appeared briefly and told us we weren't welcome. He was curt when he told us his daughter had died from pneumonia. A medic confirmed the specific cause of death was indeed pneumonia. But he added the hospital was still waiting for test results to confirm whether the underlying cause was swine flu. He conceded that process could take days. But judging by the heavy security, local authorities certainly feared this was another case of the virus. \"These are the prevention measures we must take. This case is still not confirmed but we must take these steps to protect citizens,\" said Victor Luna, a member of the public security detail for this district of Mexico City. A few minutes later, the hearse with Maria Fernanda's body pulled out of the housing complex where she lived. Her dad was clutching a Winnie Pooh cuddly toy as he rode up front. Police and health officials shadowed the funeral cortege to the graveyard. Police guards only permitted immediate family and close friends through the iron gates. Through the bars silent, tearful mourners could be seen weaving through a labyrinth of headstones. Later that afternoon, the family had left Maria Fernanda's grave -- a tiny patch of newly dug dry earth, not much more than 3 feet long. It was covered with sweet-scented white flowers. The plaque on the grave was a simple hand-painted affair: . \"Maria Fernanda. 2004 to 2009. We love you.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Every aspect of life has been hit by the spread of H1N1 in Mexico City .\nCitizens told not to shake hands or kiss .\nEven a tragic death of a child brings suspicion, paranoia ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Terrorism groups are using Facebook and other social networking sites to recruit Israeli citizens as spies, the Israeli government warned Monday. Israel says its citizens have been targeted by terrorist groups seeking to recruit spies on Facebook. Shin Bet, Israel's security agency, issued a statement warning Israelis about the dangers of trading confidential information for money. \"The Shin Bet has gotten many reports about cases where terrorist elements are using the Internet to get in touch with Israelis with proposals to enlist in terror activity or to pass classified information in exchange for payment,\" the statement said. Not only could the leaked information hurt Israeli security, citizens traveling to other countries to exchange the information for money \"might lead to them being kidnapped by terror organizations,\" Shin Bet said. The government did not reveal any examples of Israelis becoming spies through Facebook, but it did describe one attempt. \"Lately, an Israeli citizen contacted the Shin Bet and complained about a request in Facebook from a person that presented himself as a Lebanese merchant, who asked him to give him classified information for money,\" the statement said. Shin Bet said this was just one example \"among many incidents that were identified by the security services.\" \"It is initiated contacts, concrete and direct to Israeli citizens, with emphasis on the social networks, that offers them to enlist to terror activity or to pass classified information in exchange for payment,\" it said. Shin Bet said terror groups are combing Facebook and other networks \"for business or personal matters like names, addresses, Internet addresses and phone numbers that are being used to find and contact Israeli citizens in Israel and also abroad.\" CNN's Michal Zippori and Kevin Flower contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Terrorist groups using social networking to recruit spies, Israel says .\nSubjects are offered money to pass along secrets, security agency says .\nGroups looking for personal information to contact Israeli citizens ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (CNN) -- A federal grand jury has indicted two Minnesota men in connection with the recruitment of Somali immigrants to fight with Islamic insurgents in their home country. Jamal Bana is one of several missing Somali-Americans believed to have fought with an Islamist insurgency. Salah Osman Ahmed and Abdifatah Yusuf Isse are charged with one count each of providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim or injure people overseas, the indictment states. The recruiting effort took place between September 2007 and December 2008, according to the charges. Ahmed also is charged with two counts of making false statements to investigators. According to the indictment, he told FBI agents that he had traveled alone on a flight to Somalia when, in fact, he and another person were going together \"so that they could fight jihad in Somalia.\" Ahmed was arrested Saturday, FBI Special Agent E.K. Wilson told CNN. Isse had been in custody for some time, said Omar Jamal, the head of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis. Both were from Minnesota and in their 20s, Jamal said. Jamal said Ahmed and Isse were \"foot soldiers\" carrying out the work of others, and that he expected more indictments \"in a week or two.\" The FBI has been investigating what appears to be a massive recruiting effort by the al Qaeda-linked Somali insurgent group al-Shabaab in immigrant communities in the United States. More than a dozen young men of Somali descent have disappeared from the Minneapolis area in recent months, and at least three have been killed in Somalia, community leaders have said. The latest, Jamal Bana, was confirmed dead over the weekend, his family said Sunday. The same day, Somalia's president -- a former member of the Islamist movement himself -- issued a plea to Somali-Americans not to join the fight in his country. \"I am saying to those young men from abroad: 'Your families fled your home to America because of insecurity. You should not return here to foment violence against your people,' \" President Sheik Sharif Ahmed said. Al-Shabaab has ties to al Qaeda and has recruited foreign fighters to join its battle to overthrow the Somali government, U.S. officials said. It remains entrenched in the northeast and in sections south of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, after fighting that has uprooted more than 200,000 people since early May, according to the United Nations. Wilson said the number of missing men believed to be in Somalia is \"in the 10s,\" but their recruitment is \"a significant concern and one that we're giving our highest priority.\" In October, Shirwa Ahmed, 27, a Somali-American believed to have been radicalized by al-Shabaab, traveled from Minneapolis to Somalia and blew up himself and 29 others. It was the first suicide bombing by a naturalized U.S. citizen, and it raised red flags throughout the U.S. intelligence community and sparked an investigation by the FBI. Burhan Hassan, a 17-year-old Somali-American high school student in Minneapolis, went missing eight months ago, around the same time as Bana. Last month, his family learned that he was killed in Somalia. Neither family has any idea why the young males left the United States, where they came as young boys, and Bana's family believes he was being held against his will, said Omar Jamal, head of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center in Minneapolis. \"Only one time he placed a phone call [in mid-November], he didn't say much,\" Jamal said. \"He spoke as if he was being held hostage. He couldn't be speak freely. They asked him to cut the conversation short.\" Hassan's uncle, Abdirizak Bihi, said a fourth man -- 30-year-old Zakariya Maruf -- was killed Friday, but Jamal said Maruf may only be injured. Maruf was the first of the missing Somalis to head overseas, said Bihi, who has become a spokesman for the families of the missing men. Bihi called him a \"leader\" whom the others consulted on travel plans. Many of the missing Somali-Americans are believed to have left for Somalia when Ethiopian forces were still on the ground. Ethiopia invaded Somalia to push the Islamists out of Mogadishu in December 2006, but their presence in the country was an outrage to most Somalis and became a rallying cry for al-Shabaab. Ethiopian troops left Somalia this year, leaving Ahmed's weak transitional government to battle the insurgents. CNN's David McKenzie and Tricia Escobedo contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Two defendants were mere \"foot soldiers,\" their legal advocate says .\nTwo charged with conspiracy, providing material support to terrorists .\nFBI investigating Somali militants' recruiting effort in immigrant communities in U.S.\nThe militant group in Africa has ties to al Qaeda ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ORLANDO, Florida (CNN) -- Disney World has not been the happiest place on Earth for employees this year. The Walt Disney World resort in Orlando, Florida, has lost some 1,600 jobs. Imagine one day receiving recognition for decades of service from your employer only to be laid off the next day. That is what happened to one Walt Disney Parks and Resorts employee who asked not be identified. Disney has eliminated 1,900 U.S.-based positions since mid-February. Some 900 salaried employees working at Disney's theme parks in Florida were laid off, and 700 open positions were eliminated, said communications Vice President Mike Griffin. In California, 200 workers were laid off and 100 open positions were cut. Disneyland in California and Disney World are having their behind-the-scenes operations combined in a restructuring, said Griffin. Disney officials say theme parks, the Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club and off-property resorts have seen some people with decades of experience laid off during the restructuring. The former employee let go after decades of service is still hoping to return once the economy improves. Several other employees said they did not want speak to CNN in fear of jeopardizing the generous severance packages offered by Disney. Employees let go will receive pay for 60 days; extended medical coverage; and severance packages that vary according to their years of service, said a Disney source. Disney's Griffin said: \"These decisions were not made lightly, but are essential to maintaining our leadership in family tourism and reflect today's economic realities.\" Central Florida's unemployment rate is 9.7 percent -- a 33-year high, according to the area's job service agency, Workforce Central Florida. The rate is more than double from the same time a year ago. The job agency's spokeswoman, Kimberly Cornett, said 40,000 to 50,000 people registered with the agency are vying for 1,000 jobs available through Workforce Central Florida. Fewer than 100 available job listings are in the tourism industry. Cornett said she does not believe Disney's layoffs will have a significant effect to the area's overall economy, since currently 107,000 people are unemployed in Central Florida. Cornett said, however, that the effect would be huge for those laid off. Orlando area hotels have been hit hard, too, with fewer tourist and business travelers. Orange County reported in February it collected 29 percent less revenue in a hotel bed tax in comparison to a year ago, said Brian Martin of the Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Martin said the large drop is due to fewer booked hotel rooms at reduced rates to attract visitors. The convention and visitors bureau, in a survey of area hotels, has found companies are traveling less for meetings in Orlando. The hotels report that in the first two months of 2009, some 114 small business meetings were canceled, with $26 million in lost revenue. Martin said the White House is partly to blame for the dropoff in business meetings. President Obama said companies that receive taxpayer bailout money should not use the money to \"go take a trip to Las Vegas.\" \"When the president said 'don't travel,' business travel has been affected,\" Martin said. Las Vegas is the country's most popular convention destination, with Orlando No. 2. Orlando has not seen any large convention cancellations in 2009, the convention bureau says. Statistics from 2007, the latest available, show that even if Orlando saw a 10 percent drop in visitors, nearly 44 million people would still come to the city. Disney's 2008 financial report showed income was down last year. Disney would not comment on whether park attendance was up or down. A source within Disney said that even though the theme parks are crowded, customers are not buying. Disney's Mike Griffin said: \"We continue to work through our reorganization and manage our business based on demand.\" Griffin said the corporation's reorganization has been under way since 2005 and many of the recent positions eliminated would have eventually been cut. Due to the economy, Griffins said, the cuts took place sooner than expected. He added that Disney is downsizing just like many other U.S. businesses." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "One Disney employee recognized for decades of service, is laid off next day .\nLaid-off employees reluctant to talk for fear of jeopardizing severance packages .\nOrlando area hotels also hit hard by dropoff in business .\nDisney spokesman says company downsizing like many other U.S. firms ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Rainstorms and flooding in southern China have killed at least 16 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless, according to state-run media. Residents in Rongcheng, southwest China's Guangxi region on July 4. Authorities had sent text messages to more than 1 million people to take precautions in southern China, the Xinhua news agency said Saturday. More than 400,000 residents total were forced from their homes in Fujian, Guangxi Zhuang, Hunan and Jiangxi. At least two people were missing in southeast Fujian Province after downpours that started Wednesday, according to the news agency. The financial damage caused by the rain and flooding -- including damaged homes and crops -- was estimated at $35.4 million. Destruction included a flooded reservoir and damaged dike in Luocheng County, where fears of a dam collapse forced evacuations. The storms also disrupted traffic, triggered landslides and cut electricity in various parts of southern China." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Storms disrupted traffic, triggered landslides, cut electricity across southern China .\nMedia: Authorities send precautionary text messages to more than 1 million people .\nFinancial damage caused by rain, flooding has been estimated at $35.4 million ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- At least 44 people, including 23 Filipino soldiers, died Wednesday in fighting between the Philippine military and Islamic militants, the country's armed services said on Thursday. A wounded Philippine Marine receives a medal from Major Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino in Zamboanga Thursday. The fighting was sparked by military raids on Abu Sayyaf militant training camps in the villages of Silangkum and Baguindan on the southern island province of Basilan, said Steffani Cacho, public information officer for the Philippine Armed Services. Thirty to 40 militants were killed, but only 21 bodies had been recovered, the military said. Twenty-three members of the military were killed and 22 suffered injuries. The militants used the training camps to temporarily house kidnapping victims and make explosives, Cacho said, adding that high-power firearms, explosives and documents were seized in the raids. Abu Sayyaf, which has been linked to the al Qaeda terrorist network, is one of several Islamic militant groups fighting the Philippine government. The group operates largely in Basilan, according to the U.S. State Department, and wants to establish a separate state for the country's minority Muslim population. The government has been fighting to contain the group, which is blamed for several terrorist attacks in the Philippines, including the bombing of a ferry in 2004 that left about 130 people dead. This year Abu Sayyaf has been implicated in the kidnappings of several Red Cross workers and journalists." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Thirty to 40 militants were killed, but only 21 bodies recovered, military says .\nClashes take place on the southern island province of Basilan, military says .\nAbu Sayyaf has been linked to al Qaeda ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Cheryl Reed's morning routine starts like that of millions of other mothers around the country. She makes breakfast for her 8-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter, piles them into a minivan and drops them off at school. Cheryl Reed has a rare form of breast cancer that mostly affects young African-American women. It's the next stop that sets Reed apart from other women. Three weeks a month, she heads to the infusion center at the Emory Winship Cancer Institute in Atlanta, Georgia, for chemotherapy treatments. Reed, 40, has breast cancer; not just any form of the disease, but a rare, aggressive and difficult to treat version called triple negative. Of the estimated 180,000 women who learn they have invasive breast cancer this year in the United States, about 15 percent will have triple negative. Like Reed, the majority of triple negative patients will be young African-American women. \"It never occurred to me that I'm going to die from this,\" Reed said. \"I was like, 'I've got breast cancer, let's take care of it.' \" Reed did take care of it. For eight months during 2006, she endured chemotherapy and radiation treatments. She thought the cancer was in remission, but it returned last November. This time, it had spread to her liver, lungs and chest wall. \"Triple negative cancers do tend to be aggressive in their natural histories, so they have a very high rate of recurrence or relapsing,\" explained Dr. Ruth O'Regan, Reed's oncologist at the Winship Institute. She's one of several breast cancer experts around the country who are trying to learn more about what causes triple negative and how to treat it more effectively. Dr. Funmi Olopade, a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, was at the forefront of identifying triple negative and the trend among African-American women. She said what makes it different from other types of breast cancer is that women with the disease lack three hormone receptors known to fuel most breast cancer tumors: estrogen, progesterone and HER2. Health Minute: More on triple negative breast cancer » . \"When you have triple negative, it means that we cannot use hormone therapy. ... The only way we can treat that type of breast cancer is to use chemotherapy,\" Olopade said. Tamoxifen and Herceptin, two of the most effective medications for treating breast cancer, don't work for triple negative breast cancer patients. But if a patient responds well to chemotherapy, Olopade said, there's a very good chance of curing the disease. \"The challenge we have is when the cancer comes back,\" she added. \"Right now, we don't have any effective way to treat it, and that's why when it comes back, it tends to be deadly.\" Reed is enrolled in a clinical trial at the Winship center where she's receiving chemotherapy along with a drug called Avastin, which cuts the blood supply to cancer cells. Olopade is hoping better drugs will be available in the next two to five years that will help eradicate triple negative cancer cells. In the meantime, she stressed, early detection is the key to recovery, especially for women at highest risk. \"In this country, what we have found was young African-American women have a rate that is higher than young white women, and we don't know if that is because of a gene or other risk factors,\" Olopade said. \"We know that women with a family history of breast cancer who have a BRCA1 mutation are most at risk,\" she said. BRCA1 is a major breast cancer-causing gene that was identified 14 years ago. Olopade said women born with the defective gene have a higher chance of getting breast cancer and at a younger age. Olopade also wants to explore further whether triple negative rates are higher among women who do not breastfeed their children. \"It's that first pregnancy and first breastfeeding that really allows the breast to become fully mature,\" she said. She worried that in general, \"African-Americans are not likely to breastfeed, as they are getting in the work force and returning to work soon after childbirth.\" Even with several clues, Olopade acknowledged that researchers still don't know a lot about triple negative breast cancer and more study is needed. She encouraged all young women, no matter what their race, to talk to their doctor about doing a risk assessment for the BRCA1 gene. If there is a family history of the gene mutation, some physicians may tell a woman not wait until she turns 40 to get her first mammogram. \"We begin screening as early at 25,\" Olopade said. \"Many of the women are surviving. They are beating the odds of dying because they know they can do preventive approaches to reduce their risk of dying.\" Reed is trying to increase her chances of survival by getting experimental treatment in the clinical trial. She seems to be responding well, but she's realistic. \"There's always the possibility that once this is done, it could be two years and I'm back in treatment again,\" she said. \"It really is a part of my life now. ... I'm a survivor.\" CNN's Sabriya Rice contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Triple negative breast cancer is rare, aggressive and difficult to treat .\nMost triple negative patients are young African-American women .\nEarly detection is the key to recovery, says Dr. Funmi Olopade ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The United States hailed a World Trade Organization ruling to open Chinese markets and ease controls on the import of U.S. films, DVDs, music downloads and books. U.S. Trade Rep. Ron Kirk, shown, says WTO's decision will \"help pave the way toward more open trade.\" \"Today, a WTO panel handed a significant victory to America's creative industries,\" U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said Wednesday. \"These findings are an important step toward ensuring market access for legitimate U.S. products in the Chinese market, as well as ensuring market access for U.S. exporters and distributors of those products.\" In its ruling, the WTO said China violates free-trade rules by requiring importers to channel media products such as movies, books and music through state-owned companies, rather than giving them direct access to Chinese markets. China denied the charges in the ruling. \"The country has always fulfilled its obligations set by WTO on issues related to publication products market entrance permission,\" Yao Jian, a spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce, said Thursday. \"China will carefully evaluate the decision. ... Possibilities for China to issue an appeal on its concerned points cannot be ruled out.\" The U.S. trade representative's office said the ruling could put an end to China's discriminatory trade practices. \"This decision promises to level the playing field for American companies working to distribute high-quality entertainment products in China, so that legitimate American products can get to market and beat out the pirates,\" Kirk said. \"To me, that is a clear win. We believe that this report will help pave the way toward more open trade between China and America.\" In recent years, U.S. officials have pressed Chinese officials for help in controlling the counterfeiting of U.S. products and the illegal copying and distribution of copyrighted U.S. products, including movies, music and software. Counterfeit products are estimated to cost U.S. companies billions of dollars in lost revenue. Though senior U.S. law enforcement officials have expressed optimism, China remains a haven for pirated U.S. products." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "China violates free-trade rules by impeding direct access to markets, WTO says .\nChina rejects charges .\n\"This decision promises to level the playing field,\" U.S. trade representative says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Late last month, Michelle Russell somberly walked on a Maui beach in Hawaii to mark her daughter Sarah Skiba's 20th birthday. Sarah Skiba visited her father, Paul Skiba, every other weekend. For Russell, who last saw Sarah more than a decade ago, when she was just 9 years old, some images will never fade with the passage of time. Russell especially recalls the cold Friday morning in February 1999 when she dropped Sarah off at a bus stop in Westminster, Colorado, for her ride to school. \"She loved to go to school,\" Russell said, remembering that Sarah ran for the bus and slipped on ice. \"She skinned her wrist at the bottom of her hand, and she was crying,\" Russell said. \"I had a first aid kit and gave her a Band-Aid.\" After school that day, Sarah's father, Paul Skiba, met Sarah to spend the weekend together, a visitation arrangement in place since Russell and Skiba divorced several years earlier. \"Her father picked her up at 3:30 p.m.,\" Russell said. \"She visited her father every other weekend.\" On Sunday, Sarah joined her father -- who owned a moving company -- and his employee Lorenzo Chivers as they went to a moving job. Watch a report about the case » . \"We know they had two moving jobs that day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon,\" said Thornton Police Department Sgt. Pat Long, the original investigator on the case. The second job was for a man who lived in Morrison, Colorado. The girl, her father and Chivers left Morrison between 5 and 5:30 p.m. to return the moving truck to the Westminster parking lot where Skiba stored his vehicles, Long says. On the way, a 12-year-old relative of Paul Skiba's girlfriend, Theresa Donovan, received a call from Sarah. The girl said they were on their way to return the truck and would then come home. But Sarah and her father never made it back to the house he and Donovan shared. Michelle Russell later called police, who initially thought it was a parental abduction, even though Chivers was also missing. \"It was almost three weeks after that that I became involved,\" Long said. \"I think we lost some key evidence during the initial time that passed at the scene.\" Paul Skiba's family and friends went to his truck storage lot one week after the girl and the two men went missing and grew suspicious when they found what they believed were two bullet holes in the exteriors of Skiba's moving trucks, Long said. They also noticed that Skiba's only functioning truck was not parked quite the way he would have done it himself. \"Paul was adamant that the moving truck always be parked in a certain position, and the way it was found was pulled nose-in and not back-in,\" Long said. \"Everyone knows he was anal about the way that truck was parked.\" Suspected ambush . Long said he thinks there was an attempt to disguise the scene to make it appear that the victims had come back to the lot and left. Investigators from the Thornton Police Department CSI, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the Westminster Police Department confirmed that bullets had, in fact, pierced Skiba's trucks. They also identified blood spatter on the two trucks and blood inside the cab of the truck used in the move. Hair attached to a piece of scalp was found on the hood of Skiba's moving truck, and additional hair was on the truck's fender. DNA tests revealed that blood on the ground belonged to Paul and Sarah Skiba. The piece of scalp belonged to Paul. The hair was Sarah's. \"The pool of blood on the ground looked like motor oil that had spilled,\" Long said. Authorities believe that the three were ambushed and killed when they returned the truck to the lot. Police think their bodies were put in the back of Skiba's moving truck, driven to another location and dumped. Chivers may have been forcibly taken from the lot and then murdered or killed at the lot in a manner that would have produced no evidence, according to police. No bodies were ever found, leaving police to suspect that Chivers was also a victim. \"We did have a witness who saw the truck come back to the lot,\" Long said. The truck's loading ramp, moving blankets and straps were also missing. Chivers' and Skiba's personal cars, which they had left at the lot during their Sunday moving jobs, were parked at separate apartment complexes across Denver. Investigators were never able to make a direct link between the victims and those buildings. Skiba was the likely target, they say, and Sarah and Chivers were bystanders. Police have interviewed as many as 80 people, but no arrests have been made. \"In my opinion, I believe we know or we have a strong feeling who is involved in the murders,\" Long said, declining to say more or disclose the possible motive. A tragic anniversary . Meanwhile, Russell has been doing her part to help solve the tragic mystery. \"I've done air, water and land searches, door-to-door searches, you name it,\" she said. She has also raised $50,000 in reward money for information leading to an arrest and conviction in Sarah's disappearance and apparent murder. \"This being the 10-year anniversary, we just really wanted to get a lot of focus on this case again and find my daughter and what has happened to her,\" Russell said. On the beach, Russell did things she knew her daughter would enjoy. She even brought cupcakes. \"We went for a walk, drove around. ... I was on my own, but I was with her,\" Russell said. \"It's pretty sad when the guest of honor is nowhere to be found.\" In her short time, Sarah celebrated life with sports, learning and music. \"Sarah sang as soon as she got up each morning, as well as at the dinner table, in the bathroom and to pet her dogs,'' Russell said. ' 'They were like her siblings,'' she added, explaining that Sarah was an only child. \"Someone took her away from me unjustly. I'm not going to sleep until I know why.\" Anyone with more information is asked to call the Westminster Police Department at (303) 658-2400." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Sarah Skiba and father went missing in 1999, along with employee Lorenzo Chivers .\nDNA tests show pool of blood on the ground belonged to Sarah and her father .\nPolice have interviewed as many as 80 people, but no arrests have been made .\n\"Someone took her away from me unjustly,\" Sarah's mother says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Madonna was \"devastated\" to hear that a man was killed in an accident during construction for her upcoming concerts in Marseilles, France, a representative said Thursday. Firefighters leave the Stade Velodrome stadium in Marseille after the accident on Thursday. A 53-year-old French man was killed when a stage being built for the concert collapsed, a fire department spokesman in the southern French city said. Another two people, one British and one American, are severely injured, and four are lightly injured, officer David Goddin told CNN. \"At this point we don't know how it happened, but we are confident no one else is still under the rubble,\" Goddin said. \"My prayers go out to those who were injured and their families along with my deepest sympathy to all those affected by this heartbreaking news,\" Madonna said in a statement issued by her representative, Liz Rosenberg. At least one Madonna show has been canceled, Rosenberg told CNN. A crane collapsed while lifting a large metallic truss into place, Lt. Thierry Delorme of the French Navy told CNN. In Marseille, the Fire Department is a part of the Navy. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the collapse, he said. In addition to the six injuries and the single fatality, 34 people received psychological support after the incident, he said. About 27 fire engines and 80 firefighters responded to the emergency when the stage collapsed at 5:15 p.m. (1515 GMT). \"There were a lot of open fractures, of injuries, it was a messy sight,\" one of the rescue workers told Agence-France Presse. Madonna was scheduled to play the first of five concerts for her \"Sticky and Sweet\" tour at the 60,000-seat Stade Velodrome on Sunday. The singer was in Udine, Italy, when she heard the news, Rosenberg said. CNN's Per Nyberg in London, England, contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "One person was killed when stage being built for Madonna concert collapses .\nAccident happened Thursday afternoon in southern French city of Marseille .\nAnother two people, one British and one American, were severely injured .\nMadonna due to play first of five concerts in city for \"Sticky and Sweet\" tour Sunday ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A fighter jet crashed in southern Afghanistan on Monday, in the fourth wreck in three days, authorities said. A French Air Force Mirage 2000 sits under a shelter on the tarmac at an airbase in Kandahar on January 1, 2009. Authorities were looking into why the plane went down during takeoff from Kandahar airfield Monday morning, but the role of insurgents had been ruled out, said Lt. Col. Paul Kolken, the spokesman at the airfield. The crew ejected safely, and was being treated, Kolken said. Five hours after the crash, the wreckage of the plane was still on fire. Military officials did not identify the type of jet that crashed, nor did they release the nationality of the crew. Weather conditions were fair at the time of the incident, Kolken said. On Saturday, a U.S. fighter jet crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing its crew of two. In addition, a civilian helicopter went down on takeoff from Kandahar airfield on Sunday, killing 16 people, NATO said. Watch details of the helicopter crash » . And a military helicopter made a hard landing elsewhere on Sunday, apparently injuring at least some of those on board, NATO said. None of the aircraft were shot down, said the International Security Assistance Force -- NATO's mission in Afghanistan. It did not announce the cause of any of the crashes. There were at least two earlier crashes this month. Watch report on UK deaths in Afghanistan » . At least five people were killed when a helicopter went down in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province Tuesday, a local government official said. And on July 6, two Canadian air crew members and a British soldier were killed when a helicopter crashed during takeoff in Zabul province, the Canadian and British defense ministries said. CNN's Ivan Watson contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Authorities looking into why plane went down during takeoff from Kandahar airfield .\nCrew ejected safely; Role of insurgents has been ruled out of cause of crash .\nMilitary officials did not identify type of jet that crashed, nor the nationality of the crew .\nCrash is the fourth aircraft wreck in three days ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- It doesn't matter that they can be feverishly hot. Or that crowds make for long food lines or the tickets may be hard to come by. Bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding performed at this year's New Orleans Jazz Fest. Music festivals worldwide attract thousands of fans wanting to hear their favorite artists live or discover under-the-radar musicians. Each major festival has its own special twist, specific to the event and city that hosts it. From the notorious mud baths at Glastonbury, England, to the breath-taking mountains surrounding Fuji Rock in Naeba, Japan, these are events that festival-goers wait for all year. Experience the New Orleans Jazz Fest » . Our guide prepares music fans worldwide for the best festivals this summer and later in the year. GLASTONBURY, Somerset, England June 24-28 ($255) Glastonbury has been around since dairy farmer Michael Eavis first held a free two-day festival on his farm in 1970, and it's long been the festival in England for seeing the biggest and best bands in the world. It also may be the muddiest -- heavy rain in several years, most notably 1997, turned Glastonbury into a muddy bog. Everyone from Radiohead to Jay-Z has headlined the festival, and with more than 700 acts each year, there is something for everybody. Some of the proceeds from the festival go to Oxfam and Greenpeace. This year's headliners include Franz Ferdinand, Blur, and Bruce Springsteen. ROCK AL PARQUE, Bogota, Colombia June 27-29 (free) The Rock al Parque festival, launched in 1995, has become South America's biggest rockfest in recent years -- some 320,000 people traveled to Simon Bolivar Park in 2006 for a weekend of Colombia's top rock bands and renowned international headliners. Funded by Colombia's culture secretary, the free festival has included some of rock's biggest names, including Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Manu Chao, and Bloc Party. In the days leading up to Rock al Parque, the festival organizers host a series of panel discussions on music production, management, and the recording industry. ROSKILDE, Denmark July 2-5 ($220) Since 1971, the rock festival in Roskilde has hosted the top names in music, from Bob Marley to Bob Dylan. It is the biggest summer festival in northern Europe, and the \"Arena\" stage boasts a 17,000-capacity tent, the largest in Europe. The festival has a daily newspaper and a 24-hour live radio station and is also home to the annual \"Naked Run,\" where the first naked person to cross the finish line receives a free ticket for next year's festival. Some 80,000 will travel to Roskilde to see headliners including Coldplay, Oasis and Nine Inch Nails. EXIT, Novi Sad, Serbia July 9-12 ($105) Created in 2000 by three university students as a protest against former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic, the electro-focused festival in the heart of Serbia was named Europe's best festival in 2007 by fans voting in the UK Festival Awards. Over 200,000 people attended Exit last year, dancing at all-night raves in the gorgeous surroundings of Petrovaradin Fortress, an 18th-century castle near the Danube River. Some of techno's biggest names will be on hand to celebrate Exit's 10-year anniversary, including Moby, Kraftwerk, and The Prodigy. THISDAY, Abuja/Lagos, Nigeria Dates tba . The THISDAY festival in Nigeria -- launched in 2006 by the editor-in-chief of Thisday newspaper, Nduka Obaigbena, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the end of slavery -- is the biggest music and fashion festival in Africa. According to Obaigbena, the festival is meant to highlight the positive progress being made in Africa, and find sustainable solutions for the continent's problems. The theme of last year's festival was \"Africa Rising,\" and it showcased some of the world's best-known artists including Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Usher. Stay tuned for this year's lineup. FUJI ROCK, Naeba, Japan July 24-26 ($410) Japan's biggest outdoor festival takes its name from Mt. Fuji, the site of the first festival in 1997. Fuji Rock has been set amongst the cool forested mountains of the Naeba ski resort for the past ten years -- gondolas and hilly trails transport people from stage to stage, and the streams and forests between them are the reason why Fuji Rock has been called the most beautiful festival in the world. It's not just about the scenery, though -- over 100,000 people will trek through the mountains to see headliners Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and Weezer. LOLLAPALOOZA, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. August 7-9 ($190) Rocker Perry Farrell began Lollapalooza in 1991 as a farewell tour for his band, Jane's Addiction. The biggest grunge rock festival during the '90s disappeared for awhile around the turn of the century, but it was revived in 2005 as a more traditional \"big weekend\" destination festival in Chicago. The past few years at Grant Park have been marked by hot summers, huge crowds, and even bigger bands. The anticipated crowd of nearly 200,000 is staggering, as are this year's headliners: Kings of Leon, Tool, Depeche Mode, and Beastie Boys, just to name a few. BESTIVAL, Isle of Wight, England September 11-13 ($205) The trendy Bestival, the original boutique weekend festival on the Isle of Wight, is the best way to end the summer festival season in Europe. Bestival boasts a yearly fancy dress competition -- last year's was \"30,000 freaks under the sea,\" and 2009 is the year of \"Outer Space,\" so make sure to dress accordingly. Thousands of Bestival-goers will witness an eclectic lineup including Lily Allen, Massive Attack, and MGMT in the picturesque surroundings of Robin Hill Park. For family fun, look no further than Camp Bestival, a three-day family festival at a castle by the sea in July. PARKLIFE, Australia Late September-Early October . The Parklife series of one-day music festivals kicks off the summer festival season across Australia. The dance-focused fests have featured heavyweights Justice, MIA, and Muscles over the past two years. The day-long festivals are followed by an official \"After Life\" party that runs until the early hours of the morning, so be prepared for a long one if you're one of the estimated 100,000 people attending a Parklife gig in one of several cities across Australia at the end of September. WOODSTOCK, Johannesburg, South Africa November 27-30 When people think of Woodstock, South Africa isn't necessarily what comes to mind. But for the past decade, the festival has been the biggest youth music event in that country, hosting a variety of both well-known and upcoming mainstream and hip-hop acts -- not to mention a variety of extreme sports stunt acts, paintballing, and flea-market stalls. Woodstock may not have the star power of the legendary American festival -- but with the wide range of music and outdoor activities it presents, its promoters aren't lying when they say that boredom simply isn't an option. SUNBURN, Goa, India December . Sunburn Festival launched in December 2007 as South Asia's first electronic music festival, and featured heavyweights like Carl Cox and John 00 Fleming. Located seaside in Goa, on India's west coast, the festival has its roots in \"Goa Trance,\" a type of pulsing, transcendental electro music that became popular in the early 1990s. Sunburn again treated more than 5,000 electro revelers to a three-day party by the beach in December 2008. The festival's founder has said Sunburn will always be free to attend, and it is not to be missed if you happen to be in India in December." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "CNN has put together a list of some of the best upcoming music festivals .\nYou can dress to kill at England's Bestival's fancy dress competition .\nEnjoy the music, comedians and silent disco at Bonnaroo in Tennessee .\nDance all weekend in the shadows of a 300-year-old Serbian castle ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- When then-President-elect Barack Obama first asked Hillary Clinton to be his top diplomat, she turned him down and recommended others for the job, the secretary of state said in an interview broadcast Sunday. Hillary Clinton meets with South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan on Friday to discuss North Korea. Speaking to ABC's \"This Week,\" Clinton also said the president has answered the central question she raised about him when she was his chief rival for the Democratic nomination last year. In her famous \"3 a.m.\" ad, she questioned whether Obama was the right candidate to handle a middle-of-the-night international crisis. \"Has the president answered it for you?\" host George Stephanopoulos asked. \"Absolutely,\" Clinton replied. \"And, you know, the president, in his public actions and demeanor, and certainly in private with me and with the national security team, has been strong, thoughtful, decisive, I think he is doing a terrific job. And it's an honor to serve with him.\" The former senator from New York and former first lady revealed details of how she came to accept the role. Watch analysts dissect the Clinton-Obama relationship » . \"I never had any dream, let alone inkling, that I would end up in President Obama's cabinet,\" she said. \"When I left the presidential race after getting some sleep and taking some deep breaths, I immediately went to work for him in the general election. ... And I was looking forward to going back to the Senate and, frankly, going back to my life and representing New York, which I love. And I had no idea that he had a different plan in mind.\" When her name was mentioned in the media as a possible member of Obama's cabinet, Clinton said, she found the idea \"absurd.\" \"And then when he called and asked me to come see him, and we had our first conversation, I said, 'You know, I really don't think I'm the person to do this, I want to go back to my life. I really feel like I owe it to the people of New York.' And I gave him a bunch of other names of people who I thought would be great secretaries of state.\" But Obama \"was quite persistent and very persuasive,\" Clinton said. She added, \"Ultimately, it came down to my feeling that, number one, when your president asks you to do something for your country, you really need a good reason not to do it. Number two, if I had won and I had asked him to please help me serve our country, I would have hoped he would say yes. And finally, I looked around our world and I thought, you know, we are in just so many deep holes that everybody had better grab a shovel and start digging out.\" Some analysts have raised questions about how much power Clinton actually has in the administration, given that Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have done a great deal of international outreach themselves. The president has also appointed special envoys to focus on several key regions. But Clinton said she wanted the envoys appointed \"because we were inheriting so many hot spot problems that I knew you could never have one person possibly address all of that.\" One of the biggest is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Clinton and the president have called on Israel to halt construction at settlements in the West Bank. Asked whether there is any room for compromise on that issue, Clinton said the administration would not \"prejudge the effort.\" She said the administration is committed to Israel's security. \"We see historical, demographic, political, technological trends that are very troubling as to Israel's future. At the same time, there is a legitimate aspiration of the Palestinian people that needs to be addressed.\" On the nuclear standoff with Iran, Clinton said a diplomatic process in which U.S. representatives sit down with Iran's authorized representatives would give \"us information and insight that we don't have. ... We don't have any really clear sense as to what it is they are seeking.\" Clinton also addressed the growing tensions surrounding North Korea, and what she called its \"very provocative and belligerent behavior\" with recent tests of missile and nuclear technology. \"One of the positive developments,\" she said, is that \"it has actually brought the [other] members of [the] six-party process -- Japan, South Korea, China, Russia, the United States -- much closer together\" in how they view the challenge. She said there may be additional U.N. sanctions against North Korea. Several lawmakers have asked the president to put North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism. \"We're going to look at it,\" Clinton said. \"There's a process for it. Obviously we would want to see recent evidence of their support for international terrorism.\" She emphasized that North Korea's detention of two U.S. journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, is separate from the political issues. \"It is a humanitarian issue and the girls should be let go,\" Clinton said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Clinton says she was looking forward to going back to Senate after the election .\nShe suggested to President Obama a list of other people for top diplomat post .\nClinton reconsidered when Obama was \"quite persistent and very persuasive\"\nClinton was recently in South Korea for discussions on North Korea ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The Drug Enforcement Administration said Wednesday it's considering tighter restrictions on propofol, a drug reportedly found after Michael Jackson's death in the Holmby Hills, California, mansion he rented. The Drug Enforcement Administration said Wednesday it's considering tighter restrictions on propofol. \"We were petitioned and have been been looking into it for the past two years,\" said DEA spokesman Rusty Payne, who added in response to a question that the inquiry had not been affected by the singer's death of cardiac arrest on June 25. The agency is looking at designating the sedative as a \"scheduled\" drug, which would tighten restrictions on the its distribution and use. Payne said he could not divulge anything related to the Jackson investigation, \"but I can tell you that researchers making the decision about propofol would typically be interested in any information that would help them answer questions about the effects of propofol and its potential harm to the user.\" Propofol, known by the trade name of Diprivan, is administered intravenously in operating rooms as a powerful anesthetic and sedative. Payne said concern about the drug's potential for abuse led to the petition. But, he added, \"as far as we know, this is not something that's been highly abused.\" Payne said he did not know who had sought the change, adding, \"Typically we would not make that public.\" The process required to get a drug scheduled is a lengthy one, involving a number of agencies, he said. \"Lots of experts weigh in on questions such as potential for abuse, pharmacological effects, history and current patterns abuse,\" he said. Nutritionist Cherilyn Lee has said Jackson pleaded for the drug as a sleep aid, despite being told of its potentially harmful effects. And sources close to Jackson told CNN that the insomniac singer traveled with an anesthesiologist who would \"take him down\" at night and \"bring him back up\" during a world tour in the mid-1990s. The Associated Press and The Los Angeles Times, citing unidentified sources, have reported that police found Diprivan among Jackson's medicines. Officials have said that the exact cause of death and whether drug use may have been involved will not be determined until after toxicology tests are completed, which could be several weeks. On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a health advisory, saying two lots of a generic version of the drug had tested positive for endotoxin, a contaminant. The drug maker, Teva Pharmaceuticals, voluntarily recalled the lots. No fatalities were reported. A Teva spokeswoman said the DEA had contacted the drug maker \"about a specific lot number, and that lot number is not from the two we are recalling.\" Spokeswoman Denise Bradley would not say whether the contact was related to the Jackson investigation. A DEA spokesman said he could not comment on any ongoing investigation. In a written statement issued this month, the American Society of Anesthesiologists said it \"unequivocally maintains that Diprivan, or its generic name propofol, is a drug meant only for use in a medical setting by professionals trained in the provision of general anesthesia. \"Though the drug is often used for procedures requiring sedation, patients can have extremely variable responses to the drug and some patients can become completely anesthetized, including losing the ability to breathe,\" the statement continued. \"Diprivan should never be used outside of a controlled and monitored medical setting. Use of the drug should be directly supervised by a physician trained in anesthesia and qualified to provide physiologic rescue should too much drug be given,\" the statement said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Propofol, generic name of Diprivan, reportedly found in Michael Jackson's home .\nDEA spokesman: \"We've been looking into it for the past two years\"\nSpokesman says inquiry hasn't been affected by singer's cardiac arrest death .\nPropofol is administered intravenously in operating rooms as a powerful anesthetic ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Luci Baines Johnson was just 16 years old when she approached her father, President Johnson, with what she considered a reasonable request. Luci Baines Johnson, left, and her older sister, Lynda Bird, pose inside the White House in 1963. \"I asked my father if we could have the Beatles come to play at the White House,\" she recalled. \"I was very excited about it.\" His response? A decisive no, \"without even any moment of trying to soften the blow,\" Johnson said in a recent phone interview. The president thought the move would be viewed as self-serving. His daughter, however, saw it as a chance to honor \"a great talent\" and strengthen ties between the United States and Great Britain -- not to mention a golden opportunity for her and her friends. \"I could see how different sets of folks could have either perspective. And I suspect my father could see that too,\" she said. Luci Baines Johnson learned quickly of the scrutiny that came from being a first daughter. Her family moved into the White House in 1963, following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Johnson was catapulted into the exclusive fraternity of White House families and embraced what she describes as a role she landed simply by chance. That fraternity has most recently expanded to include President Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia. \"I was an eyewitness to history, over and over, during my father's five years in the White House. And I wasn't elected to that option. I had no qualifications that provided me that privilege except an accident of birth,\" she said. See famous first kids who grew up in the White House » . Johnson speaks fondly of the opportunity she was afforded to dine with kings and queens, meet the movers and shakers of her time, engage with the body of America and hold a front-row seat to history. While most of her memories fall into two categories -- \"the fond personal memories\" and \"the fond memories of public privilege\" -- there's one in particular that was a combination of both. \"My 17th birthday, I received a handwritten note from my father, the only handwritten note I have, telling me how much he loves me and how much he has delighted in having me as his daughter for all those 17 years,\" she said. The note was dated noon, July 2, 1964. Six hours later, in the East Room of the White House, Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination based on race or gender in public places, schools and places of employment. \"Can you imagine ever receiving a more momentous, glorious, exciting, thrilling birthday present that lasted forever and ever than something like that, that would change the world for all time and make it a much more decent place? That took place on my birthday,\" she said. Life in the White House, however, came at a cost. Johnson and the first children before and after her will always have to \"pay a big price in terms of personal time,\" she said. More than 45 years after she moved into the White House, she still receives requests for interviews about the time she spent there. But the public's interest in first daughters is nothing new. Fanny Hayes, for example, who was about the same age as Malia when she moved into the White House in 1877, was followed by the media until the day she died. \"She was an American celebrity,\" said presidential historian Doug Wead. While the interest in first daughters has stayed steady, the pressure on the children has intensified, said Wead, author of \"All the Presidents' Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of America's First Families.\" \"It's like the Miss America contest -- it's a real dilemma for the daughter of a president. She's supposed to be gracious. She's mocked and ridiculed if she isn't pretty,\" he said. When Chelsea Clinton was just 13 years old, for example, she was ridiculed in a 1993 \"Saturday Night Live\" sketch that declared her \"not a babe.\" Actor Mike Myers later apologized, and the skit was cut from replays of the show. Amy Carter, who was 9 when she moved into the White House, was also mocked for her appearance and for her poor manners, after she pulled out a book during a state dinner. Her parents enrolled her in public school, illuminating the already bright spotlight on her. An infamous photograph of her first day at school shows the young girl with her head hanging low, carrying a Snoopy book bag and surrounded by a swarm of paparazzi. To this date, no other presidential children have attended public school. But other presidential children have taken on power roles in their fathers' administrations. Anna Roosevelt, for example, was a \"super aide\" to Franklin D. Roosevelt during his last year in office, Wead said, describing her as a combination of a personal secretary and chief of staff, not to mention popular in the public eye. And Alice Roosevelt, a fashion icon who was known to have quite the rebellious streak, also played a pivotal role for her father, Theodore Roosevelt. She went on an around-the-world junket for the purposes of American foreign policy -- a move that diverted attention from her father's efforts to bring about a peace treaty in the Russo-Japanese War, Wead said. The president later won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on various peace treaties. Under the administration that followed, William Taft's daughter became one of the unsung heroes of women's rights, Wead said. Taft credited his daughter, Helen, for helping to change his mind about women's suffrage. But for all presidential children, Wead said, there remains a lifelong battle of seeking approval from their fathers while struggling to carve their own identities. Many presidential daughters have gone on to author books about their time in White House, in what Wead describes as an attempt to restore their fathers' reputations. \"It's like sitting in front of a big window ... and seeing a billboard with misspelled words on it. It's just irritating,\" he said. \"And the writing of a book, if it doesn't change history, it is a purifying experience for the child.\" Susan Ford Bales once told the San Francisco Chronicle that while in the White House, \"I kept thinking, I want to be normal. But I can't be normal. .... Everyone was watching. It was like living out loud.\" But Ford also cashed in on some of the perks of her high-profile position and took Alice Roosevelt's advice to \"have one hell of a good time.\" Ford roller-skated through the White House, held her prom in the East Room and scored VIP treatment at concerts -- including a backstage pass to see Rod Stewart. (That move ignited the public's interest in her, sparking rumors that she and Stewart were engaged.) Johnson said that some of the best advice she received while in the White House was to just recognize that she couldn't change things or make the attention go away. \"There are inevitably going to be moments when you feel like the pressures of the goldfish bowl seem unfair or more than you can bear, but so are the opportunities to learn, to understand, to grow, to love, to make friends, to witness,\" she said. \"I describe it as the best of times and sometimes the worst of times, but whatever the times, it was a time of extraordinary privilege.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Luci Johnson describes being a first daughter as an \"extraordinary privilege\"\nIt was \"the best of times and sometimes the worst of times,\" she says .\nFirst daughters often followed by media for remainder of their lives .\nThe pressure on first daughters has intensified over the years, historian says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Thirty-eight years ago, Joseph McGinty Nichol was a boy in Kalamazoo, Michigan, playing with toy robots. Many of the robots in \"Terminator Salvation\" are real machines, which increased realism, the cast says. Today \"McG,\" as he is better known, builds and blows up real robots. The prominent filmmaker is the driving force behind one of the season's summer blockbusters, \"Terminator Salvation,\" which is filled with very expensive and very explosive robots. The choice to use real robots when possible, instead of CGI (computer generated images), was deliberate, McG said. According to the director and the film's stars, the decision to use real machines was a testament to the growing sophistication of the moviegoing public, whom they believe can \"feel\" the difference between actors standing in front of a green screen versus actors interacting with the real thing. It was also done in honor of the legendary special effects supervisor, four-time Oscar winner Stan Winston (\"Jurassic Park,\" the other \"Terminator\" films), who passed away during filming last year. Watch the robots in action » . The director and three of his cast members -- Christian Bale, Bryce Dallas Howard and Anton Yelchin -- took a time out with CNN to explain why gravity and singed eyebrows both played a role in \"Terminator Salvation.\" Bryce Dallas Howard: That was something that was really important to McG ... when an audience member sees this film, that they can actually feel what's occurring. I think that audiences are very savvy now. We can feel when something is CGI and that's no disrespect to CGI -- we couldn't do this movie without it -- but, whenever possible, in the tradition of Sam Winston, he wanted to build the robots. So a lot of what you see is real. McG: And if you drop something, we've spent our whole lives watching physics in play, and if you say, just have the CGI do that, people can tell something's off, and it releases you from being involved in the picture. So, we built all the robots, we built all the sets, we blew them up for real, a great many of us lost our eyebrows! Christian Bale: It was kind of comical at times because something that's meant to be so intimidating was actually surrounded by five guys with these kind of puppet rods I had to blank out or I would start laughing. But, the end result is something really formidable and you know, really iconic in movie history. Anton Yelchin: Now I'm obsessed with the robots! I'm so [annoyed] that this guy or whoever it is that's in charge of it wouldn't let me have one!" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "\"Terminator Salvation\" filmmakers decide to use many real robots .\nIdea to avoid CGI was partly in tribute to special effects master Stan Winston .\nFilm is the fourth in the \"Terminator\" series ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The pastor of a non-denominational church in Argyle, Texas, passed around the collection plate to his congregants earlier this year -- and asked them to take money from it. Donations at the Cross Timbers Community Church had slumped because of the economic downturn. Pastor Toby Slough thought that his congregants had to be hurting, too. His gesture, instead, was met with an unexpected response: The church had its highest offering ever. It was a eureka moment for Slough: Give away money to those who need it, knowing his church members will help fill the need. \"In these economic times, we can't be so into church business that we forget what our business is, and that is to help people,\" Slough told CNN television affiliate KDAF in Dallas-Forth Worth, Texas. In the past two months, the 9-year-old church has done just that: handed out a half-million dollars to members and non-members who are struggling. Watch pastor on rip off concerns » . \"We've taken $200,000 and spread it out to organizations -- four local, two missions that are feeding and clothing people in these tough times,\" Slough said. \"We've paid utility bills for members of our church that are unemployed or under-employed.\" His favorite giveaway came three weeks ago. The church gave 1,400 families $50 each and told them to hand it out to someone else. One of the recipients was Katie Lewis. \"I've been alone so long. Just to be thought of and to be remembered, to be welcomed -- it's amazing,\" she said, crying. Church members are pleasantly surprised. \"You don't hear about a church giving money away,\" Amy Sullivan said. Slough said he is not concerned if people try to take advantage of the church's generosity. \"I told my church a couple weeks ago, if I'm not being taken advantage of, I'm not being like Jesus,\" he said. The church has now formed a group to look into the best ways to give out money. And, Slough said, it plans on doing so as long as there is a need in the community." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Economy led to diminished donations at the Cross Timbers Community Church .\nPastor decides to give away money to those who need it .\nResult was highest amount of donations ever for the church ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BELGRADE, Montana (CNN) -- President Obama on Friday took his push for a health care overhaul to traditionally conservative Montana, saying a bill to extend coverage to the uninsured while helping those already with coverage will pass this year. President Obama discusses his health care plans Friday at a meeting in Belgrade, Montana. However, an influential Democratic representative said the House would only pass a health care bill in January or later, signaling continuing rifts within Obama's party on his domestic priority for 2009. \"We're taking some time to make sure it's done right,\" said Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania. \"I don't know that we'll get something done before January, and even then we may not get it done. We're going to do it right when it's finally done.\" Obama told a largely supportive Montana audience at his second of three town hall meetings this week that fixing the health care system requires improving health insurance practices and reducing the costs of treatment. He sought questions from skeptics of his proposed health care overhaul, seeking to confront some misconceptions fueled by opponents Democrats say are undermining the debate. One man who identified himself as a proud National Rifle Association supporter and believer in the Constitution asked how the government would pay to expand health insurance coverage to 46 million uninsured people. \"You can't tell us how you're going to pay for this,\" said the questioner, Randy Rathie, a welder from Ekalaka, Montana. \"The only way you're going to get the money is to raise our taxes. That's the only way you can do that.\" Obama responded with his oft-repeated explanation that two-thirds of the cost of overhauling health care -- estimated at about $900 billion over 10 years -- would come from eliminating waste and improving efficiency in the current system, which includes the government-run Medicare and Medicaid programs for the elderly and impoverished. The rest would have to come from new revenue, he agreed with the questioner, and he called for reducing the amount of deductions that people making more than $250,000 a year can make on their income taxes. \"If we did that alone, just that change alone ... that would raise enough to pay for health care reform,\" Obama said, noting that would meet his election campaign pledge to avoid any tax increase on people earning less than $250,000 a year. However, Obama said some taxes would have to be raised, and the crowd applauded when he said he believes people with more money, like himself, ought to pay a heavier burden. \"We've got to get over this notion that we can have something for nothing,\" Obama said. \"That's how we got into this deficit and this debt in the first place.\" In reference to emotional and heated debate at some other town hall meetings across the country in recent weeks, Obama told Rathie, \"I appreciate your question, the respectful way you asked it, and by the way, I also believe in the Constitution.\" Afterward, Rathie said he was impressed by Obama's performance but remained skeptical. \"I don't think he knows where that money's going to come from,\" he said. \"If he does, he's not saying.\" Obama noted there is more work to be done, with Congress seeking to merge at least four bills, along with a possible compromise agreement being negotiated by Democratic Sen. Max Baucus and five other members of his Senate Finance Committee, into a single bill in September. Another questioner chosen when Obama asked for a skeptic identified himself as an insurance provider who wanted to know why Obama and Democrats are vilifying the insurance industry in the health care debate. Earlier in the meeting, Obama described what he called discriminatory practices by insurance companies that dropped coverage of people who became sick or refused to cover those with pre-existing medical conditions. Obama noted some insurance companies are contributing to the reform debate, but said others are spending millions of dollars to try to defeat any health care legislation. For a health care overhaul to work for everyone, he said, it has to ensure all Americans are covered so that insurance companies have incentive to participate. They won't be able to exclude coverage for pre-existing conditions or \"cherry pick\" healthy people while refusing coverage for sick people, Obama said, so increasing the total numbers covered will be the enticement. On Saturday, Obama will hold another town hall meeting in Grand Junction, Colorado, before vacationing in some national parks with his family next week. In addition, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama will hold \"some events not yet announced\" in coming days. While Obama has said consensus can be reached on health care reform, contentious town hall meetings held by lawmakers around the country have created a different impression. The White House, and many Democrats in Congress, hope that by building support in the West, the president can start to turn the tide. Though the region is largely Republican, Obama made some inroads in the latest election. He won in Colorado and lost by just a slim margin in Montana. However, Murtha's comments in Bentleyville, Pennsylvania, to CNN affiliate WJPA signaled continuing divisions among House Democrats over the scope and pace of health care legislation. \"We said to the speaker [House Speaker Nancy Pelosi], the leadership, let's not rush this thing,\" Murtha said. \"Let's do it right, so we'll have a uniquely American plan, if the thing passes.\" Obama's town hall events are just part of a larger Democratic strategy for winning support in the region. The Democratic National Committee began a TV ad this week promoting the president's health care plan. A committee spokesman said the ad will run on national cable as well as on local cable in New Hampshire, Montana, Colorado and the District of Columbia. The group Families USA, which supports the president's plan, also launched a campaign Thursday that includes an ad running in a dozen states -- among them Montana and Colorado. But groups opposed to the president's plan have their own campaigns. One voter in Livingston, Montana, not far from where the president spoke in Belgrade, summarized the kinds of concerns that she and many others in the region have. \"I believe that there is a health care crisis, I really do,\" Sonja McDonald, who voted for Obama in 2008, told CNN's Ed Henry on Thursday. \"Do I believe that the government needs to be more involved? No!\" Henry met McDonald at a clinic that gets half its funding from taxpayers. \"The government being involved is fine,\" McDonald said. \"It's just ... when they try and overstep, when they try to say, 'No, this is what needs to be done.' \"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Rep. John Murtha says bill won't pass before January .\nFixing health care requires improving insurance, cutting costs, Obama says .\nInsurance companies need incentive to participate, Obama says .\nPresident will hold another meeting Saturday in Colorado ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- When Katy Milane was asked to be in her college roommate's August 2007 wedding, she expected the bridesmaid dress to be simple and sporty, just like the bride's taste in clothes. Katy Milane, right, said none of the bridesmaids in her friend's 2007 wedding liked this hot pink dress. It wasn't. Milane and five other bridesmaids wore hot-pink floor-length satin dresses. One wedding guest commented that they looked \"like a row of Pepto Bismol bottles.\" \"I don't think any of us were happy with the dresses,\" said Milane. One bridesmaid had to be sewn into her gown when it ripped the day of the wedding. Another left her dress in a Cincinnati, Ohio, hotel room after the festivities had ended. \"We all tried to be very positive about it because the bride really loved them,\" said Milane. \"We would have worn anything to make her happy.\" Such is the case at countless weddings. Bridesmaids are stuck in matching dresses that they will likely never wear again. Some say that brides choose less-than-attractive dresses for her attendants to keep everyone's attention on her. Whatever the case, there are plenty of women with bridesmaid-dress horror stories. Check out some ugly bridesmaid dresses and pretty alternatives » . Kimberlee Norbury of Orland, California, was aghast at the bridesmaid dress her cousin chose for her saloon-themed wedding in July 2006. Norbury and three other bridesmaids were asked to wear \"saloon girl\" dresses purchased at a nearby costume shop. The dresses, complete with lace garters and corset tops, were so short that some of the bridesmaids added fabric to make them longer. Even with the additional fabric, Norbury walked down the aisle with her bouquet strategically placed in front of her. \"Everyone knew what I was doing,\" she said. \"I can laugh now, but I was so horrified.\" As soon as the wedding ended, Norbury changed out of the dress. \"I was running for my clothes as fast as I could.\" \"Afterwards I did explain that I loved her very much,\" she said. \"That's the only reason I wore that.\" Freedom of choice . Chandi Brooks knows how expensive bridesmaid dresses can be. She's been in five weddings -- as a bridesmaid three times and the maid of honor twice -- and has never worn any of the dresses again. According to Conde Nast Bridal Media's American Wedding Study, the average price of a bridesmaid dress in 2005 was $138.20. \"It's money down the drain most of the time,\" Brooks said. That's why she decided to let her bridal party choose their own dresses for her June 2007 wedding. Brooks' attendants picked black dresses that ranged from $20 to $100. The bridesmaids, all different sizes and ages, were pleased and so was the bride. \"I didn't have to shop around and didn't have to hear any griping. Everyone was happy,\" said Brooks. Other brides also are giving their attendants the freedom of choice. Celia Stangerone of Windsor, Connecticut, asked her bridesmaids to pick tea-length lavender dresses. The length and color were the only restrictions she placed -- the shade of lavender, style of dress and type of shoe were up to each individual bridesmaid. Stangarone said she's close to her bridesmaids, which factored into her decision to let them choose their own dresses. \"I knew the type of personalities I was dealing with and I also knew that they were all different sizes and shapes,\" she said. \"I had to let them pick whatever style they felt beautiful in.\" The final result was perfect, Stangarone said. Her bridesmaids chose dresses in varying shades of lavender that complimented each attendant's body type and skin tone. \"They all looked beautiful and were all really happy,\" she said. iReport.com: See the bridesmaids' lavender dresses . Keeping bridesmaids happy . Many of those who lived through their own bridesmaid nightmares hope not to put their friends through the same pain. Milane, who remains friends with the bride, is not planning to have a wedding anytime soon. When she does she intends to choose a dress that her bridesmaids can wear again. \"I want my bridesmaids to like what they're wearing,\" she said. \"I feel like if you choose something they can wear in their daily lives, they're going to be a lot happier in the end.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "iReporters shared horror stories of having to wear ugly bridesmaid dresses .\nKimberlee Norbury wore a \"saloon girl\" dress for her cousin's theme wedding .\nSome brides are letting their attendants choose their own dresses .\niReport.com: See bridesmaids' photos and stories, and share your own ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries has tagged two great white sharks off Cape Cod in an area where shark sightings have been reported, state officials said Sunday. A great white shark is tagged Saturday off Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Shark sightings closed nearby beaches. The first tagging Saturday marked the first time a great white shark had been successfully tagged in the Atlantic Ocean off the U.S. coast, the division said in a statement. A second shark was tagged Saturday afternoon, officials said. The taggings took place in the waters near Chatham, Massachusetts, two days after Greg Skomal, shark expert for the Division of Marine Fisheries, reported as many as five large sharks were seen near Monomoy Island, a National Wildlife Refuge off the southern elbow of Cape Cod. The island is about a mile away from Chatham's Lighthouse Beach, a public swimming area. Chatham's beaches were closed to swimmers after the sightings, Skomal said. CNN affiliate WCVB reported that all of Chatham's east-facing beaches were closed after three sharks came within 75 yards of the coastline. Watch who is making money from sharks » . The beaches will be off-limits to swimmers until the middle of the week, officials told WCVB. After the sightings, Skomal and other biologists set out to identify the species, the division statement said. Skomal identified a great white shark on Friday, and then the two were tagged Saturday. \"The tags, which use satellite-based technology to record where a shark travels, allow scientists to better understand migratory patterns,\" the division statement said. Great white sharks are relatively rare in New England, the division statement said, but have been seen feeding near seal colonies. Massachusetts has recorded only four shark attacks since 1670, two of which were fatal. The last fatal shark attack in Massachusetts happened in 1936. Researchers have also tagged great white sharks off the coast of South Africa." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Taggings of great whites are the first in the Atlantic Ocean, state officials say .\nBeaches in Chatham, Massachusetts, closed after shark sightings .\nGreat white sharks are relatively rare in New England, state officials say .\nTags will let scientists track the two sharks ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Mothers cradle children in their arms. Fathers smile softly at the helpless bodies they hold. Other parents are bent over from the weight of their teenage kids whose legs fall limp, almost touching the ground. In the absence of basic medical equipment, these parents do this every day. An Iraqi boy gives a thumbs up after receiving his wheelchair. Brad Blauser, center, created the program. Khaled is a father of three. On this day, his young daughter, Mariam, is getting fitted for her new wheelchair. Her arms and legs are painfully thin, little more than skin and bone. She's 7 years old, but looks barely half that. She and both her siblings, a sister and brother, suffer from varying degrees of polio. None of them can walk. Asked how he and his family cope, Khaled chokes up, fighting back tears. \"I am sick of life -- what can I say to you?\" he says after a long pause. One man, Brad Blauser, has vowed to try to make life a little easier for these families by organizing the distribution of wheelchairs, donated and paid for by his charity, Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids. He first came to Iraq in 2004 as a civilian contractor. Struck by the abject chaos surrounding him and seeing helpless children scooting along the ground, he pledged to find a way to help. Watch dads, moms carry kids; tears flow when wheelchairs arrive » . His first step was to consult an Army medic to find out what hospitals really needed. \"He surprised me with his answer about pediatric wheelchairs. We've got so many children out in the city that the ones who can get around are following their friends by dragging themselves around on the ground, which is heartbreaking to see,\" he says. \"I was surprised. It took me aback.\" Enlisting the help of generous supporters and an Iraqi humanitarian group Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids was born in August of 2005. Thirty days later its first 31 chairs were delivered. To date more than 250 Iraqi families have received the wheelchairs. Blauser has partnered with a nonprofit group called Reach Out and Care Wheels, which sells him the chairs at a manufacturing price of about $300. The chairs are made by prisoners at the South Dakota State Penitentiary and ultimately delivered in Iraq by the U.S. military. \"Getting these prisoners involved, it just means the world to them,\" said Andrew Babcock, the executive director of Reach Out and Care Wheels. \"Even the prisoners, I've been there and visited, and they're so excited. They come up with different design ideas and ways to make things better for the kids. They want to know where the chairs are going and what kids we're helping.\" Blauser said it's unbelievable to be there when the chairs are delivered. \"The most affecting thing about this whole wheelchairs for children is when the parents realize the gift that is being given to their children and they reach out to hug you.\" he said. \"The tears are running from their eyes and they say, 'We never thought that you could do this.' \" Blauser is helped on the Iraqi missions by the civil affairs division of the U.S. military, which helps organize the safe transport of the families to the distribution point and adjustment of the wheelchairs to fit each child. He said it gives \"the troops something when they go home, something good to remember where they know they have contributed, they know they have done a good thing.\" Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Jurack agrees. \"It brings a smile to your face. It really gives a different image to the Army as a whole -- helping people out, putting a smile on local nationals' faces, little kids that need our help.\" It's a sentiment that is echoed by Samira Al-Ali, the head of the Iraqi group that finds the children in need. On this day, she tells the soldiers she hopes that this humanitarian act will give them a different image of Iraq, not one of a gun and war, she says. Her words are simple but effective. \"I wish the world would see with their own eyes the children of Iraq and help the children of Iraq, because the children of Iraq have been deprived of everything,\" she said. \"Even a normal child has been deprived of their childhood; a disabled child and their family is dealing with so much more.\" The children also show gratitude, even those who can scarcely move. Blauser remembers one boy's father who dressed him in a three-piece suit, with the trousers hanging off his motionless legs. \"He couldn't move his legs or his arms. But when we sat him in his chair, he gave us the thumbs up.\" Iraqi parents will go to any lengths to improve the quality of their children's lives. Blauser points to one of his favorite photographs, of a father carrying his son in his arms, an endless desert road behind him. He had carried his son more than 6 miles to get a wheelchair. \"In August 2006 we had a distribution in northern Iraq,\" Blauser remembered. \"We watched him [the father] come forward, and people rushed to take the boy from his arms. And he said, 'No, I've been carrying this child all my life. I can carry him the last 100 yards to receive his wheelchair.' \" E-mail to a friend . CNN's Wayne Drash contributed to this report from Atlanta, Georgia." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Wheelchair distribution was the vision of American contractor Brad Blauser .\nHumanitarian group brings the kids to a safe area so they can get the wheelchairs .\n\"I am sick of life,\" says Dad who has three children disabled from polio .\nWheelchairs are made by prisoners in South Dakota, delivered by U.S. military ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(LifeWire) -- The TV no longer sits on a moving box, but she's still using filing cabinets as end tables. Desiree Jacobsen graduated from college years ago, so why does her apartment resemble a dorm room? It's hard to save for the finer things when you've had to shell out money to be in five weddings in one year, three times as maid of honor. Some maids of honor have gone deep into debt rather than disappoint a friend who expects a lot. \"I shop at the Salvation Army quite a bit to save money,\" says Jacobsen, 26, a medical editor in Dallas. Being a bride's maid or matron of honor is a distinction many women cherish. But it doesn't come cheap. It can easily cost a woman $1,000 or more for the honor of standing beside the bride on her big day, according to TheKnot.com, the leading wedding Web site. On top of the traditional expenses of wedding attire, transportation and chipping in for a gift from the bridesmaids, maids of honor can wind up hosting bridal showers, bachelorette parties and even the co-ed Jack and Jill party -- often footing the bill entirely. Expectations are reaching bridezilla proportions, a trend Anna Post, spokeswoman for the Emily Post Institute and great-great-granddaughter of the etiquette authority, attributes in part to the extensive coverage of celebrity weddings on television and in style magazines. Watch etiquette tips on attending wedding events » . Many bridesmaids are left torn between maintaining a friendship and breaking the bank. Tough to say no . When Sarah de Maintenon, a 33-year-old real estate agent in Syracuse, New York, agreed to be her best friend's maid of honor two years ago, the economy was good and houses were selling like hot cakes. But the currently slow real-estate market means that money has become tight as the big day -- scheduled for October -- slowly approaches. \"I seriously just didn't know. I thought it was just a bachelorette party,\" says de Maintenon of the events she was expected to throw and attend. Her distress over the destination wedding sent her seeking advice online. The advice she received was simple, but effective: Talk to her friend and be honest about her situation. \"I contemplated telling her I couldn't do it, but I couldn't break her heart,\" she says. \"I was afraid it would cause an argument ... I didn't want to ruin her wedding day.\" Jacobsen hasn't skipped a wedding, but she did once skip the pre-wedding bridal portrait, which she would have had to travel out of town to participate in, because she was short on money and vacation time. \"She was upset with me for a little while, but it quickly blew over because I started planning for her bachelorette party.\" When feelings get hurt, Jacobsen says, she tries not to take it personally. \"It's usually because of the stress of the wedding.\" Etiquette rules vs. reality . Is all this necessary? Are brides asking too much of their friends? Post says that contrary to popular belief, the bridal shower isn't the maid of honor's obligation. Traditionally, a close friend would throw a bridal shower for the bride, and sometimes that person is also the maid of honor. But expenses can be agreed upon in advance and shared by the entire wedding party. And though there may be multiple parties thrown for the happy couple, Post says, the maid of honor is not required to go. \"That's not true,\" claims Kim Bohnert, a 32-year-old teacher in San Francisco. She's served nine stints as maid of honor and considers herself an expert bridesmaid. She insists that the entire bridal party -- especially the maid of honor -- is expected to attend all parties and shell out for a gift each time. \"It definitely adds up,\" says Melissa Bauer, spokesperson for TheKnot.com. Bauer ticks off some of the major expenses: about $300 for a dress, $50 to $200 for shoes, $40 to $60 for accessories, $50 for a shower gift and another $100 for a wedding gift. Then there are the parties. \"The big thing now is destination bachelorette parties,\" Bauer says. \"Some people might do it local, but regardless, you're [often] footing the cost for the bride [to attend].\" The cost of traveling to an out-of-town party can add several hundred dollars to the tab, Bauer notes -- to say nothing of the cost of traveling to the wedding itself. Going for broke . Whether popular wisdom requires such a commitment or not, there's a very real limit to what women can afford. Bohnert agreed to be her cousin's maid of honor, even though she was maxed out on her credit cards, and the many expenses included a $500 Sae Young Vu dress. \"I'm still in debt because of it,\" she says. Ma'ayan Geller, a part-time student and assistant physical therapist in San Francisco, was glad to hear her friend wanted to be sensitive to the financial constraints of her wedding party. But when Geller, one of the bridesmaids, suggested a cheap Las Vegas package for the bachelorette party, the bride gave her the boot, saying she wasn't being serious enough about her commitment to the wedding. \"I had already bought the dress -- close to $300 -- which was a lot for me at the time,\" Geller, 23, remembers. \"I think it could have been done in a better way.\" Geller still attended the wedding, partially because all her friends were there and also because she wanted to support the bride, \"although the friendship kind of ended after that.\" Making it work . In Post's experience, a wedding is a collaboration, and the wedding party often tries to find a solution that works for everyone. \"When something difficult arises, I've seen brides put on the brakes rather than force something on someone,\" she says. Jeri Kadison, a bridal coach in New York, says communication is key: Detail expectations early, and if something sounds too expensive, compromise and brainstorm other ideas, she advises. \"It's the bride's responsibility to be compassionate and considerate,\" she says. That strategy worked for de Maintenon. She and her bride talk almost every day. Instead of renting a restaurant, they're having a barbeque. Instead of renting a beach house, they're all staying with a girlfriend. It's also OK to say no, Post says. \"You can decline. Just do it early.\" De Maintenon recently declined when one of her best friends asked her to be the maid of honor, and her friend wasn't upset. \"She knows that I'll do anything else to help out in any way.\" LifeWire provides original and syndicated lifestyle content to Web publishers. Liane Yvkoff is a freelance writer in San Francisco ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "As economy gets tough, more women may reconsider being maid of honor .\nBridezilla expects bridal showers, bachelorette parties, co-ed Jack and Jill party .\nBridal coach: Detail expectations early and if concerns rise, compromise ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- A Boston police officer is suing the city after he was suspended for referring to a black Harvard professor as a \"banana-eating jungle monkey\" in an e-mail. Boston police Officer Justin Barrett apologized for his e-mail about Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. \"If I'm charged with a crime I want a chance to answer. I want the chance for a fair hearing,\" Officer Justin Barrett told CNN on Tuesday. Barrett has apologized and denied he is a racist. His lawsuit claims his civil rights have been violated; Barrett's lawyer said the words referring to Henry Louis Gates, Jr. were misinterpreted. \"The choice of words were poor; but they weren't meant to characterize professor Gates as a banana-eating jungle monkey,\" attorney Peter Marano said. \"They were meant in a response to behavior and characterizing the behavior. Not the person as a whole.\" Marano said the city had effectively fired Barrett, though he is officially suspended with pay. He said it was fair to hold Barrett to a higher standard than the general public because he is a police officer, but that he was still entitled to express his opinions. \"Being held to a higher standard shouldn't eradicate his right under the First Amendment for free speech. That is part and parcel of the lawsuit,\" the lawyer said. Gates was arrested at his house last month when a neighbor called police after she thought she saw a man trying to break into Gates' home. The man turned out to be Gates himself, who was attempting to free a jammed door. The incident sparked a national debate about race and policing, drawing in President Obama himself. Obama, who is a friend of Gates, said the officer who arrested the professor \"acted stupidly,\" but then withdrew the comment, saying he did not know all the facts when he spoke. He hosted Gates and Sgt. James Crowley for a beer at the White House to calm the tensions. Barrett later sent a mass e-mail about the encounter to other officers and to the Boston Globe newspaper. Barrett was suspended from his military duties as captain in the Army National Guard and placed on administrative leave from the Boston Police Department pending the outcome of a termination hearing. Barrett said he was moved to write the note because he believed a Boston Globe column about Gates' arrest \"seemed like it was biased.\" \"It did not show the roles and duties of a police officer and how dangerous it already is without having a debate about people getting in a police officer's face, which should never happen at all.\" Asked what led him to choose to use such language, he said, \"I don't know. I couldn't tell you. I have no idea.\" He added, in response to a question, that he had never used such language before. Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis denounced the e-mail. Barrett used the \"jungle monkey\" phrase four times, three times referring to Gates and once to the Boston Globe column. He also declared that he was \"not a racist but I am prejudice [sic] toward people who are stupid and pretend to stand up and preach for something they say is freedom but it is merely attention because you do not get enough of it in your little fear-dwelling circle of on-the-bandwagon followers.\" According to a statement from Boston police, Davis took action immediately on learning of Barrett's remarks, stripping the officer of his gun and his badge. Barrett's arrests and investigations will be reviewed for indications of racial bias, Davis said. The department will also look closely at the officers who received or viewed the e-mail." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Officer suspended for referring to black prof as a \"banana-eating jungle monkey\"\nJustin Barrett wrote e-mail talking about Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates .\nBarrett is suing city of Boston, saying suspension violates his civil rights .\nGates was arrested at his house after police thought he was breaking in ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Supreme Court heard new arguments Wednesday in a dramatic case that started with a movie attacking Hillary Clinton -- but that could have far-reaching implications for U.S. elections. The campaign finance case before the court stems from a film critical of then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. \"If you thought you knew everything about Hillary Clinton, wait till you see the movie,\" said an ad last year for \"Hillary: The Movie,\" a scorching attack on the woman then running for president. Citizens United, the conservative group behind the film, promoted it as featuring 40 interviews -- a \"cast to end all casts\"-- and promised that if \"you want to hear about the Clinton scandals of the past and present, you have it here! 'Hillary: The Movie' is the first and last word in what the Clintons want America to forget!\" Few Americans ever saw the ad; a federal court ruled that it broke the law on campaign advertising. Citizens United argued that the movie was a documentary, not \"electioneering communication.\" As a result, the group argued, it was not subject to campaign finance rules that require disclosure of the movie's financial backers or restrictions on when the film could air. It was financed with a mix of corporate and individual donations. Judges disagreed. Citizens United, a Washington-based nonprofit advocacy group, took its case to the Supreme Court. Unusually, the top court did not reach a decision on the case after it was first heard and ordered Wednesday's rare September rehearing to consider more aspects of the case. A ruling is expected in a couple of months. The case hinges on whether corporations can be barred from pouring money into election campaigns or whether they have free-speech rights -- and the right to spend their cash to influence elections, just like individual people do. \"It's about money,\" said Lawrence Noble, former general counsel of the Federal Election Commission and a national expert on campaign spending. \"It's about free speech, and it's about the ability of corporations to influence elections through the direct use of their ... money.\" Fred Wertheimer of Democracy 21 said the courts were right in the first place. \"Allowing corporations to flood our elections and use campaign expenditures to buy influence would fundamentally undermine our democracy,\" he said. \"The little guy would have no role here, because the dominant force in politics -- the dominant force in Washington decision-making -- would become corporations.\" But David Bossee of Citizens United doesn't buy that. He argued that groups of people who pool resources, ranging from labor unions to the health industry to advocacy groups like the National Rifle Association, still have the right to free speech. \"I don't believe the federal government should have the right to impede people's entry into the [political] process,\" he said. \"And that's what I believe the Federal Election Commission is doing here: squelch our First Amendment rights.\" U.S. courts have consistently ruled that spending money on elections is a form of speech. The case has made for unusual alliances: the American Civil Liberties Union, for example, sides with Citizens United. \"For many free-speech advocates, this is maybe a case of strange bedfellows, but they agree with Citizens United,\" said George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley. \"They say, 'If you start to say these types of movies are prohibited speech, it could sweep into things like books.' Indeed, [the first time this case was argued,] the U.S. government said, 'Yes, we could restrict books during these election periods,' \" Turley said. \"That sent a chill through the free-speech community. On the other side, people are saying, 'Yeah, campaign finance [reform] is strangling the democratic process,' \" he said. \"You have two worthy values and very strong values on both sides,\" he said on CNN's \"American Morning.\" \"There's a great deal at stake,\" he said. \"If they strike down part of the campaign finance laws, it occurs right before the mid-term [elections], and you would see major amounts of money dumped into the campaign.\" The court's rare special session marks the debut of Justice Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama's first Supreme Court nominee. The original narrow focus of the case was on Section 203 of the comprehensive 2002 McCain-Feingold law, which bans the broadcast of \"electioneering communication\" by corporations, unions and advocacy groups if such a broadcast would be aired close to election dates and would identify candidates by name or image. The law also requires an on-screen notice of the groups financing such ads as well as public disclosure of all donors to the sponsoring organizations. But the scope of the case has now expanded significantly, and justices will ask whether they should re-examine important precedents banning direct corporate spending in campaigns. The Clinton movie case could launch a range of as-yet unanswered questions about political speech and government regulation. Since the filmmakers argued that their work was information, not political advocacy, should the government place itself as the ultimate arbiter of what is \"news\"? Some media groups say no. \" 'Hillary: The Movie' does not differ, in any relevant respect, from the critiques of presidential candidates produced throughout the entirety of American history,\" said the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in a brief to the high court. And can distinctions be drawn between regulating quickie 30-second or one-minute \"attack ads\" and a 90-minute documentary that could be viewed as an ideological \"infomercial\"? \"McCain-Feingold clearly has an impact on every candidate and everyone that raises or spends campaign dollars,\" said Edward Lazarus, author of \"Closed Chambers,\" an inside look at the Supreme Court. \"And the court has mediated that line between trying to allow Congress to protect against electoral corruption but at the same time protect the right of expression of corporations and individuals.\" Movie excerpts and the ads can be seen at www.hillarythemovie.com. The case is Citizens United v. FEC (08-205). CNN Supreme Court Producer Bill Mears and Elaine Quijano contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Federal court ruled that movie broke campaign ad laws .\nGroup behind film attacking Clinton said it was a documentary .\nCan corporations be barred from giving to election campaigns?\nSupreme Court expected to rule in a couple of months ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A Chinese official accused \"Tibetan independence forces\" Tuesday of planning suicide attacks, an allegation that the Tibetan government-in-exile immediately denied. \"To our knowledge the next plan of the Tibet Independence forces is to organize suicide squads to launch violent attacks,\" Wu Heping, spokesman for China's Ministry of Public Security, said at a news conference, according to a translation of his remarks by The Associated Press. \"They claim they fear neither bloodshed nor sacrifice,\" he said. He did not provide details or evidence, and Samdhong Rinpoche, prime minister of Tibet's exiled government, dismissed the accusation. \"We never heard (of) Tibetan independence force, such a group or people. Now, our suspicion is that the PRC (People's Republic of China) might be staging such a violent act in the name of Tibetan people to mislead the world community,\" he said in Dharamsala, India. Dharamsala is the center of the Tibetan community in India, where many Tibetans fled after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959 and where the government-in-exile led by the Dalai Lama is based. \"It is our ... suspicion, otherwise there is no ground to claim that some Tibetan people or group is planning to (use) suicide bombers or something like that,\" the Tibetan prime minister said. There was no immediate response from the Chinese government to Rinpoche's suspicion. In the U.S. State Department briefing on Tuesday, department spokesman Tom Casey said the United States did not share China's concern that supporters of the Dalai Lama were plotting suicide attacks. The Dalai Lama is a \"man of peace, there is absolutely no indication that he wants to do anything other than have a dialogue with China to discuss how to deal with some of the serious issues there,\" Casey said. Beijing blames the Dalai Lama and his followers for violence that erupted amid protests for Tibetan independence last month. China has drawn international criticism for its crackdown on the demonstrations, which began peacefully on the 49th anniversary of a failed Tibetan uprising. The protests have threatened to throw a shadow on the Summer Olympic Games, being staged in Beijing in August. Tibet's government-in-exile puts the death toll from the protests at about 140, but the Chinese government restrictions make it difficult to confirm that number. Chinese authorities have reported a death toll of 19, and say most of those killed were \"innocent victims\" -- Han Chinese targeted by Tibetans. Protests have spread across the globe with regular demonstrations in Nepal. A ceremonial lighting of the Olympic flame in Greece was also targeted by pro-Tibet activists. Watch protests in Nepal » . Also on Tuesday, China's official Xinhua news agency reported that the country's foreign ministry urged the Dalai Lama to \"stop all separatist and sabotage activities if he really wants to contact and consult with the central government.\" Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu spoke in response to a March 28 statement from Dalai Lama. In that statement, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists said he does not seek the separation of Tibet and has no desire to \"sabotage\" the Olympic Games. \"Chinese brothers and sisters, I assure you I have no desire to seek Tibet's separation. Nor do I have any wish to drive a wedge between the Tibetan and Chinese peoples,\" he wrote. Instead, he said, the protesters seek \"meaningful self-rule\" while remaining a part of China. \"Despite my repeated support for the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese authorities, with the intention of creating a rift between the Chinese people and myself, the Chinese authorities assert that I am trying to sabotage the games.\" He called on China to called \"to exercise wisdom and to initiate a meaningful dialogue with the Tibetan people.\" China offered some media organizations -- not including CNN -- a carefully managed tour of Tibet's capital, but ran into a public-relations roadblock when a group of Buddhist monks began screaming protests at a holy shrine. E-mail to a friend ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Suicide attacks are being planned by Tibetan militants, Chinese official says .\nTibet's prime minister-in-exile denies allegation .\nTibet is center of a struggle for power between China and exiled Tibet leaders .\nPro-Tibet demonstrations threaten to overshadow Beijing's Summer Olympics ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- One small slice Monday of Mexican President Felipe Calderon's war on drug cartels: two shootouts on the streets of two cities; a man and a woman ambushed in their car; at least four people dead; three soldiers wounded, one of them gravely. Suspected members of Los Zetas drug cartel are presented to reporters in Mexico City in April. The confrontations between unidentified gunmen and Mexican army and federal police took place in the communities of San Nicolas de los Garza and Escobedo, near the U.S. border in the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon, the state-run Notimex news agency said. One of the firefights lasted 45 minutes. At one point, the suspects launched hand grenades at the soldiers. House-to-house searches took two hours and it would be another seven hours before the areas were secured. According to Notimex and news reports from the newspapers Excelsior, El Porvenir, El Nuevo Leon and El Norte, here's what happened: . Around 6 a.m., a military convoy came across a group armed men in several late-model vehicles in San Nicolas de los Garza. Shooting broke out, and the gunplay continued for 45 minutes along several neighboring streets as the suspects tried to get away. The armed men abandoned their cars, blocked one of the streets with a Suburban truck and fled aboard several other vehicles. The confrontation continued for another two hours as soldiers sealed off a city block and searched house-to-house. \"From early on, we could hear the shots and much shouting,\" Excelsior and El Nuevo Leon quoted an unidentified woman as saying. \"We could hear footsteps on the roofs and soldiers yelling to them. There were several explosions; it seems like grenades went off, because we could hear it very loudly twice.\" Around 7:45 a.m., the soldiers entered a house where the gunmen had holed up. A grenade went off upstairs. Three gunmen died there, though officials did not say if it was from bullet wounds or the grenade explosion. At the same time, Mexican military and federal police were involved in a shootout with armed men in Escobedo. That confrontation left three soldiers wounded, with one of them clinging to life Monday afternoon. Also nearby, a man and a woman riding in car were ambushed at an intersection by armed men in several cars who surrounded them and drilled their auto with bullets. The woman died on the scene, her body sprawled on the street. The man was wounded but survived. The violent scene in Nuevo Leon, which borders Texas, has become a near-daily experience in Mexico since Calderon took office in December 2006 and launched a war on drug cartels. More than 11,000 people have been killed during that time -- about 1,000 of them police and other authorities." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Two shootouts in two cities near U.S. border in Mexican state of Nuevo Leon .\nSan Nicolas de los Garza and Escobedo are cities .\nShootouts leave 4 dead, 3 wounded ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- DNA testing to try to identify hundreds of bodies buried in a mass grave during World War I will start this week, the British and Australian ministries of defense announced Monday. File photo shows a crane unearthing the mass grave in northern France. The bodies come from Fromelles in northern France, where thousands of British and Australian troops were killed or wounded in a single night in 1916 -- a night the Australian military still considers among the worst in its history. An exploratory dig in May of this year confirmed that there are between 250 and 300 bodies buried at the site. Enough DNA has been recovered from teeth and bones to make full-scale testing worthwhile, the British Ministry of Defence said. Pieces of uniforms including belt buckles and buttons have also been found, which will help with identification, the ministry said. \"Each one of these soldiers will be laid to rest with the dignity they deserve and we owe it to them to do all we can to identify them,\" British Veterans Minister Kevan Jones said in a statement. The DNA testing program will be the largest undertaking to identify individuals killed in combat ever commissioned, the ministry said. The announcement comes only a week after the burial of the last British veteran of World War I still living in the United Kingdom. Harry Patch died July 25 at the age of 111, a week after fellow British World War I veteran Henry Allingham died at the age of 113. So many soldiers died on the night of July 19, 1916, that many were never found, identified, or given a proper burial. Two divisions of Allied infantry had attacked a strongly fortified German position known as the Sugar Loaf. The defenders knew the British and the Australians were coming; the terrain favored the Germans. As the British and the newly arrived Australians charged into battle, the Germans opened fire. By morning, about 2,300 British and Australian soldiers were dead. About 5,000 others were wounded. There has been speculation for decades that the Germans recovered hundreds of bodies and put them into mass graves, not forgotten, but anonymous. Last year, preliminary digs commissioned by the Australian government located five mass graves near the site of the battle. \"It's the largest military find since the end of the Second World War,\" said a spokesman for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. \"I have been on the commission almost 11 years and it's like nothing I have ever experienced. I have never known anything to have this sort of numbers of possible remains,\" Peter Francis told CNN. The commission is in the middle of a 15-month project to disinter the bodies, attempt to identify them, and rebury them in individual graves in a new cemetery on the site. The resulting graveyard will be the first new one consecrated by the commission for almost 50 years, Francis told CNN by phone. The British and Australian governments have asked people who think their relatives may have died at the site to get in touch, Francis said. The cemetery will be dedicated on July 19, 2010 -- the 94th anniversary of the battle. The bodies of more than 165,000 Commonwealth soldiers killed on the Western Front during the First World War are still missing, the commission says. The commission is a non-profit organization founded in 1917 that commemorates the dead of both world wars from the British Commonwealth." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "DNA tests will attempt to identify remains of World War I fallen .\nBodies removed from mass grave in Fromelles, northern France .\nUp to 300 bodies are believed to have been dug up ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(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." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: 15 confirmed dead after boat capsizes; as many as 67 missing .\nBoat with about 200 Haitians capsized Monday near Turks and Caicos Islands .\nCoast Guard intercepted another boat overloaded with Haitians late last week ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Forget lawn mowers. Maryland officials have found a natural way to combat brush while protecting a threatened species. Maryland officials wanted an eco-friendly solution that wouldn't hurt the area's bog turtles. Forty bearded goats have been dispatched by the State Highway Administration to control plant growth in the area. They have been munching in an enclosed area for a week; they will stay until September, but will be put back to work next spring. The project is part of Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley's \"Smart, Green and Growing\" legislative package, aimed at reducing the state's greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020. The pilot program will be evaluated at the end of two years, and officials will determine whether to send goats to other grazing projects on state highways, according to David Buck, a spokesman for the highway administration. The goats are reducing the state's carbon footprint and protecting the area's bog turtles, listed as threatened. In addition, he said, the animals are much cheaper than a mowing program: State costs are about $10,000 for two years, most of that for delivery and veterinary services. But the decision to utilize goats was not an easy one. Other herbivorous (plant-eating) animals were considered. Cows were ruled out because they are too heavy, and their hooves could stomp the small, colorful-shelled bog turtles. Sheep? Well, they just aren't goats. \"Goats were just a viable solution,\" Buck said. \"They do not eat moving things. They will not crush [the turtles] out there.\" Maryland is not the first to launch such an initiative. Officials in Hempstead, New York, bought natural grass cutters for a 50-acre park and preserve this year, said Mike Deery, town spokesman. The goats -- Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful, Happy and Doc -- were named after dwarves in the fairy tale \"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.\" In Vail, Colorado, officials have introduced 500 weed-eating goats in public areas after residents asked for an alternative to pesticides and chemicals. The initiative costs the town about $500 a day, the National League of Cities said. In Denver, signs touting \"Goats at Work\" alert passers-by to the animals' presence on vacant lots managed by the park system. The goats cost the city about $200 an acre, according to the National League of Cities. Environmental activists hail the measure, calling it innovative and worth implementing. \"Most times you can replace small engines that are sources of greenhouse gases with more natural systems, that's a good thing,\" said Bill Brower of GlobalGiving, a Washington nonprofit organization that describes itself as an online marketplace of grass-roots green projects." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Maryland uses 40 goats to \"mow\" grass along highways .\nAnimals are reducing carbon footprint without hurting threatened turtles .\nNew York and Colorado also use goats to trim grass ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The wife of a man suspected of killing five people in Tennessee and one in Alabama was among the victims found in southern Tennessee, along with her son, father and brother, police said Sunday. Jacob Shaffer was arrested in connection with the slayings of six people in Tennessee, police said. Jacob Shaffer, 30, of Fayetteville, Tennessee, was arrested Saturday after three people were found dead at a home in Fayetteville, 90 miles south of Nashville, Tennessee. Two other people were found at another home on the same street. The three found in one home were Shaffer's wife, Traci Shaffer, 38; her son Devin Brooks, 16; and the youth's friend and neighbor, 16-year-old Robert Berber, according to a statement Sunday from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The two people found at the other home were Traci Shaffer's father, Billy Hall, 57, and her brother Chris Hall, 34, authorities said. Autopsies were being conducted Sunday on the five, and causes of death would be released by medical examiners, the bureau said. A sixth person was found dead at a business about 30 miles away in Huntsville, Alabama, the Tennessee authorities said. The person's name was not released Sunday. Jacob Shaffer was in one of the Fayetteville homes when Lincoln County sheriff's deputies arrived Saturday, authorities said. Police believe the deaths happened either Friday night or Saturday, according to Kristin Helm of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Officials said they believe the deaths were related to a domestic dispute. It was unclear when or how the Huntsville victim died. \"We have no clue yet as to what unfolded there and how it relates to here,\" Huntsville Police Sgt. Mickey Allen said Saturday. Without naming Shaffer, Allen said Tennessee authorities told him a man confessed to a slaying in Huntsville and to five other killings in Fayetteville. Shaffer faces five counts of criminal homicide in the Tennessee deaths, the TBI statement said. He was in the Lincoln County Jail without bond Sunday. CNN's Mayra Cuevas-Nazario contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Suspect's wife and her son, brother and father among the dead, police say .\n30-year-old Jacob Shaffer was arrested Saturday, police said .\nShaffer faces murder charges, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says .\nFive bodies were found at two homes in Tennessee; one victim in Alabama ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The day was supposed to be remembered as one filled with happiness. Their daughter, after all, had just turned 2 years old. Instead, Nikki Peterson remembers December 30, 2007 as the day her husband Billy got sick. Billy Anderson's undiagnosed condition has kept him in the hospital for more than a year. Billy Anderson was in fine health until that evening last winter. He woke up in pain and his wife rushed him to the emergency room. Over the next few days, he suffered a number of ailments, from a running fever and hives to swelling joints. Nikki says she knew there was something wrong when Billy was no longer able to walk around the house. \"This is a 6-foot, 240-pound guy who doesn't usually complain about anything,\" she says. The couple, from Baxter Springs, Kansas, made three trips to the emergency room. On their third visit, Nikki refused to go home until doctors agreed to keep Billy in the hospital for further evaluation. Since then, Billy, age 29, has been in and out of intensive care. He's spent time on a ventilator and suffered kidney failure. His body isn't absorbing nutrients, and as a result, his 240-pound frame has been whittled down by 100 pounds. See photos of Billy and his family » . One year and a battery of tests later, doctors still haven't pinpointed the cause of his condition. CNN's medical show \"Vital Signs\" recently asked viewers to tell their health stories on iReport.com. Nikki and her mom, Vicki Peterson, jumped at the opportunity. Tell your story with iReport.com . They hope their story will reach someone who can help solve Billy's unexplained illness. Doctors have gone through at least 40 possible diagnoses, according to Nikki. \"We've been told that this is 'Billy's Disease,' and that this will be written about in medical journals. We hope somebody has missed a test or overlooked something,\" she says. Billy, a father of two who dreams of opening up his own restaurant one day, appears to have some type of problem with B-cells, according to Nikki. B-cells play a critical role in keeping the immune system healthy. Dr. Jennifer Holter, who has been treating Billy at Oklahoma University Medical Center since the fall of 2008, says several immunologists have reviewed his case but the underlying reason for his immunodeficiency is still unclear. Early on, doctors thought he had Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, but that turned out not to be the case. They also haven't been able to identify a typical gene disorder that may be the source. Most immunodeficiency disorders present themselves in childhood. Adult onset that isn't linked to a genetic event is even more uncommon, Dr. Holter says. \"I think when you have close to 25 immunologists look at you and they can't figure out what's causing the problem, you can call that pretty rare,\" she says. The ordeal has taken an emotional toll on the family. \"It's been devastating. It's traumatic for the children to have to watch someone who was once so strong suffer,\" says Nikki. Being uninsured has added financial stress. Billy had just started a new job training to be a kitchen manager when he first got sick. As a result, he didn't have insurance. He was able to apply for Medicaid, but his coverage was canceled once he started receiving disability assistance. Oklahoma University Medical Center has become the family's second home. Nikki has moved to nearby Tulsa in order to be able to spend half of the week by Billy's side. Billy is currently receiving treatment that helps him replace the cells his body isn't making. He's also receiving immunosuppressants to suppress aggravation in his gut. \"This is a very unfortunate situation for a very nice 29-year-old and we will keep offering him the best clinical care we can,\" Dr. Holter says. Billy has cycled through five hospitals in the span of 12 months, and he and Nikki hope their next move will take them East. Billy recently applied for the Undiagnosed Diseases Program at the National Institutes of Health. The program uses a combination of scientific and medical expertise to help patients with mysterious conditions. Nikki, who has started a support group for Billy on Facebook and provides updates on his condition on his MySpace page, says she refuses to give up: \"Billy deserves every opportunity to survive. He's a hard working man who took care of his family.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "iReport.com: Viewers, readers share their health stories .\nBilly Anderson's mysterious illness has kept him in the hospital for over a year .\nOnce the picture of health, Billy has lost 100 pounds due to his sickness .\nDoctors call his condition 'Billy's Disease', wife Nikki Peterson says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- When British forces fully withdraw from Iraq on Friday, it will be the second time in a century that Britain will leave this nation with a legacy of war dead. Mechanics prepare a tank ready to shipped back to the UK from Basra. In the Baghdad North Gate War Cemetery rest thousands of British soldiers killed in a protracted military campaign during World War I, after which Britain established an occupying regime in Iraq. In the peak of the latest war that began in 2003, about 46,000 British troops were stationed in and around Iraq. Now, almost all British troops are being pulled out because an agreement that allows them to remain in Iraq expires Friday, according to the British Ministry of Defence. Britain leaves Iraq this time with 179 of its own dead. \"It's been a tough six years, no doubt about that,\" said Jon Wilks, the deputy head of the British mission. \"But I think what we left behind is a solid base on which to build.\" The British were based in southern Iraq, primarily in Basra, Iraq's second largest city that sits close to the Persian Gulf. \"We have in many sectors left Basra in a better state than when we arrived in 2003.\" Then, after the U.S.-led invasion, Iraqis welcomed British troops. They were hailed as the force that would save the area's predominantly Shiite population from Saddam Hussein's persecution. But the mood turned when liberation was not followed by a quick withdrawal. \"It became the opposite of what we were wishing for,\" said Mustafa Atia, a member of the Basra provincial council.\" Hope started to turn to fear. By the end of 2004, extreme Shiite militias were gaining control of Basra. It seemed British forces had been sidelined as the militias enforced their own brand of laws. In September 2007, British troops withdrew completely from Basra and southern Iraq was touted as the coalition forces' success story. But Basra was left reeling. The British-trained Iraqi police had been infiltrated by militiamen; the Iraqi Army struggled to keep them in check. Women bore the brunt of the militia's brutal rule -- executed for \"un-Islamic\" acts like wearing tight jeans and lipstick. Or in the case of one woman, living alone. Sabriya, identified only by her first name for security reasons, recalled her sister's plight. \"They said, 'Why don't you have a husband?'\" Sabriya said. \"They came in at night and put a pillow on her face and shot her in the head.\" In March 2008, the Iraqi government launched Operation \"Charge of the Knights\" to battle Basra's lawlessness. The city was flooded with Iraqi soldiers and their U.S. advisers. The British were drawn back into the thick of the fight, their Mastiff and Warrior armored vehicles once again on the streets of the southern port city. \"The situation was awful, mainly because militias controlled the security forces,\" said Iraqi Gen. Aziz Swady, who was dispatched to Basra as part of the operation. \"But after this operation, the citizens started to trust the Iraqi security forces.\" Basra began piecing itself back together. On Friday, as the British leave Iraq behind for a second time, they are left to ponder the fragility of Basra's situation -- and their own sacrifices. The question that could linger is: Was it worth it?" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In 2003 about 46,000 British troops were stationed in and around Iraq .\nBritish forces leave Iraq with 179 dead .\nStationed in southern city of Basra, Iraq's second largest city ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- CNN explores Beijing's underground music scene and the bands making the rest of the world sit up and listen." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Buyi is one of the bands breaking through the Beijing music scene .\nIn the last ten years the number of garage bands in China has exploded .\nThe internet and social software has helped create a vibrant underground scene ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- A Moroccan man wanted for links to the Madrid train bombings in 2004 was brought to Spain from France on Wednesday, a Spanish police statement said. A photograph showing Moroccan-born suspect Said Rehou. The suspect, Said Rehou, 27, born in Casablanca, Morocco, allegedly held indoctrination sessions for Islamic militants at his former Madrid home, the statement said. \"Various individuals who participated in those meetings later were implicated directly or indirectly in the Casablanca attacks of 2003 and the March 11, 2004, attacks in Madrid,\" the statement said. The Madrid train bombings -- coordinated attacks on four morning-rush commuter trains -- killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800. Spanish courts have convicted 14 Islamic militants for their roles in the Madrid bombings, along with four Spaniards, the latter for trafficking in explosives used in the attacks. Seven other prime Islamic suspects killed themselves in an explosion as police closed in on their hideout in a Madrid suburb three weeks after the bombings. The Casablanca bombings in May 2003 killed 33 bystanders and 12 suicide bombers. Rehou is wanted in Spain for belonging to a terrorist group, and is thought to have formed part of a cell created in Spain in 2002, with the aim of recruiting fighters to carry out attacks in Morocco, Spain and other countries, the police statement said. The meetings at his home lasted six to eight hours, with the screening of videos that included sermons and scenes promoting holy war, the statement said." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Suspect Said Rehou allegedly held indoctrination sessions .\nMadrid bombings killed 191 people in March 2004 .\nCasablanca bombings in 2003 killed 33 bystanders and 12 suicide bombers ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen claimed his fourth Belgian Formula One Grand Prix victory in five years at Spa to end an astonishing run of 26 races without a win for the 2007 world champion. Kimi Raikkonen celebrates ending his victory drought after winning the Belgian Grand Prix. Raikkonen was hounded all the way for the majority of the race by pole-sitter Giancarlo Fisichella, who gave Force India their first points in F1 after 30 races with a second-place finish. In a chaos-filled race, British duo Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton crashed out on the opening lap in an accident that also accounted for the Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari and Renault's Romain Grosjean. Despite Button failing to score points for the first time this season, the 29-year-old still has a 16-point world championship cushion over Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello, who was seventh, with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is now 19 points down after he came home third. After his 18th career win, Raikkonen told reporters: \"We haven't brought new parts for the last few races as we are looking at next year. But my aim was always still to win a race because we are aiming for third in the (constructors') championship. \"We probably weren't the fastest in terms of lap time, but we were able to keep everybody behind us. Hopefully we can now win more.\" The Finn is fifth overall, 38 points behind leader Button and 17.5 adrift of fourth-placed Australian Mark Webber. Fisichella was delighted and disappointed in equal measure as he said: \"It's a great result for us. \"It's a great day but I was quicker than Kimi and I'm a little bit sad because maybe I could have won the race as I was keeping pace with his car.\" Vettel believes anything is possible now over the remaining five races as he, teammate Webber and Barrichello continue to reel in Button. \"If you look at the championship it's a good result,\" remarked Vettel. \"We lost too much ground in the first stint because of the guys ahead, but in the second and third the car was fantastic. It was a pleasure to drive. \"We've managed to take points out of the Brawns, so overall a big thank you to the team and to Renault (engine providers) after all the trouble we've gone through recently. \"It shows we are back.\" Webber finished out of the points in ninth, with the BMW Sauber pairing of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld claiming fourth and fifth respectively. Hamilton's McLaren teammate Heikki Kovalainen was sixth, and Nico Rosberg of Williams took the final points-scoring position in eighth. Raikkonen's teammate Luca Badoer was again last of the 14 drivers who finished the race, with the Italian continuing to struggle as stand-in for the injured Felipe Massa. His future with the Italian marque will be decided by Wednesday, the team said after Sunday's race. Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso retired after 26 laps due to a problem with a front wheel on his Renault, having been third at one stage. Toyota's Jarno Trulli, who started second on the grid, also retired after 21 laps after earlier pitting for repairs." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kimi Raikkonen claims fourth Belgian Formula One Grand Prix victory at Spa .\nGiancarlo Fisichella earns Force India's first podium place by finishing second .\nJenson Button still leads driver standings despite crashing out on opening lap ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The death of a spectator overshadowed an intriguing 14th stage of the Tour de France which saw Rinaldo Nocentini desperately cling on to the leader's yellow jersey in cycling's premier event. George Hincapie, front, upstaged his compatriot and former teammate Lance Armstrong to take second place overall. A woman died after being hit by a police motorcycle on Saturday afternoon in Wittelsheim, a village in Alsace in northeastern France which is 40 kilometers from the start of the race's leg from Colmar to Besancon. French police told CNN that two other people were injured and taken to hospital. The Tour released a statement on its official Web site saying the 61-year-old woman was hit when she crossed the road after a group of cyclists passed, then the motorcycle slid and injured two other spectators. A 36-year-old is in hospital with neck pain, and a 61-year-old has a broken leg . The incident marred an eventful day's racing in which George Hincapie leapt up into second place overall, five seconds behind Nocentini, following a 12-man breakaway. The American finished eighth in a group of eight who were all 16 seconds behind stage winner Serguei Ivanov of Russia, and had been ahead of Nocentini until the 143-strong peloton made up time at the end. The Columbia team rider's rise up the standings saw his compatriot and former teammate, seven-time champion Lance Armstrong, drop to fourth place overall. Armstrong was still eight seconds off the lead after finishing 49th, with Astana teammate Alberto Contador six seconds adrift in third following his classification of 37th. Nocentini was relieved to retain first place and was grateful to his AG2R teammates, with Nicolas Roche finishing second after powering past Hayden Roche in the final few hundred meters as Ivanov claimed his second stage victory eight years after his first. \"It was a very difficult day today because we're getting tired from all the effort in the last week,\" the Italian, who finished 45th, told the race's official Web site. \"We had a rider up front so we didn't have to ride but because Hincapie was in the move there was a big risk of losing the yellow jersey. \"Eventually, with 50 kilometers to go, our directeur sportif Vincent Lavenu said, 'Okay, let's go! Let's catch the guys.' Okay this wasn't possible but we had to limit our losses and keep the jersey. \"I told the guys, 'Listen, I don't mind. If you want to go for it and defend the jersey, that's great. But if you don't want to, that's okay. You've already worked so hard over the last few days so it doesn't really matter.' \"Eventually I've kept the lead by just five seconds, so I'm really pleased with how this Tour has gone for me so far. And I'm really grateful for the commitment from my team.\" Thor Hushovd extended his lead in the green jersey sprint category as he finished at the head of the peloton in 13th place, while nearest rival Mark Cavendish finished right at the back of it in 154th after the two tussled in the closing stages. The riders will now head back into the mountains through the Swiss Alps for the 207.5km 15th stage from Pontarlier to Verbier, with the climbers expected to come to the fore again just a week ahead of the finish in Paris." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "A woman dies after being hit by a police motorcycle during the 14th stage .\nPolice say two other people were injured and taken to hospital on Saturday .\nRinaldo Nocentini of Italy retains leader's yellow jersey after surviving big scare .\nGeorge Hincapie moves up to second place, Lance Armstrong drops to fourth ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Football legend Diego Maradona had his earrings seized by Italian authorities Friday to help pay off his back taxes, according to media reports. Diego Maradona sports expensive-looking earrings during a recent football match. The current coach of Argentina's national team was staying at a clinic in northern Italy in a bid to lose weight when finance police swooped, Reuters.com reported. The jewelry was said to be worth €4,000 ($5,888). Italian tax authorities say he owes the country €31 million ($45 million) in back taxes from when he played for top league club Napoli between 1984 and 1991. But Maradona says the Serie A club should have paid the taxes. Three years ago, tax police took two Rolex watches from him when he was back in Italy for a benefit match. The 48-year old is under intense pressure in his native Argentina after a dismal World Cup qualifying campaign left his star-studded team in danger of missing their first tournament since 1970. After a recent defeat against Paraguay he was quoted by FIFA.com as saying, \"I am not afraid of criticism. I am afraid of nobody. I am doing my job, I have my team and I am going to go forward. \"I have been battling critics since I was 15 years old. Now I am 48 and I am going to continue to battle with them [the press].\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Maradona staying a clinic in Italy when tax authorities swooped .\nReports: Argentina coach owes millions in taxes from his time playing in Italy .\nMaradona says Serie A club should have paid the taxes ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- Bollywood leading man Akshay Kumar plays a character who basks in the glamorous shadow cast by American stars like Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards in his latest movie. Akshay Kumar is one of the biggest names in Indian film. In reality, Kumar has no need for such humility. One of the biggest names in Indian film, he's increasingly rubbing shoulders with the global glitterati these days. In \"Kambakkht Ishq,\" he plays a Hollywood stuntman alongside Stallone and Richards, who have cameos in the film. He starred this year with U.S. rapper Snoop Dogg in the film \"Singh is Kinng,\" and he's set to appear in a film alongside Australian pop star Kylie Minogue later in the year. The unstoppable rise of Bollywood and the massive popularity of Indian film beyond its homeland have made stars like Kumar hot property. The poster boy of Indian action films now finds himself at the vanguard of the crossover between the world's two largest movie industries. Watch Kumar speak to CNN about his upcoming projects » . The Hollywood men in suits have been eyeing the Indian market greedily for some time. While the economic downturn has hit Tinseltown hard, Bollywood is a rising tiger -- the industry was worth $15 billion in 2008 and is projected to grow by 10 percent, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. With the notable exception of this year's runaway Oscar hit \"Slumdog Millionaire,\" attempts to make crossover films for both markets have largely failed. The masala mix of genres and exaggerated acting that typifies the Bollywood formula has met limited success in the West. Instead Hollywood studios have begun bankrolling Bollywood productions solely for the Indian market. But the financial traffic is by no means one-way. In the other direction, Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks recently snagged a multi-million dollar film production deal with Reliance Big Entertainment, one of Bollywood's biggest hitters. For Kumar, the strengthening of ties between Hollywood and Bollywood is bringing many opportunities, including the chance to work alongside his childhood hero Stallone. \"Well it was great. It was an honor to work with him,\" he told CNN. In addition to starring in \"Kambakkht Ishq,\" his other major role this year was as an Indian chef who learns martial arts in \"Chandni Chowk Goes to China.\" The movie was financed by Warner Brothers. (Warner Brothers, like CNN, is owned by Time Warner.) The typically flamboyant plot of \"Chandni Chowk\" was loosely inspired by Kumar's own life. Born in Punjab but raised in Delhi, he came to acting late after working as a waiter in Bangkok. While in the Thai capital he learned martial arts, which he taught upon his return to India before becoming a male model. He landed his first movie role in the 1992 Hindi language film \"Deeder\" and has gone on to become one of Bollywood's leading men. He is married to fellow actor Twinkle Khanna. The couple created a buzz in India when they fell foul of the country's notoriously strict obscenity laws in March after Kumar encouraged his wife to undo the top button of his jeans at a fashion show in Mumbai. A complaint was lodged with the police and they were briefly questioned. With more than 80 features to his name, Kumar maintains that a strong work ethic is the reason for his longevity in the movie business. \"I think it's the simplest thing. It's actually hard work and punctuality,\" the 41-year-old told CNN from the London set of his latest movie, a comedy called \"Housefull.\" \"Even if you're not a good actor, to be a producer's actor is essential. If you finish your films on time you save money for the producer,\" he noted. His devotion to the job is coupled with a strong sense of family duty. \"I would say my success lies at the feet of my parents because that's been my biggest strength and that's what we Hindus believe,\" he said. \"Every morning before you go to work just touch your parents' feet and go ahead in life. People may not believe it, but I do.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Bollywood leading man Akshay Kumar has appeared in more than 80 movies .\nA former martial arts teacher, Kumar made his name as an action hero .\nNow he finds himself at the forefront of where Bollywood meets Hollywood .\nIndia is home to $15 billion film industry -- the world's second largest ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- If all goes according to plan, cancer survivor Kyle Garlett will compete in October's Ford Ironman World Championship, a grueling triathlon made up of a 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile run. Heart transplant recipient and cancer survivor Kyle Garlett will compete in October's Ironman World Championship. And he'll do it with another man's heart pumping in his chest. \"I don't think there's anybody who wouldn't consider me a success story and a survivor,\" Garlett said. His medical issues began in 1989 when he received his first Hodgkin's disease diagnosis as a high school senior. In 1995, during his third battle with the cancer, doctors ceased his chemotherapy treatment when they discovered it had weakened his heart. Two years later, Garlett learned he had secondary leukemia as a result of chemotherapy to treat the Hodgkin's, and three more years of chemotherapy ensued. And after five years on the waiting list, he received a new heart in 2006. Now, the 37-year-old savors his body's capabilities. \"It's kind of like the starving person who all of a sudden finds himself in front of a buffet. And now I've got the buffet. I've got my all-you-can-eat plate, and I'm just loading it up,\" Garlett said. A heart transplant may seem extremely daunting, but Garlett saw it as a more hopeful operation than his years of cancer treatments. \"Going in for chemotherapy, as a patient you know what's happening. Your body is being poisoned and you know that when you come out on the other side of it, you're going to have given up something,\" said Garlett, a sportswriter and motivational speaker living in Marina del Rey, California. \"On the heart transplant, though, it was completely the opposite. I knew that from the day of the transplant on, every day I'd be getting stronger. And they were now doing something that was going to fix me, improve my life.\" Garlett, who says he's \"not a klutz\" but \"definitely not a natural athlete,\" trains about 15 hours a week for October's Ironman in Kona, Hawaii. Closer to race time, he expects to spend 20 to 25 hours a week in intense training to achieve his goal of finishing within the 17-hour time limit. Garlett was invited to compete in the elite event because organizers believe he \"demonstrates the Ironman mantra: Anything is possible,\" said Blair LaHaye, director of communications for Ironman. LaHaye said a handful of athletes are invited to take part in the event each year, but their inclusion doesn't reduce the number of slots for those who get in by doing well in qualifying events, or by winning a spot through the Ironman lottery. Garlett will compete in a half-Ironman or other long-distance event before Kona to validate his selection. The training and competition are demanding enough for competitors without health issues. But being a heart transplant patient comes with the extra challenge of getting the organ to beat at an acceptable rate. \"When the old heart comes out, all the nerves are severed. And when the donor heart comes in, the nerves are not connected,\" explained Dr. Jon Kobashigawa, medical director of the UCLA Heart Transplant Program, where Garlett is a patient. In a person whose heart is intact, \"the brain will tell the heart, 'Let's go, start exercising, let's start beating faster,' \" Kobashigawa said. A donor heart, however, relies on circulating adrenaline in order to get it going. As a result, heart transplant recipients must warm up thoroughly to get their heart pumping properly. The \"denervated\" heart works about 80 to 90 percent as well as a normal heart, Kobashigawa said, \"but through exercise, these patients who do strenuous activities, I believe, do get their exercise capacity almost to the normal range, if not normal.\" It's also possible, doctors say, for the donor heart to re-innervate -- or grow nerves onto the donor heart. Following in his footsteps . Garlett is on a trail blazed by Dwight Kroening, the first heart transplant recipient to complete the Ironman, last year in Canada. Kroening, now 49, got a new heart in 1986 after his swelled to about twice its normal size for unknown reasons. He was 26 at the time -- a gym teacher, coach and athlete. At first, running with his students became a struggle. Within days, he couldn't walk up a flight of stairs without stopping to rest. Soon, combing his hair and brushing his teeth became too taxing, he said. When doctors examined him as a candidate for a heart transplant, they told him his heart was working at 8 percent of its normal capacity and he probably had about two months to live. Kroening began exercising a week after the surgery, but soon discovered he was incapable of athletic activities that required sprinting, he said. \"I [told my doctors], there's something wrong here. I'm not able to do these things. And they said, 'Of course not,' \" Kroening said. \"So being me, I was more or less bound and determined to prove that they were wrong, that I could actually train myself to be able to do these things,\" he said. But overcoming those hurdles wasn't easy, even after 22 years of practice. Three-quarters of the way into the Ironman's bicycle leg, Kroening felt ill and fatigued, he said. He questioned whether he would be able to finish. He did, in 15½ hours -- one hour longer than his target. Watch Kroening compete in the Ironman » . \"When we test [heart transplant recipients] on the treadmill, their peak heart rate is around 140 beats [per minute] and they can maintain that for one minute. ... When Dwight did the Ironman, we recorded his heart rate, and he was able to exercise at a heart rate of 133 beats per minute for 15½ hours,\" said Mark Haykowsky, a professor of rehab medicine at Canada's University of Alberta. Haykowsky studied Kroening for research on exercise habits of heart transplant recipients. Since the Ironman, Kroening has competed in other events, including a marathon and a triathlon. He may compete in another Ironman next year in Arizona, the state where he received his heart transplant. \"I relate [the Ironman] to what I guess would be like childbirth,\" Kroening said. \"In the process, you're thinking, 'I'll never do this again in my whole life. This is absolutely crazy.' But I think probably about three days later that I started thinking, 'Now this might be something that I might want to do again.' \" 'The ultimate price' Both Garlett and Kroening say promoting organ donation motivates them to compete in these endurance challenges. Kroening also says he wants to make the most of his \"orphaned\" heart. \"I wish I could meet my donor family and ... thank them personally,\" Kroening said. \"[I want to let them] know for 23 years, I've been taking good care of their son's heart.\" Garlett, too, recognizes his donor's family, who provided the heart of a 42-year-old construction worker who died on the job. \"I never lost sight of the fact that that moment for my family of great joy was only going to be coming ... with somebody else having to pay the ultimate price like that,\" Garlett said. \"And that always was in my head, and this man who gave me his heart would always be with me.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cancer survivor and transplant recipient Kyle Garlett will compete in Kona triathlon .\nLast year, Dwight Kroening was first person with heart transplant to finish Ironman .\nThe lack of nerves on a donor heart poses an extra challenge for transplant patients ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Injured Formula One star Felipe Massa is looking forward to taking his first steps towards driving again after passing a series of mental and physical tests in Miami. Felipe Massa has been given the all-clear to begin training as he bids to return to the race track. His team Ferrari reported on its Web site on Tuesday that the Brazilian, who suffered horrific head wounds in Hungary in July, had come through the tests satisfactorily on Monday. \"The checks (which included neurometric, impact and cognitive capacity tests) all had a positive outcome, just like the eye exam: everything is in order for Felipe to get back to racing,\" the statement said. \"Now there has just to be carried out some plastic surgery at the brain box, where the spring at the accident at the Hungaroring hit his helmet. \"The surgery will take place in the upcoming days. After a short convalescence Felipe can then gradually start with physical preparations.\" The 28-year-old, who finished second in last year's drivers' world championship, said that he planned to take things slowly following the operation. \"I'm very happy about the results,\" he told www.Ferrari.com before returning home to Sao Paulo. \"After the small surgery, in the next few days I can finally start to go to the gym to get back into shape and drive some tests in karts. \"On the track with a Formula One single-seater? Let's take it step by step. At the moment I'm concentrating on taking up physical activities, which is a great step forward.\" Ferrari said Massa was expected to be at 100 percent fitness in time for the 2010 season, but gave no indication whether he would return to racing this year -- he has, however, indicated that he would like to drive at his home Brazilian Grand Prix on October 18. His replacement, test driver Luca Badoer, is not expected to drive at the Italian Grand Prix two weekends away after finishing last in his two races so far. Badoer, who stepped into the breach when F1 legend Michael Schumacher was unable to make a shock return to the sport due to a neck problem, was not allowed to test drive the current Ferrari vehicle during the four-week summer break due to this year's regulations. Veteran Italian Giancarlo Fisichella has been linked with Ferrari after finishing second at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, but his team Force India insist that he will race for them at Monza. Highly-rated Polish driver Robert Kubica is also in the running to replace Badoer, with his team BMW Sauber dropping out of F1 at the end of this season. Badoer's results aside, Ferrari have enjoyed a renaissance since Massa's injury, with 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen winning in Belgium to end a personal drought of 26 races and placing third in Valencia." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Injured F1 star Felipe Massa passes series of mental and physical tests .\nThe Brazilian driver can begin training following minor surgery this week .\nMassa suffered horrific head injuries after a freak accident in Hungary in July .\nFerrari expected to drop his struggling replacement Luca Badoer ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Top seed Dinara Safina battled from a set down to defeat Belarusian teenager Victoria Azarenka at the French Open, but there was no escape for scheduled semifinal opponent Maria Sharapova who suffered a humiliating exit. Sharapova bowed out of the French Open after suffering one of her worst career defeats. Sharapova was thrashed 6-0 6-2 by Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova in her last-eight match on Tuesday while fellow Russian Safina overcame 19-year-old Azarenka 1-6 6-4 6-2. It could have worse for former world number one Sharapova as Cibulkova had a match point to mark her first Grand Slam quarterfinal by dishing out the dreaded double bagel. Sharapova survived and she saved three more match points in the 12th game of the second set before her resistance crumbled completely with a netted forehand. It was her heaviest loss since she went down 6-1 6-1 to Serena Williams in the fourth round in Miami in 2007. Sharapova, playing only her second tournament since a 10-month lay-off because of a shoulder injury, was bidding to reach her second semifinal following a run to the 2007 last four. The Russian star, whose ranking slumped to 104 in the world during her time off the tour, had won both her previous matches against the pint-sized, 20-year-old Cibulkova and both were on clay. But Cibulkova was in complete control, breaking in the first, third and fifth games of the opening set. The Slovakian was then quickly 1-0 ahead before receiving a code violation for taking too long between points. It did not throw her off her stride and she was soon flat out on the dirt surface of Court Suzanne Lenglen in celebration. Safina was given the runaround in the first set and was at one stage being held at 4-4 in the second, but recovered her poise on Philippe Chatrier court. Ninth seed Azarenka had beaten Safina at Indian Wells earlier this year and had also won three titles in 2009, in Brisbane, Memphis and Miami. She played an almost perfect first set in just 23 minutes, but Safina then found the form that had seen her lose just five games in her run to the quarters opening a 4-1 lead in the second. Azarenka fought back to make it 4-4 but Safina rallied again to take the set -- and break in the opening game of the third. World number one Safina, who has yet to win a grand slam, finished the stronger to wrap up victory in an hour and 52 minutes. \"I just didn't take the chances I had,\" said Azarenka. \"Shedefinitely stepped it up and played some good points at key moments, which I have to give her credit for. It's all experience. Hopefully I'll do better next time.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Dinara Safina battles from set down to beat Victoria Azarenka at French Open .\nMaria Sharapova was thrashed 6-0 6-2 by Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova .\nCibulkova now faces semifinal with world No. 1 Safina who won 1-6 6-4 6-2 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "DALLAS, Texas (CNN) -- The FBI has seized a two-page, handwritten letter of condolence sent by Jacqueline Kennedy to the widow of Robert F. Kennedy shortly after he was assassinated in 1968. The family contends the letter was stolen. Jacqueline Kennedy sent her sister-in-law a condolence letter in 1968 which is now in the hands of the FBI. \"We're trying to determine who the legal owner is,\" said Mark White, a spokesman for the FBI. \"There's still an ongoing investigation.\" The letter's path from the Virginia home of Robert Kennedy's widow, Ethel Kennedy, to a locked evidence vault in the Dallas field office of the FBI is described in a six-page affidavit filed last month in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Texas by Special Agent John Skillestad. It says Max Kennedy, the son of Ethel and Robert, alerted the bureau in July 2006 to the letter's pending auction at Heritage Galleries and Auctioneers Galleries in Dallas. Max Kennedy, who said he is the sole person in charge of his parents' papers, \"stated that he had not given authority to sell, give, or donate any papers of Ethel or Robert Kennedy to anyone,\" the affidavit says. After the gallery pulled the letter from its auction, the FBI traced its provenance to Thomas Nuckols, who told authorities he had found it among the papers left by his father, Russell Thomas Nuckols, a plumber who died in 1999. \"Thomas Nuckols said he was dumbfounded upon discovery of the letter because he had never seen it before and did not know how it came into his father's possession,\" the affidavit says. Nuckols said he contacted the Kennedy Library in Boston, Massachusetts, but \"the person on the telephone did not seem too interested in the letter\" and referred him to a Connecticut collector, who bought it for $6,000, the affidavit says. CNN has not been able to reach Nuckols. The letter was then resold to several other collectors, and was at one time valued at as much as $30,000 before it wound up with the Dallas auctioneer, who has cooperated with authorities, the FBI said. Last October, the FBI spoke with Ethel Kennedy, who said she remembers Russell Thomas Nuckols as a plumber who worked at the Kennedy house in Virginia during the 1960s and 1970s, the affidavit says. The 81-year-old widow of the former senator and attorney general said she \"never gave the letter to anyone to keep and under no circumstances would anyone have the authority to transfer ownership of the letter to anyone.\" The affidavit concludes that the letter \"is considered as a stolen good.\" Once the rightful owner is determined, it will be given to that person, FBI spokesman White said. \"I don't know how long it will take.\" Jacqueline Kennedy was the widow of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. In the letter she mentions \"Stas,\" an apparent reference to Stanislas Radziwill, her brother-in-law. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis died in 1994. The letter is not dated, but appears to have been written shortly after Robert Kennedy died on June 6, 1968, the victim of an assassin's bullet. The Dallas News printed a copy of the letter, which White confirmed is authentic. It reads: . My Ethel -- . No one in the world could have ever been like you were yesterday -- except maybe Bobby -- We are going home now -- Your phone was busy . You don't want any more callers you must be so tired -- I stayed up till 6:30 last night just thinking -- and praying for you -- and for you in the months ahead -- . I love you so much -- . You know that anything -- Stas will take little Bobby to Africa -- I'll take them around the world + to the moon + back -- anything to help you + them now and always -- . With my deepest deepest love . Jackie ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "FBI trying to determine who owns letter written by Jackie Kennedy in 1968 .\nLetter passed from collector to collector, but widow says she gave it to no one .\nLetter found among papers of Russell Nuckols, who died in 1999, son says .\nSon Thomas Nuckols told authorities he found it among the papers left by his father ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England -- \"Ocean Emerald\" is a superyacht with added wow-factor. Her startling appearance has made sure of that and in real life she is every bit as dramatic as she appears in these photographs. \"Ocean Emerald\" is the second time Lord Foster has designed a superyacht. We were among the guests invited to the superyacht's official launching in La Spezia, in northern Italy, when her celebrity designer and his team walked down the red carpet to cast his eyes upon his latest masterpiece. Lord Foster of Thameside is no stranger to eye-catching and dramatic design. His architectural firm Norman Foster + Partners is responsible for iconic London landmarks such as 30 St Mary Axe, better known as the Gherkin, and the Millennium Bridge. Foster is the master of the curved line. Imagine for a moment a photograph of the Gherkin split in two lengthwise and laid flat, recall the sweeping curves of the Millennium Bridge and you will see how he has managed to combine the drama of those two creations into what is arguably the most visually stunning superyacht of the year. Ocean Emerald is not the first of Foster's forays into the world of superyacht design. It was he who drew the lines for the Lürssen-built Izanami, a 58-metre yacht now called Ronin and owned by Larry Ellison. Launched in 1993, she is also a head-turner. Design and external appearance aside, Ocean Emerald is different from every other 41-metre superyacht in that she is not to be the sole property of any one owner. This perhaps is one of the reasons for her radical look as she is designed to appeal to those who are new to the concept of superyacht ownership. Unlike the traditional form of ownership, where one person, sometimes through an anonymous corporation, is the owner of all 64 shares of the yacht, the shares in Ocean Emerald are split either into eight or sixteen parts. These fractions -- one-eighth or one-sixteenth -- of Ocean Emerald have been sold to different individuals by the London-based company YachtPlus. When engaged to design the yacht, the Foster team were initially told to work within the confines of an existing hull designed by yacht builders Intermarine, part of Rodriquez Cantieri Navale. But after discussions, Rodriquez has produced a new 41-metre hull three metres longer than the original concept. Walking around Ocean Emerald, it is clear that Foster has taken all the traditional rules of yacht design, torn them up and started again. The public rooms benefit from abundant natural light, which floods in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, in addition to the copious artificial lights. Coupled with the use of pale-coloured woods, soft furnishings and white high-gloss, wipe-clean surfaces they create a wonderfully bright, modern feel. Unusually for a motor yacht, the natural teak decking extends right the way through from the aft deck to the saloon, ensuring a seamless visual transition between the outside and inside spaces. To join the Ownership Lifestyle Programme will cost an initial payment of €1.875 million. This buys you a one eighth share of the yacht and guarantees 30 nights per year on board -- ten nights peak season in the Mediterranean, ten nights peak season in the Caribbean, and two five-night cultural tours such as sightseeing, shopping, golf, Formula 1, vineyard visits and museums. Each year there will be an annual service charge of €200,000 to cover overheads, including marine and hotel operations, permanent crew, mooring and berthing fees, year-round maintenance and mechanical upkeep, marine and port charges and cruise itineraries management. Lord Foster said: \"With my team we have given a new emphasis to such issues as quality and quantity of space, outdoor terraces, light and views. Our commission is for the total design concept of the fleet, with an eye on beauty, function and luxury, down to the smallest detail. We believe that there is great potential in the concept of luxury cruisers to think afresh such issues as views, light, privacy and the quality of spaces -- both inside and outdoors.\" The concept of fractional ownership is fast becoming acknowledged as a logical way forward for those wishing to enjoy high-end luxury products without the massive capital investement required. Foster himself owns one of the shares and is very much looking forward to experiencing what it is like to step into the shoes of a superyacht owner. It may only be for a fraction of the time but it is also, as he so eloquently puts it, only for a fraction of the price. Subscribe to SuperYachtWorld . COPYRIGHT © 2009 IPC MEDIA LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Famous architect Norman Foster has designed a new superyacht .\n\"Ocean Emerald\" has a top speed of 17.5 knots .\nIt will be co-owned by investors laying down an initial $2.6 million payment ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Nine people were killed and 957 rescued when a ferry capsized Sunday in the Philippines, leaving crews scouring the waters for survivors, officials said. A woman and child rescued from a ferry accident off the Philippines on Sunday arrive in port. Two people remained unaccounted for from the SuperFerry 9 vessel carrying 968 people, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. It had no dangerous or hazardous cargo on board. The ferry took off from the city of General Santos and was bound for Iloilo City. Survivors and their families were moved to a nearby location, where they were getting medical help and other forms of assistance, the coast guard said. An investigation will be conducted after rescue operations are completed. It was the third major incident involving the SuperFerry 9 in the past three years. No fatalities were reported in the other incidents in 2006 and 2007. Meanwhile, a Panamanian cargo vessel sank off the central coast of the Philippines, though the 20 people on board -- 18 Filipinos and 2 South Koreans -- were rescued, the Philippine Coast Guard said. Journalist Cecilia Lazaro contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Nine dead, hundreds rescued as SuperFerry 9 capsizes in Philippines .\nTwo people are missing, according to coast guard .\nIncident is third involving SuperFerry 9 in past three years ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A helicopter crashed during takeoff from Kandahar airfield in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing 16 people, NATO said. U.S. Marines participate in operation Saturday to push Taliban out of Herati, Afghanistan. The aircraft was a \"civilian contracted\" helicopter, not a military one, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said in a statement. The helicopter was not shot down, ISAF said, adding that the exact cause of the crash was not known. All the dead were civilians, ISAF said. There were an additional five casualties whose condition was not known, according to the military statement. Watch report on the crash » . The chopper was a Mil Mi-8 helicopter, owned by the Russian air company Vertikal-T, the Russian news agency Interfax said, citing Russia's Federal Air Transportation Agency, Rosaviatsia. The aircraft \"was on a mission to support the peacekeeping forces,\" an unnamed Rosaviatsia spokesman said, according to Interfax. Separately, a U.S. military helicopter made a hard landing in eastern Afghanistan, ISAF said. ISAF denied the helicopter was shot down in Kunar province, but suggested the people on board were injured. \"Personnel on the aircraft were initially treated on site and evacuated to the nearest medical facility for further treatment,\" the ISAF statement said. The two helicopter incidents come a day after a plane crash that killed two airmen on a U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle in eastern Afghanistan early Saturday, the U.S. military said. The two-man fighter went down while it was conducting military operations, Lt. Col. Reid Christopherson, said earlier. He said he was \"confident\" it had not been shot down. July has been a difficult month for coalition troops in Afghanistan, with 51 international military fatalities, the highest so far, a CNN tally of official statistics shows. The United Kingdom lost eight troops in 24 hours, and has now had more killed in Afghanistan than in Iraq. Watch report on UK deaths in Afghanistan » . The United States has lost 26 troops this month, putting it on pace to be the deadliest ever for U.S. forces in the country. CNN's Ivan Watson contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Civilian contracted helicopter crashes during takeoff in Kandahar, NATO says .\nAll of the dead were civilians, NATO says; conditions of 5 other casualties unknown .\nChopper owned by Russian air company, according to Russian news agency Interfax .\nU.S. military helicopter also makes hard landing; personnel get medical treatment ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- When Autumn Preble was a teenager in the 1960s, she spent hours gazing at black-and-white LIFE magazine photographs that documented the journey of Peace Corps volunteers all over the world. George Stouter, 67, is helping build mental health programs in Saint Kitts for his Peace Corps stint. Preble, of Whidbey Island, Washington, wanted to join, but after college came marriage and a child. Now at 58, with her son off to college, she has begun her two-year stint as a Peace Corps volunteer working in the public health sector in Francistown, Botswana, where nearly one in four individuals are infected with HIV. \"I'm getting to experience what it's like to live in another culture, and that has a lot of value to me,\" Preble said from her simple two-bedroom bungalow in Botswana. Preble is known to natives in her community as Masego (Ma say ho), which means \"many gifts.\" \"This is the kind of travel that I'm interested in.\" Forget the mapped-out cruises or packaged vacations to see the world. A growing number of Americans over 50 are dedicating time in their golden years to volunteering abroad. The decision is becoming more attractive with a sickly national economy sparking more layoffs and early retirement packages. \"The economic crisis is giving them an opportunity to take a break,\" said Vanessa Noel, an associate director in the nonprofit department of Alliance Abroad Group. The Austin, Texas-based company offers work, teaching and volunteer programs to students and graduates in the U.S. and abroad. Noel coordinates volunteer trips abroad that typically last between two and 12 weeks. Inquiries from eager adults over 50 have flooded her office in recent months -- so much so that she is creating new programs this summer to Costa Rica and Ecuador tailored to older volunteers that will last several weeks. \"Life is short, and now they can seize the opportunities out there.\" Applications for the Peace Corps from adults over 50 have spiked 44 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, driven largely by the weak economy and a campaign launched in 2007 to lure mature volunteers. All applicants to the Peace Corps -- a federal program created in 1961 that puts Americans overseas in places of need -- must pass background checks and a health test. Married couples are allowed to join together. By the end of 2008, there were 428 Peace Corps volunteers over age 50 in the field in countries all over the world, from South Africa and Romania to the Eastern Caribbean, challenging the traditional image of the 20-something, post-college volunteer. See the stories of Americans over 50 who have volunteered abroad » . Other nonprofit groups specializing in shorter \"voluntourism\" trips also are seeing a spike in interest. For those unable to leave for the 27 months required by intensive volunteer programs like the Peace Corps, these paid programs last from a week to a year. Cross-Cultural Solutions, a nonprofit in New York that offers volunteer trips to countries like Russia and Peru from one to 12 weeks, experienced more than a 10 percent growth in volunteers over 50 in 2008, compared with 2007, according to company officials. San Francisco, California-based Global Services Corps, a nonprofit that coordinates service trips to Thailand, Tanzania and Cambodia for stays from two weeks to a year, saw a 25 percent jump in information requests from older Americans after the stock market tanked in October. Older volunteers have long donated time to volunteering abroad, perhaps most famously President Jimmy Carter's mother, Lillian Carter, who applied to the Peace Corps at age 68. As global health and economic issues abroad have become more publicized in an increasingly connected world, older Americans venturing overseas hope they can serve some of the poorest communities in the world while improving the tarnished American image abroad. Many older Americans, like Preble, say they are volunteering abroad in response to President John F. Kennedy's inspiring words from their younger years, asking them to serve their country. Now, they finally have the time. \"They have had a pretty lifelong pattern of community activism, so it makes perfect sense that as they approach the retirement years, they will do a lot of volunteering abroad,\" said Linda George, a professor of sociology specializing in aging at Duke University. Some volunteers also say they are motivated by President Obama's call for change. This month, Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which will pour an estimated $6 billion into volunteerism, including programs for older adults and retirees. Mary Hecht, 66, and her husband Norman Hecht, 68, left their cozy home in New Jersey to embark on a one-week trip this month to save the giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands. In the midst of packing, she said she is excited to stay with a host family and learn more about the native food and culture. \"I think the older you get, the more set in your ways you become,\" said Hecht, who worked in the education sector for most of her career. \"I think the trip will teach me to be flexible and roll with the punches.\" While many volunteers over 50 say there are some drawbacks to volunteering later in life -- such as missing their children and grandchildren back at home --there are many advantages, too. Mature volunteers bring with them valuable life and career experiences, and many countries tend to pay more respect to older people. \"The kinds of things they are struggling with in terms of creating programs are exactly the sorts of things I was previously involved with,\" said 67-year-old Peace Corps volunteer George Stouter, who started in Saint Kitts in the West Indies last fall. He consults on mental health initiatives at a local boys hospital, among many other projects. Stouter worked as a psychiatric social worker in Michigan for 35 years. Greg O'Neill, director of the National Academy on an Aging Society, added that Americans are retiring earlier and living longer, which lends more time to volunteering or making a career change. Darlene Grieger, an 81-year-old grandmother from Arizona, says there are no limits with age. In March 2007, she bid farewell to her five children and 14 grandchildren and went on her first volunteer trip to Costa Rica -- thanks to money donated by her family -- where she volunteered at an orphanage for three months. There, younger volunteers on her program usually called her \"grandmom,\" she said, chuckling. Last fall, she jetted off to Thailand for six weeks to work with a women's group. She did find time to do touristy things between her volunteer duties: Before coming back to the states, she flew on her own to Cambodia to catch a glimpse of Angkor Wat, one of the most famous temples in the world. \"I couldn't even imagine just going on a trip,\" said Grieger, who is planning on selling her home so she can continue volunteering abroad. \"That has to be so boring.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Applications for the Peace Corps from adults over 50 have spiked 44 percent .\nNonprofit groups offering \"voluntourism\" trips report more mature participants .\nOlder Americans are motivated by President Obama's call for change .\n\"I'm getting to experience what it's like to live in another culture,\" one volunteer says ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Philippines Sen. Benigno \"Noynoy\" Aquino III announced he will run for president Wednesday, a month after the death of his late mother, the popular former President Corazon Aquino. Philippines Senator Benigno \"Noynoy\" Aquino III announce his candidacy in Manila on September 9. \"I'm accepting the challenge to lead this fight,\" said Noynoy Aquino, the state-run Philippines News Agency (PNA) reported. Aquino, 49, is the only son of Corazon Aquino, who died on August 1, and the late Benigno \"Ninoy\" Aquino, a senator who opposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos and was assassinated in 1983 on returning home from exile in the United States. Noynoy Aquino said his mother's supporters had urged him to make a run for the presidency in next May's elections. He said he would continue the fight started by his parents to promote democracy in the Philippines. At least one lawmaker was critical of Aquino's run, PNA said. Rep. Pastor Alcover Jr. said the media has deceived the public by presenting Aquino as the man who can save the country. \"We need a hardworking president,\" Alcover said. \"But the problem is, Noynoy has a dismal performance as congressman for nine years and as senator for three years. Do we want more of his laziness?\" President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's term ends in 2010. Under Philippine law, she cannot run again. Arroyo first took office in 2001. Since then, she has survived several impeachment attempts and periodic rumors of coups. She won re-election in 2004, though opposition parties called into question the legitimacy of that race." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Philippines Sen. Benigno \"Noynoy\" Aquino III announces he will run for president .\nHe is the only son of former President Corazon Aquino, who died on August 1 .\nHe said he would continue the fight started by his parents to promote democracy .\nPresident Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's term ends in 2010 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(InStyle.com) -- In an effort to protect the planet, many people are looking for ways to reduce waste, reuse and recycle. Here's how celebrities take on the challenge. Actress Charlize Theron uses products made from recycled bottles. Charlize Theron . \"I like Endstar [makers of parkas, tents and sleeping bags]. The stuff is durable -- and made out of Return Textile fabric, which is partly created from recycled bottles.\" Julia Roberts . When the Oscar winner takes her cup of joe on the road, she carries it in a reusable mug. To tote yours in style, use leak-proof wide-mouth 8.6 oz stainless steel thermal bottles. Maggie Gyllenhaal . \"Peter [Sarsgaard] has taught me a lot about passive solar energy. For example, if your house faces south, it gets all the sun and you can heat it much more efficiently.\" Salma Hayek . The actress took a shine to a stunning tabletop bowl handcrafted by artisans in Nepal. Woven from discarded food wrappers, the bowl is a chic reworking of non-biodegradable waste. Kim Raver . \"My husband and I want the house we're building to be all green. To start, our energy will be solar.\" Parker Posey . \"I don't run the water too long when I wash my dishes. I also have a reusable bag from Trader Joe's that I use when shopping for groceries so I don't waste paper or plastic.\" Follow Parker Posey's lead and grab a pretty reusable tote such as the 100% recyclable option by Tote Le Monde. Courtney Love . \"I have green power at home. I also use recycled toilet paper even though it's not the softest.\" Laura Dern . \"We painted every room in our house with Bioshield [solvent-free] paints, which smell amazing. And the whole family wears Green Toe shoes by Simple. They are made from recycled materials and are most comfy.\" Sharon Lawrence . \"I seriously consider a political candidate's environmental record before giving him or her my vote. You can get that info from the League of Conservation Voters at lcv.org.\" Nicollette Sheridan . \"All my cleaning products are eco-friendly. I especially like Mrs. Meyer's because they're biodegradable, cruelty-free and natural.\" Alicia Silverstone . To save energy, the actress uses the laundry line she got as a birthday present to dry her clothes. \"The sun does all the work, and it makes me feel like I live in Italy. I love it!\" Courteney Cox . The former Friends star enjoys Little Twig, the extra mild unscented bath line, which is sulfate- and paraben-free, and gentle enough for her daughter, Coco, 3. Return four of the recyclable containers and get a reward for keeping the planet clean: a 30 percent discount online. E-mail to a friend . Get a FREE TRIAL issue of InStyle - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2009 Time Inc. All rights reserved." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Celebrities have favorites ways to go green .\nActress Laura Dern uses solvent-free paints in her home .\nAlicia Silverstone dries clothes outside on laundry line ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Singer Nelly Furtado is trying to cross over in a direction many artists don't ordinarily take. Singer Nelly Furtado says she enjoys diversity in music and broadening her fan base. With \"Mi Plan,\" the Grammy Award-winning singer is taping into a brand new market and fan base, almost a decade after she came to fame in 2000 with the single \"I'm Like a Bird.\" While the Canadian-born singer -- whose parents are Portuguese -- has sung in Spanish before, \"Mi Plan\" is the first time she has recorded an entire album in Spanish, a language she said she learned as a teen. It's seems like a natural progression for Furtado, an artist often noted for diversity in her sound. A few years after her breakthrough, Furtado teamed up with superproducer Timbaland for her 2006 album \"Loose,\" a collaboration that gained her scores of hip-hop and R&B fans as well, and spawned hits such as \"Promiscuous\" and \"Say It Right.\" \"Mi Plan\" pairs her with a few Spanish-language music artists, including Alex Cuba, Juan Luis Guerra, Julieta Venegas and La Mala Rodriguez, as well as English-language artist Josh Groban. The first single off the album, \"Manos Al Aire,\" made history as it marked the first time a North American artist reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart with a song that was originally written in Spanish, rather than a translated version of an English-language song. Furtado spoke with CNN about her passion for Spanish, why she feels like an artist reborn and the career path she hopes to take. CNN: What was the inspiration for the new album? Nelly Furtado: There were so many inspirations. The language was the biggest inspiration. I've sang so much in Spanish in the past, and also Portuguese. I get a lot of joy in singing in Latin languages. It expresses the Latin side of me. Watch Furtado talk about her new album » . My parents were born in Portugal and they raised us in Canada. We grew up speaking Portuguese and then I learned Spanish at the age of 14. I love being a multicultural artist, I love being a global artist. [The album] is almost like a literal reflection of that this time in the fact that it's all in Spanish and it's a completely original project written from scratch. CNN: So it's all new? Furtado: Yes. It feels like a rebirth of sorts. It's almost like a parallel world where I get to reinvent myself again as an artist, but in a very whole kind of way. It's been a lot of fun. CNN: You have such a loyal fan base. What do you hope they get from your latest project? Furtado: Just because I have collaborated with so many different people with so many different styles of music that I think my sort of goal or mantra my whole career has been to broaden the minds of my fan base. This album is just an extension of that. I'm an inclusive person and everyone is invited to the fiesta. I'm excited because I am meeting brand new fans for the first time who don't have any of my prior albums. Four albums in, it's a tough job to try to attract new fans and I think that's what I am doing with this new music. CNN: Did you consider it risky to do a Spanish-language album? Furtado: I like to take risks. I live for risk taking and challenges. I just find it so much more exciting and it keeps my job entertaining and interesting. Everyone is looking for that next challenge at work. Everyone wants that extra credential on their business card. If it's easy, it's not fun. CNN: How is performing in Spanish different? Furtado: When I express myself in Spanish or in Portuguese I feel very free. There are a lot of things you can say in a Spanish song that you can't say in an English song, especially from a feminine perspective. As a female, the moment you sing too passionately in English you are kind of labeled as an angry singer. In Spanish that doesn't happen. You can be dramatic as you want and it's accepted. So it's liberating. CNN: There are a lot of Spanish-speaking artists who want to cross over into the English-language market. How does it feel to be doing the reverse? Furtado: I think I'm capitalizing a little bit on the inroads I have already made in the Latin world through working with other established Latin acts. I dabbled in Spanish on my third album. I had two records on there in Spanish and I really enjoyed writing them and playing them live. I'm just going where my heart's at and following the passions. CNN: What's next for you? Furtado: It's interesting because when I got off the road from touring with my third album, \"Loose,\" I was exhausted. I tried to write some songs in English and no inspiration really came to me. Then I started writing songs in Spanish and it started flowing, so this album has been like a medicine of sorts. I'm so excited about music now. I can't wait to put out another project in English and further Spanish albums as well as Portuguese. The list is never-ending." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Nelly Furtado's new album is sung completely in Spanish .\nThe singer worked with noted Latin artists on the project .\nFurtado, whose parents are Portuguese, finds performing in Spanish \"liberating\"\nFirst single made history on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The U.S. Coast Guard Sunday continues its search for a missing sailor whose five Texas A&M University crew mates were hoisted out of the Gulf of Mexico earlier in the day after their sailboat capsized. Members of the Texas A&M Offshore Sailing Team are shown in this photo from the team's Web site. The survivors -- four university students and a safety officer -- told the Coast Guard they were forced off their sailboat after it took on water and capsized. \"The flooding was so fast that the thing flipped over,\" USGS Capt. William Diehl told CNN. The missing sailor has been identified by the university as Roger Stone, the vessel's second safety officer. The sailboat, named Cynthia Woods, was one of about two dozen boats heading from Galveston, Texas, to Veracruz, Mexico, for the annual Veracruz Regatta race, which began on Friday. Diehl said the boat was well-stocked with safety equipment -- including emergency radio beacons, life rafts and ring buoys -- but the crew could only manage to find four life jackets after the boat tipped over. \"The survivors told us that [when] they went into the water, they had four life jackets among the five, and they huddled together and they exchanged the life jacket among them so that they could stay afloat,\" Diehl said. Communication with the boat was lost about midnight Friday, and the boat missed its 8 a.m. radio check the next morning, the Coast Guard reported. A sailboat matching the description of the missing 38-foot boat was found overturned about 5:15 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. The five survivors were found several hours later, lifted to safety by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter around 1 a.m. and taken to University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston for treatment. A Coast Guard spokeswoman could not say exactly where the survivors were rescued, but said the search was focused on an area about 10 miles south of Matagorda, Texas. Diehl said a Marine Corps C-130, a Coast Guard cutter and a man-of-war naval vessel are searching for the missing crew member. All the mariners were experienced sailors, he said. \"They were very well trained,\" Diehl said. \"Obviously [they were] the more senior cadets at the university here, and they had very experienced safety people on board.\" When rescuers retrieved the capsized boat's hull, Diehl said the keel was missing. \"That's the part that keeps the sailboat balanced in the water,\" he said. \"And from talking to the survivors this morning, that's where the flooding started for them.\" The 725-mile Veracruz regatta began on Friday and boats are expected to arrive in Veracruz on Wednesday and Thursday." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Coast Guard rescues five sailors reported missing; search continues for sixth sailor .\nTexas A&M sailboat was taking part in regatta from Galveston to Veracruz, Mexico .\nBoat's six-person crew missed 8 a.m. radio check Saturday .\nSailboat matching description found capsized, with no one in sight ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- At least 14 people were killed and dozens more were wounded in explosions across Iraq on Saturday, officials said. A woman adjusts a memorial of plastic flowers this week at the bombed Foreign Affairs Ministry building. Nine police officers were killed and 19 wounded in a suicide bombing north of Baghdad on Saturday morning, local officials said. The incident occurred in the Salaheddin province town of al-Shirqat. Local police said the suspected bomber had been driving a minivan near the outer checkpoint of a police base. The bomber detonated when police opened fire, police said. Twenty shops and dozens of cars were damaged. Later in the evening, a motorcycle rigged with explosives detonated outside a busy coffee shop in a southeastern Baghdad district called New Baghdad, killing two and wounding 13 others, according to the Ministry of Interior. The attack occurred about 9 p.m. (2 p.m. ET) as people had gathered to break their fast for Islam's holy month of Ramadan. In other violence Saturday, at least three people were killed and 40 wounded when a roadside bomb detonated in a marketplace in northern Iraq, an Interior Ministry official said. The bomb detonated in the town of Sinjar, a predominantly Yazidi town west of Mosul near the Syrian border. Yazidis are a minority group mainly concentrated in Iraq's north and have been often targeted by insurgents. The deadliest attack since the start of the war was in August 2007, when coordinated truck bombs hit Yazidi villages, killing more than 500 and wounding hundreds. Despite the improved security situation across the country, there has been a spike in attacks in recent weeks. Last week, two massive suicide truck bombs hit the foreign and finance ministries in Baghdad, killing at least 100 people and wounding hundreds more. The attacks come at a time when Iraqi security forces have come under a lot of criticism after they took control of security in cities and towns after the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces two months ago. CNN's Jomana Karadsheh and Mohammed Tawfeeq contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Nine police officers killed, 19 hurt in suicide attack in Iraq .\nInterior Ministry official says bomber drove minivan into police station .\nMotorcycle blows up outside coffee shop, killing two .\nRoadside bomb kills three in marketplace near Syrian border ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson ended a trip to the Ivory Coast on Friday, after he spoke to leaders from the nation's political parties and was honored as a prince by a tribe in the West African nation. Jesse Jackson says ceremony to name him a prince of the Agni people was \"very exciting.\" Jackson said he met with President Laurent Gbagbo and leading members of two opposition parties, Henri Konan Bedie and Alassane Ouattara. Bedie is a former president of the nation and Ouattara is a former prime minister. Jackson said his mission was not to endorse a candidate, \"but a process.\" \"I wanted the three of them to agree ... [to] campaign vigorously ... not to create divisive language, to each agree to support the winner, [and] end the [U.N.] sanctions,\" he said. \"I think there's a common agreement on these points. This country has so much to offer the world and Africa.\" The United Nations imposed sanctions on the nation in 2004, among them, a ban on arms and diamond trades, a travel ban and asset freezes for some individuals. The sanctions, renewed last year, are in effect until October 29. Earlier in Jackson's trip, Amon N'Douffou V, king of the Krindjabo kingdom, named Jackson a prince of the Agni people, news reports said. Jackson said it was a \"very exciting ceremony.\" Jackson's wife, Jacqueline, suffered a broken leg during the trip when a stage she and her husband were on collapsed, Jackson told CNN in a telephone interview. \"We had excellent medical care,\" the pastor said, adding that the collapse was \"not the fault of the organizers,\" but that too many people had gathered on the stage. Official news agency Agence Ivoirienne de Presse reported that the stage collapse occurred in a sports complex in Yopougon, north of Abidjan. A doctor was to accompany them on their Friday night flight back to the United States, Jackson said. The coming elections in the Ivory Coast are being closely watched by U.N. officials. In a July 30 statement, the U.N. Security Council said \"any postponement of the elections of 29 November would be inconsistent with a credible process\" and with a peace agreement that had followed an armed rebellion in 2002 that had divided the country in two. The Security Council said it would review progress toward elections before October 15. In March, U.S. State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said the \"United States believes that long-delayed presidential elections are still technically possible in 2009 and calls on all parties to take every step necessary to ensure that credible elections go forward as promised.\" The statement said more than 5.7 million people had been enrolled as voters on a \"preliminary basis.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Coming elections in the Ivory Coast are being closely watched by U.N. officials .\nJackson meets with president, opposition leaders in trip to West African nation .\nLeader of Krindjabo kingdom reportedly names Jackson a prince of the Agni people .\nJackson: Wife received \"excellent medical care\" after breaking leg in stage collapse ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- The box office fright flick \"The Haunting in Connecticut\" earned $23 million and a second-place ranking the first weekend of its release, satiating the moviegoer appetite for psychological thrills. Carmen Reed's family lived in a former funeral home. Their stories inspired \"The Haunting in Connecticut.\" But what is entertainment for many was reportedly true life for Carmen Reed, who insists on using her maiden name to protect her children and grandchildren. Reed, her husband and four children rented an old colonial home in Southington, Connecticut, in the mid-1980s in order to be close to a hospital where her 13-year-old son was receiving cancer treatment. Soon after, two nieces also joined them in the house that they learned had once been a funeral home. It wasn't long before that son began telling stories about noises he'd heard and visions he'd seen, including the one of the \"tall, thin man with long jet-black hair\" whom the boy said he saw every night, Reed said. \"I was the biggest skeptic of all,\" she explained. \"I put my son in a mental hospital because I didn't believe him.\" Watch Reed talk about life in a haunted house » . Reed sat down with CNN to talk about the spooky stories that later became her own and how what her family experienced inspired a blockbuster film. CNN: Tell me more about sending your son to a mental institution, where he arrived in a straitjacket and where you say he stayed for 45 days. Why did you do this, and what happened next? Carmen Reed: At first I thought it was his cancer treatment. ... I took him to a psychologist, but he got darker and darker. And this one time, he got so bad, he attacked my niece. ... An ambulance came and took him to a mental hospital. ... He was saying, \"Mom, don't leave me! It's going to come after you now.\" And it did. CNN: You mentioned seeing a hand that grasped your niece and that mop water would turn a deep, dark red. What are some other things you saw or heard? Reed: Mattresses would breathe. They had a pulse. ... There was the normal banging on walls, but it always came in threes. ... There was a deep, gravelly voice. CNN: And yet you stayed for two years! If what you were experiencing didn't drive you to move away, what did? Reed: I couldn't go to the grocery store without people telling me their ghost stories. I was usually there for three hours. CNN: You talk about how you read from the Bible in an attempt to drive away demons. How did your experiences in this home influence your faith? Reed: I've learned that most people just believe in this physical world. Some people question if there is a God or angels or demons. I don't need to question that. I found that answer in this house. CNN: Are you still haunted by your experiences in that home? Reed: I do dream about it, and I remember things, but one of the biggest mottos I have is \"Be not afraid.\" When people are afraid to go somewhere, I'll go into the deepest, darkest part of it because I know I'm not alone. CNN: You've consulted on this new film and are writing a book about your story. Why do you insist on using your maiden name? Reed: To protect my children. ... My daughter was more scarred by the publicity than she was by the house. And I have 11 grandchildren, and I want to protect them. CNN: What lesson do you hope people will take away from the film and the increased exposure to what you experienced in that Connecticut home? Reed: Leave the occult alone. You think you can control it, but it's going to backfire on you." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Big-screen thriller \"The Haunting in Connecticut\" is based on true story .\nCarmen Reed speaks about her family's time living in a former funeral home .\nShe says mattresses breathed, a hand grabbed and mop water turned red .\nHer message: \"Leave the occult alone\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Army ground commanders in Afghanistan say they need help, fast. That's not a request for more troops, but a request from commanders who say the current camouflage uniform is not blending well in the diverse countryside. U.S. Army commanders in Afghanistan say the current uniform does not blend well in the countryside. In response, the Army later this month will field-test two new camouflage color schemes and patterns on about 1,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, where the terrain is extremely varied. Commanders have had problems there because of the numerous changes in environments a soldier can move in and out of in a short period of time -- from woodland to desert to alpine, and to rocky and snowy mountain tops. The current uniform, known as the Army Combat Uniform or ACU, has lighter shades of green and tan, which some commanders have complained does not blend well if soldiers need to stay motionless on a mission, as snipers or reconnaissance troops must. The effort by the Army was recently accelerated, according to Army officials, after U.S. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pennsylvania, told the Army he had a number of complaints from soldiers in Afghanistan who said the current camouflage pattern was not effective in the mountainous regions. Two yet-to-be-identified battalions -- a battalion has about 500 troops -- will test the two patterns, with initial results being turned into Army researchers by the end of October. While deployed, all 1,000 soldiers will have their regularly issued ACUs. In addition, one battalion will also get one of the new camouflage uniforms with a test pattern known as \"MultiCam.\" The pattern is made up of numerous blobs of white, brown, tan, black and greens for a more woodland look, and is already being worn by snipers and special operations forces. The other brigade will test a similar pattern to the ACU, called the Universal Cammo Pattern-Delta or \"UCP-Delta.\" While the pattern is the same, a series of \"digitized\" blocks of green and tan, the test uniform adds what he Army calls \"coyote brown\" and a slight color darkening all around to the greens and tans. The look is also designed to blend in the woods. Both battalions will be based in eastern Afghanistan where the terrain is the most rugged and diverse, Army officials said. The Army hopes to have the field input and a decision on what pattern is best by the end of January 2010 and the fielding of the new uniform as early as June 2010. Troops will still keep the existing ACU, and commanders will be able to decide mission by mission what the soldiers should wear, according to Army officials. The testing is part of the Army's long-term development of a permanent alternative to the current ACU, according to Army officials." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Commanders say current uniform doesn't blend well in Afghanistan's countryside .\nArmy this month will field-test two new camouflage patterns in Afghanistan .\nArmy hopes to have decision on new pattern by the end of January 2010 ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- One year after the collapse of banking stalwart Lehman Brothers, the administrator of its European business says the full impact on creditors may not be known until 2010. One year ago cameras caught shocked Lehman Brothers' employees leaving the building with boxes. Tony Lomas, a partner for PricewaterhouseCoopers, has been sorting through the financial remains of the banking giant's European division since last September, when it became clear the bank would file for bankruptcy. He says administrators are still some months from finalizing the total amount owed to Lehman's creditors. \"That will come at some point, maybe in the course of calendar 2010,\" Lomas said. \"But up until that point we won't know the quantum of claims are. We have very complex trading relationships with a very large proportion of our counterparties. And we've got six thousand or so live counterparties out there.\" Watch the full interview with Tony Lomas » . Within a week of Lehman's collapse, Lomas sold Lehman's equity trading business to Nomura. The deal saw about half of Lehman's 5,000 employees in Europe move over to the Japanese investment bank. The agreement didn't include Lehman's trading positions, the infrastructure, the intellectual property, or the building. \"One of the big reasons why we retained the infrastructure here was because we knew we were going to be dependent on it for many years to come because of the complexity of what we were unraveling,\" Lomas said. Some 400 to 500 Lehman's staff still work in the London office for its administrators, poring through trading records and unwinding complex financial positions. \"We expect a significant number of those people to be with us for a reasonably significant time to work through all this,\" Lomas said. Among those who lost their jobs from Lehman Brothers, some such as former employee Caroline White, have turned their backs on the financial sector. White has since forged a new career in fashion and plans to unveil her first piece on Tuesday night. The former banker hasn't put her last career completely behind her. Her collection includes a laptop bag with the Lehman's logo. \"I themed it with a Lehman's theme because I think its quite appropriate. I wanted to show where I have come from, and where I am going,\" the designer said. The future is less clear for the London-based administrators who say their job will not be done for several years. \"This could well take more than 10 years to resolve, all the issues,\" Lomas said. \"By that time, it will outdate me.\" He is confident creditors will receive some of their money. In the past year the administrators have recouped $9 billion dollars in cash, most of which has been invested in government-backed securities. \"Our priority is to keep it safe and make sure we don't lose it,\" Lomas said. One year on, he said the job hasn't become any easier. \"Reflecting back on the astonishment if you like of being appointed administrator here in the UK and contemplating what lay ahead of us, I don't think I underestimated or understated the complexity of the task. It has proved to be every bit of that.\" \"There remains a very significant amount of complex still work to do,\" he added. CNN's Jim Boulden contributed to this report ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Lehman administrator in Europe says significant amount of work still to do .\nFull amount owed to creditors may not be known until some time in 2010 .\nUp to 500 people still work for Lehman in London, unwinding trading positions .\nLomas: \"This could well take more than 10 years to resolve\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(Budget Travel) -- On your next trip, you could be checking into a wine cask, a salvaged 727 airplane, or a room where the furniture defies the law of gravity. The casks at the Hotel De Vrouwe Van Stavoren in the Netherlands once held the equivalent of 19,333 bottles of wine. Upside-down stay . At Berlin's Propeller Island City Lodge, each of the 30 rooms is weird in its own way. The artist-owner, Lars Stroschen, has seen to that. One room, the first built, is made to look like a brightly painted medieval town, with an ultra-mini golf course surrounding the castle bed. Another has furniture attached to the ceiling, another has coffins for beds, and still another has lion cages on stilts (the Web site claims that kids \"love to sleep\" in them). Then there's the Freedom Room, which resembles a prison, complete with a toilet next to the bed -- oh, that German humor! 011-49/30-891-90-16, propeller-island.com. A place to unwine'd . When they were owned by a Swiss château, the four enormous casks on the grounds of the Hotel De Vrouwe Van Stavoren in the Netherlands held the equivalent of 19,333 bottles of wine. Now, after some creative recycling, it's guests rather than booze that mellow out inside the casks. The richly worn and airtight oak barrels have two narrow beds, with a small sitting area outside. The grounds are quite close to tiny Stavoren's harbor, which was a major port in the Middle Ages. 011-31/51-46-81-202, hotel-vrouwevanstavoren.nl. A bad trip (with none of the consequences) The daughter of Ho Chi Minh's number two masterminded the Hang Nga Guest House and Art Gallery, a complex that more than earns its local nickname, the Crazy House. This LSD nightmare's three main buildings are Gaudi-esque concrete treehouse-like growths that appear as if they flowed organically out of the ground. Inside, the walls seem to dissolve into the floor, and right angles are avoided entirely. Each guest room is built around a different animal theme: the Eagle Room has a big-beaked bird standing atop a huge egg, while another has arm-sized ants crawling up the wall. The animal theme continues outside -- a large giraffe statue on the property contains a teahouse, and human-size \"spider webs\" are set up here and there. 011-84/63-82-20-70. Budget Travel: Check out these unusual hotels . In a league of its own . Hydrophobics should stay far from Jules' Undersea Lodge, named for novelist Jules Verne of \"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea\" fame. The 600-square-foot lodge, a former marine lab, is 21 feet underwater, close to the bottom of the mangrove-filled Emerald Lagoon, in Key Largo. You'll have to know how to scuba dive to reach your room, and guests without the mandatory certification must take a course at the hotel. Once you've reached the lodge, which sleeps up to six, you'll be close to angelfish, anemones, barracuda, oysters, and other creatures -- each room is equipped with a 42-inch window, so you don't need to be suited up to keep an eye on the neighborhood. 305/451-2353, jul.com. Crash in a jet plane . Near a beach that's within Manuel Antonio National Park, the Hotel Costa Verde doesn't lack for great sights. But few are as amazing as its own 727 Fuselage Suite, a salvaged 1965 Boeing 727-100 that looks as if it's crashed into the Costa Rican jungle (it's actually mounted atop a 50-foot pillar and reached via a spiral staircase). The jet's interior was once able to hold up to 125 passengers, but there are few reminders left of its days in the service of South African Airways and Colombia's Avianca Airlines. The suite's two bedrooms, dining area, and sitting room are now covered over entirely in teak to match the surroundings. Guests can play \"spot the toucan\" on the small wood deck that sits on top of the right wing. 011-506/27-77-05-84 or 866/854-7958, costaverde.com/727.html. Your escape pod awaits . Colored bright-orange for easy visibility, the '70s-era escape pods that make up the Capsule Hotel once hung outside oil rigs, ready to be deployed in case of an evacuation. Recycled by self-proclaimed \"garbage architect\" Denis Oudendijk, the fleet of pods now rotates among different moorings in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe. At the moment, two are in the western Dutch town of Vlissingen and another is in The Hague. For a kind of James Bond-meets-Barbarella twist, opt to book your pod with a disco ball and all the spy's movies on DVD. It's a super-kitschy nod to a similar pod's appearance in \"The Spy Who Loved Me.\" 011-31/641-76-55-60, capsulehotel.info. On the road again . Imagine how much ground you could cover if you took your bed with you. That's the idea behind Exploranter Overland Hotel, a converted 25-ton truck that's a true hotel on wheels in Brazil. An awning extends out from the truck's side to provide some al fresco shade at lunchtime. The \"kitchen\" comes tricked out with fridges, freezers, and a large convection oven -- on this trip, the restaurant comes with you too, and sometimes nearby cooks are brought in to give guests a taste of the local cuisine. Your luggage and sleeping quarters are towed behind you, in a trailer that sleeps up to 24. With so much flexibility, guests can see Brazil's back country, far from crowds and sometimes any other people at all. The tours, which last from three days up to three months or more, have included horseback riding, vineyard tours, bird watching, and rodeos. 011-55/11-99-38-00-58, exploranter.com. Where the penthouse is a trailer park . Cape Town, South Africa's sleek Grand Daddy hotel has a surprise on its roof: a fleet of seven Airstream trailers, six of which were imported from the U.S. The aluminum-clad \"rooms,\" which sleep two people, have been done in playful themes that incorporate icons like \"Goldilocks and the Three Bears\" (a blonde wig and a bear suit are available for dress-up), and John Lennon and Yoko Ono (the room's white-on-white furnishings include an enormous bed, natch). If you don't want to stray as far from the trailers' original looks, there's the Pleasantville model, an Eisenhower-era fantasia with chintz, harvest-gold curtains, and flower-covered throw pillows. 011-27/21-424-7247, granddaddy.co.za. STILL WEIRD! Meet the giraffes (from the 2008 edition) Without sacrificing its estate-in-the-country dignity -- or all of it, anyway -- Giraffe Manor in Langata, Kenya, is arranged so that roaming giraffes can poke their heads into any open window or doorway with impunity and lather guests with their sticky, prehensile tongues. Your guesthouse is their guesthouse, so the silly creatures pop up everywhere, including over the breakfast table, in the lobby, and through the curtains of the five guest rooms for adults. 011-254/20-890-948, off-hours 011-254/20-891-078, giraffemanor.com. Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you FREE - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2009 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc., all rights reserved." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Guests can mellow out inside wine casks in the Netherlands .\nA sleek Cape Town, South Africa, hotel has an Airstream trailer park on the roof .\nA Costa Rica hotel offers stays inside a salvaged airplane ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "BEIJING, China (CNN) -- African governments have stopped importing Chinese dairy products as the crisis which has seen more than 52,000 Chinese children poisoned by melamine-tainted goods spreads. Burundi, Gabon and Tanzania have joined governments closer to China -- including Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia -- in banning Chinese dairy products. At least 11 countries have banned imports. The precautions come as the number of affected children in China continues to swell. Four babies have died from melamine-tainted infant formula and more than 52,000 children have fallen ill, Chinese authorities say. \"I think we will see more cases, but it is, of course, impossible to predict how many cases there finally will be,\" said Hans Troedsson, the the World Health Organization's China representative. \"We have to remember that China is a large country with a population of 1.3 billion people. However, of course, 40- to 50,000 children are affected as reported now. It's a staggering figure, but where we will end up is too early yet to say.\" On Monday, China's top quality control official, Li Changjiang, resigned as a result of the scandal, which has seen the arrest of at least 18 people. Two brothers arrested last week on charges of selling contaminated milk could face death if convicted, according to China Daily, a state-run newspaper. The raw milk used to produce powdered baby formula had been watered down and the chemical melamine was added to fool quality checks, the newspaper said. Watch CNN visit the company at the center of the scandal » . Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Beijing hospitals and a supermarket to show his concern. China's Health Ministry said about 13,000 children were hospitalized, while another 40,000 had undergone outpatient treatment. \"What we need to do now is to ensure that nothing like this happens in the future, not only in dairy products, but in all foods,\" he said. \"Manufacturers and owners of dairy companies should show more morality and social responsibility in these cases. They are heartless, so we have to create strict law and legislation. I'm sorry.\" Watch how Beijing is under pressure over public safety » . The repercussions from the scandal were felt as far away as Africa. Burundi imports milk products from two suspect Chinese companies and the government has set up a commission to investigate how much tainted product could remain on store shelves, officials said. \"For the moment, nobody knows if the milk is being sold on the Burundi market,\" Noel Nkurunziza, president of a Burundi consumer association known as ABUCO, is quoted as saying in The Guardian newspaper and other publications. In Asia, Singapore announced a recall of all Chinese milk products on Tuesday. The head of Indonesia's Food Safety Watch said she was instituting a temporary ban of all milk imports from China, although contaminated milk has not been found in the country. In issuing its recall of milk products, Singapore had already suspended the import and sale of milk and dairy products from China on Friday, after it said it has found traces of melamine in three Chinese-made dairy products. The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority said \"White Rabbit Creamy Candy\" was ordered off of shelves after tests showed it was contaminated. White Rabbit is among the best-known candy brands in China and one of the few exported widely. The United States is among 40 nations that import the candy, a man in the administrative office of the Shanghai-based company told CNN Monday. Earlier, Singapore's agri-food agency said it found melamine in two other milk-based Chinese imports: the Yili brand \"Choice Dairy Fruit Bar Yoghurt Flavored Ice Confection\" and the Dutch Lady brand of strawberry-flavored milk. In Bangladesh, three Chinese powdered milk brands -- Sanlu, Suncare and Yashili -- have been taken off shelves and all milk powder imports at Bangladeshi ports will be inspected. Bangladeshi TV showed the country's Rapid Action Battalion climbing over a fence to raid a storage facility believed to contain tainted milk. In Malaysia, Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai announced that import of Chinese milk products had been stopped. In addition to banning imports, thousands of tons of tainted milk powder have been recalled. In the Philippines Monday, the country's Bureau of Food and Drugs banned the distribution and selling of two brands of imported Chinese milk that could possibly be tainted, the Philippines News Agency reported. The milk brands were Yili and China Mengniu Diary Company, the agency reported. One of the implicated Chinese plants is operated by a subsidiary of the Marudai Food Co. in Japan. Marudai said it was recalling five types of products from the plant, would halt operations there for one month, and will send employees to the subsidiary to examine quality controls. The factory will be shut down through October 19. Even some countries that don't import Chinese dairy products, such as Malaysia and Brunei, have banned milk products from China. In Hong Kong, concerned parents have swamped hospitals. A 3-year-old Hong Kong girl was reported this weekend as the first case outside of mainland China. The girl was treated for kidney stones at Princess Margaret Hospital and released, Hong Kong's government Web site reported. Her condition is being monitored. Watch the public outcry faced by the Chinese government » . A second child, a 4-year-old boy, had similar renal symptoms, the government reported Monday. The boy, a Hong Kong native, had consumed milk products contaminated with melamine and was diagnosed with a kidney stone in mainland China, the Department of Health said. He was treated at Princess Margaret on Monday and was in stable condition. The hospital said Monday it has provided medical consultation to 63 people who might have consumed contaminated milk products. The patients, 34 males and 29 females, ranged in age from 2 months to 17 years old. A Hong Kong government hotline has received nearly 1,000 calls. Melamine is commonly used in coatings and laminates, wood adhesives, fabric coatings, ceiling tiles and flame retardants. Some Chinese dairy plants have added it to milk products to make it seem to have a higher protein level. Learn more about the chemical melamine » . Melamine is the same industrial contaminant from China that poisoned and killed thousands of U.S. dogs and cats last year. Health experts say ingesting melamine can lead to kidney stones, urinary tract ulcers, and eye and skin irritation. It also robs infants of much-needed nutrition." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Burundi, Gabon, Tanzania ban import of suspect milk products from China .\nNEW: Singapore, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei impose bans .\nHead of China's quality watchdog resigns over tainted baby formula scandal .\nFour infants in China dead, over 52,000 reported ill from tainted milk powder ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Water pressure is restored and it is now safe to drink in a Baltimore suburb where a huge water main burst, sending torrents of muddy water coursing over neighborhood streets and down highway ramps, officials said. Muddy water envelops the community of Dundalk, Maryland, on Friday. Many were left without power. \"A bad situation is well in hand,\" Baltimore County chief executive Jim Smith said during a press conference Saturday morning. Crews were still at work inspecting homes and clearing water from flooded basements, he said, \"but the danger is over, the crisis is over.\" A prestressed concrete water pipe burst late Friday afternoon under a road in the suburban Baltimore community of Dundalk. The 72-inch-wide main was shut about two hours after it ruptured, Smith said. No injuries were reported, Smith said, and knee-high to chest-high water had been reduced to 4 inches. Resident David Johnson said he felt helpless as he stood outside his house and watched the dirty brown water creep up his lawn and approach his front door. It stopped, inches away, and his basement stayed dry. The worst part now is the sewage smell, he said. Local public works officials said at least 39 basements in the area were flooded. See water main break damage » . Shannon Woerner was at home in nearby Essex, Maryland, when he heard the news about the water main break and the call for boats. He loaded his kayak in his truck and headed to the scene. \"I just wanted to see if I could help,\" he said. Woerner said he delivered car keys and other items across flooded streets to people who couldn't get to their homes. Mike Pell, 34, watched the water slowly recede after the main was shut. Water covered the wheels of his pickup. \"My basement's done,\" he said, pointing to his shoulder to show the height of the water inside. He and his fiancee had a bedroom in the basement. \"All of our clothes are ruined,\" he said. He managed to get his two children, ages 2 and 3, to a dry area on the first floor of the house. \"Now I wonder who's gonna pay for this. We don't have flood insurance; this area doesn't flood,\" Pell said, shaking his head. Samantha Hansley, 21, could only watch from a dry hill and wonder if her truck would survive the flood. It sat in 2 feet of water a block away. Hansley and her boyfriend had been driving out of the floodwaters when they stopped to try to help some stranded drivers. \"Our truck just died,\" she said. A manager at the Box and Save grocery store about a block away from the break said the entire parking lot was flooded. Cathy Geisler said customers were still in the store Friday afternoon when police arrived to tell everyone except for essential personnel to evacuate. \"We were still doing business, then the electricity went out and we escorted everyone out of the store,\" Geisler said. Aerial video from CNN affiliates WMAR and WBAL showed a collapsed roadway covered by torrents of water. Entire neighborhoods had flooded streets, and some residents were evacuated, authorities said. Eric Braughman, who lives on one of the flooded streets, said he had \"thought something was up\" with the water Thursday when his faucets discharged orange-brown water. \"My wife didn't give the baby a bath because it didn't look safe,\" Braughman said. Nearly 1,000 customers were without power, according to Baltimore Gas and Electric Co.'s Web site. The main break is part of a larger issue with failing infrastructure in many U.S. cities, said Kurt Kocher, a spokesman for Baltimore's Department of Public Works. Kocher cited two other huge main breaks in the Maryland and Washington area that were started from the same type of pipe that burst in Friday's incident. \"This is a national infrastructure crisis,\" Kocher said. CNN's Alec Miran in Dundalk, Maryland, contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Water is safe to drink; pressure has been restored .\nResidents say water damaged vehicles, homes and left sewage smell .\n72-inch main shut down after about two hours, county official says .\nNearly 1,000 were without power, according to Baltimore Gas and Electric ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Kanye West called Taylor Swift with a \"very sincere\" apology Tuesday for interrupting her acceptance speech at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, Swift said. Kanye West called Taylor Swift to apologize for hijacking her speech at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. West phoned Swift following her appearance on ABC's \"The View\" Tuesday, her publicist said. Swift talked about it in a radio interview with ABC. \"Kanye did call me and he was very sincere in his apology,\" she said. \"And I accepted that apology.\" The apology came the morning after West, in an interview with Jay Leno, appeared to blame the pain of his mother's death two years ago for his \"rude\" behavior. The rapper told Leno he would now \"take some time off\" to think about how he will \"make it through the rest of this life.\" West's appearance on the prime-time premiere of \"The Jay Leno Show\" capped a 24-hour period that began Sunday evening with him strolling down the red carpet at New York's Radio City Music Hall while gulping from a bottle of cognac. The low-light came about an hour later, when West jumped onstage and grabbed the microphone from Swift as she accepted the Best Female Video award. West declared that Beyonce Knowles should have won. West appeared sober and humble when he spoke on Leno's Los Angeles stage Monday, an appearance that was originally to be just musical. Watch West give an emotional interview to Leno » . \"I immediately knew in this situation that it was wrong,\" West told Leno. \"And it wasn't a spectacle, you know. It was actually someone's emotions, you know, that I stepped on and it was very, it was just, it was rude, period.\" When Leno asked West what his mother would have thought of his behavior, he fell silent for more than a dozen seconds and appeared near tears. Leno pressed him again. \"Would she be disappointed in this? Would she give you a lecture?\" West gave a rambling, emotional answer: . \"Yeah, you know, obviously, you know, I deal with hurt and, you know, so many, you know, celebrities, they never take the time off, and I've never taken the time off to really, you know, I just, music after music and tour after tour on tour, and I'm just ashamed that my hurt caused someone else's hurt.\" West said he wasn't trying to justify his behavior, \"because I was just in the wrong. That's clear.\" \"But I need to, after this, just to take some time off and analyze how I'm going to, you know, make it through rest of this life, how I'm going to improve,\" he said. \"Because, I am a celebrity and that's something I have to deal with.\" He said he would like to personally apologize to Swift, a 19-year-old pop-country singer. \"And if there's anything I can do to help Taylor in the future or help anyone, I want to live this thing. It's hard sometimes, so.\" After his four-minute talk with Leno, West joined fellow hip-hop superstars Jay-Z and Rihanna to perform \"Run This Town,\" a song they recorded together. The timing of West's antics came at a good time for Leno, who embarked on a new era of his career Monday. After 17 years of hosting \"The Tonight Show,\" Leno debuted his 10 p.m. weeknight talk show on NBC. Apologies from celebrities behaving badly have boosted Leno's ratings. In 1995, Leno enjoyed a ratings-grabbing moment when he asked actor Hugh Grant, \"What the hell were you thinking?\" Grant had been arrested two weeks earlier for public lewd conduct with a Hollywood hooker. When Grant told Leno \"I did a bad thing,\" it gave Leno's \"Tonight Show\" a viewership bump that has been credited with solidifying his lead over rival David Letterman in the late-night ratings war. This is just the kind of \"immediacy\" Leno was talking about in a call with reporters last week. \"The idea here is that we'll tape a new, fresh show every single day, talking about the events that happened that day that night,\" Leno said. Jerry Seinfeld also appeared on Leno's premiere Monday." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Kanye West reaches out to Taylor Swift to apologize .\nRapper had interrupted Swift as she accepted the Best Female Video award .\nWest contacted her after she appeared on \"The View\"\nCountry singer said she accepted his apology ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Sunny Hostin is a legal analyst on CNN's \"American Morning.\" Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano represented himself at his federal trial. The jury's still out. NEW YORK (CNN) -- There's a courthouse adage: A person who represents himself has a fool for a client. When a defendant utters those tragic words, \"I'm going to represent myself,\" judges blanch, attorneys snicker, and even the court reporters grimace. I've been on the opposite side of those who have chosen to represent themselves. It wasn't pleasant. Since 1975, when the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Sixth Amendment \"grants to the accused personally the right to make his own defense,\" many defendants have decided to take the law literally into their own hands. The most recent self-represented \"client\" is Anthony Pellicano, the Hollywood private investigator who's been on trial for 78 counts lodged against him and two co-defendants. Pellicano's jury has been out for a week, so it's not yet clear whether the outcome of his case will follow the conventional wisdom. The 64-year-old celebrity sleuth is accused of leading a criminal enterprise that raked in more than $2 million by illegally spying, allegedly using wiretaps and law enforcement databases, on Hollywood's rich and famous. He then dished the dirt to their rivals. If convicted of leading a criminal conspiracy, known as a RICO charge, he could spend up 20 years to life in prison. RICO, by the way, stands for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. It's the law the Justice Department used to bring down the mob. Prosecutors have to prove that Pellicano and his co-defendants ran a corrupt enterprise that profited from information they obtained illegally. U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer granted Pellicano's request to represent himself, but she wasn't too happy about it. \"If the U.S. Supreme Court didn't require me to let defendants represent themselves, I wouldn't do it,\" she said. Even without a law degree, Pellicano seemed to realize that getting the jury to acquit him of the conspiracy charge was important. During his 15-minute closing argument, he denied he led a criminal enterprise and insisted that he acted as a \"lone ranger\" while gathering information for his clients. He also told the jurors that he shared no information with colleagues as he conducted investigations and allowed others to learn only what he wanted them to know. \"There was no criminal enterprise or conspiracy. Mr. Pellicano alone is responsible. That is the simple truth,\" he said, referring to himself in the third person. But unlike a seasoned attorney, he failed to address the evidence against him, including illegally taped conversations. Instead, he bragged about his career, while wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, saying of himself, again in the third person: \"Perhaps his business card should read, 'I deliver,' because he did it over and over again.\" Courtroom observers said his \"cross-examination\" often consisted of little more than settling old scores. So is Pellicano a fool, or absolutely brilliant? Well, if history is our teacher, he would do better if he had a lawyer, even a bad one. If you have a bad lawyer and you get convicted, you can always argue on appeal that your lawyer was ineffective and get a new trial. The following self-appointed lawyers learned the hard way that they had fools for clients: . In fact, I can't think of a defendant who represented himself or herself as well, or better, than a lawyer. So maybe I'm biased, but lawyers are trained professionals. We're trained in the art of trial war. Let us do our jobs." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Private eye Anthony Pellicano chose to represent himself at his trial .\nPellicano is accused of illegally gathering dirt for A-list clients .\nPeople who represent themselves usually don't do well with juries ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's Note: This story details how two members of the CNN Special Investigations Unit reported a story about controversial plans to spend $31 million to enhance two remote crossings on the border between the United States and Canada. The road to the border was so quiet it was safe for Drew Griffin to sit in the middle of it. SCOBEY, Montana (CNN) -- We were driving through some of the most remote country in the United States, chasing a story that seemed hard to believe. The Department of Homeland Security had announced it was spending $31 million to enhance and upgrade two remote border crossings -- just 12 miles apart -- on the border between Montana and the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The spending was lauded by Montana's two senators, even though only an average of 22 cars a day traveled through these border posts. We hopped a plane from Atlanta, Georgia, to Billings, Montana, and then headed to Scobey and Whitetail. The six-hour drive took us through some of this nation's most beautiful country into the high plains of the Missouri River Region. It was a drive punctuated with glimpses of cows and antelopes, but few people. In fact, Burl Bowler, editor of the Daniels County Leader newspaper, which serves the border towns, advised us where to stop for gas en route, so we wouldn't run out and then really be in trouble. Besides seeing a part of the country where Lt. Col. George Custer took his last stand, there was the added benefit (sorry CNN management) of having no phone or Blackberry access. In that respect, it was a peaceful drive. When we got to Scobey, the few people we encountered couldn't have been nicer. Everyone we passed stopped, said hello, or waved. But encountering people was the problem -- and in fact, the story: We just didn't encounter that many. Certainly not at the border, where we stood and even sat in the middle of the road to show viewers how few people travel to and from Canada here. Watch just how quiet the border crossing was » . The Scobey border crossing itself seemed perfectly adequate. But the Department of Homeland Security had warned its agents not to allow us inside, so we don't know what the interior is like. If we came in, we would be too disruptive, one government spokesman had informed us. In Scobey, that claim seemed a little far-fetched, since there wasn't anything going on here -- disruptive or otherwise. On the Canadian side, farmer Marc Chabot, a U.S. citizen whose family has farmed the area on both sides of the border for generations, said he was grateful for the money his senators -- Democrats Max Baucus and Jon Tester -- steered to northeast Montana. But, he said, like others in the community, he gasped when he learned of the plan to spend $31 million expanding two border crossings that are rarely used. \"It would be wiser spent on something more useful to the public generally,\" he told us, adding that come winter, the average of 20 cars crossing a day in Scobey drops to almost none. Editor Burl Bowler told us the area could certainly use stimulus money for jobs, but not at the border. We asked both Bowler and Chabot about the possibility of terrorists creeping across the frontier. Both said that after the attacks of September 11, 2001, everyone needed to be more mindful of the porous border. But Chabot said the government had the area fairly well covered. \"Trust me, they know we are here right now,\" he said. And a massive new building costing more than $15 million in Scobey, Montana, wasn't exactly a deterrence to someone set on harming the United States, he added. Chabot joked that any stranger in the area certainly would not be a stranger long, since everyone knew everyone -- a point echoed by Bowler, who pointed out that while he hadn't told many people that CNN was coming to town, everyone seemed to know it anyway. In Whitetail, it was even quieter. The town has grain elevators and a post office. Bureau of Transportation statistics show only about two people a day cross the border there, and the agents' building seemed in good shape, save for maybe needing a paint job. The DHS planned to spend $15 million on the outpost. That would buy a lot more paint than the building seemed to need. So why did these two areas get so much money? Locals and critics suspect politics might have played a role. Baucus is chairman of the Senate Finance Committee; Tester is on the Senate's Homeland Security Committee. Both took credit for convincing the DHS to give these towns millions for border crossings, bragging in a joint press release that they pressured the agency. \"This is good news for all of Montana and especially communities across the northern tier,\" Baucus said in the statement. Tester said the spending would \"pay off for generations to come by creating new jobs and opportunity that will benefit all of Montana.\" As late as Wednesday, his spokesman reiterated Tester's support of the spending, saying that it would seal security gaps on the border. So, the nagging question: Did politics, rather than security, guide the DHS? Especially when a border town like Laredo, Texas, which sees 66,000 crossings a day, was getting not one dime of the $400 million in DHS border stimulus funds. Montana, in total, was to receive $77 million. In an interview Wednesday with CNN, Trent Frazier, the director of port modernization for the Department of Homeland Security, denied that politics played any role. \"We feel that these ports, like all ports of entry, are a vital part of the network of security that we have established across the border apparatus that we employ across the borders, and the investments we are going to do along these borders are a critical step in ensuring we can perform our mission,\" Frazier said. But if Frazier did not believe politics factored in the decisions, it appeared to play a big role by Wednesday afternoon. Fellow Democrat Sen. Byron Dorgan, from the neighboring state of North Dakota, sent out a news release urging DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano to suspend the stimulus program. He said that spending the money on such remote ports -- including the nine in his state -- was \"just nuts.\" Dorgan said the plan \"just defied common sense.\" Within hours, Napolitano announced she was ordering a 30-day review to see if the money was being spent appropriately. In her letter to Dorgan, Napolitano said 39 of the 43 Custom and Border Protection posts were located in the northern United States. She said most of the Southern ports were owned by the General Services Administration, and the money directed by Congress was earmarked for the Custom and Border Protection properties and required to be spent within 24 months. \"Nonetheless,\" she wrote, \"in order to ensure even further transparency in this process, I am ordering a 30 day review\" of all port construction decisions by officials who did not make the initial allocation decisions. So, for now, if you want to travel to Canada through Scobey or Whitetail, the agents who inspect your vehicles will be using the buildings now in place -- and according to the locals, you will be adequately served." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "DHS planned to spend $31 million to upgrade remote border crossings .\nThe crossings are 12 miles apart and get little to no traffic .\nLaredo, Texas, by comparison, gets 66,000 crossings a day .\nLaredo will not receive any of the $400 million in DHS border stimulus funds ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- Thousands gathered in the Cuban capital on Sunday to pay their respects to one of Cuba's few remaining original revolutionaries, Juan Almeida, who according to state media died of a heart attack Friday evening. Cubans wait Sunday at Havana's Revolution Plaza to pay respects to deceased Cuban revolutionary Juan Almeida. A single column of people stretched around Havana's Revolution Square in a well-coordinated show of solidarity and remembrance during what state media reported as a national day of mourning. President Raul Castro and other top government officials were reportedly on hand, though elder brother and former Communist leader Fidel Castro -- not seen in public since abdominal surgery in 2006 -- did not make an appearance. Almeida, 82, fought alongside Fidel Castro and was among only a handful of surviving Cuban leaders who still bore the title \"Commander of the Revolution.\" Watch as Cubans remember Juan Almeida » . Widely admired among Cuban nationals, Almeida participated in the failed attacks on the Moncada army barracks in 1953. He was aboard the famed yacht \"Granma,\" that carried the small group of Cuban rebels who would later topple U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. A vice president and member of the Communist government Central Committee, Almeida was among only a few black leaders in top government posts. \"This shows how we're all participants in our revolution and there is nothing that sets you apart,\" said Havana resident Fernando, who declined to give his last name. \"Not color, nor religion,\" he added. Almeida's death underscores the mortality of an aging cast of Cuba's revolutionary leaders. Widespread speculation surrounding the health of Fidel Castro grew in 2006 after he underwent abdominal surgery and later ceded the presidency to his younger brother, Raul. The elder Castro recently surfaced in a series of photos and video looking healthier, though he has not appeared in public in over three years." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Cuban revolutionary Juan Almeida died of a heart attack Friday evening .\nThousands gathered in the Cuban capital on Sunday to pay their respects .\nHe was among only a few black leaders in top government posts .\nAlmeida fought with the Castros at the start of their revolution ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Rielle Hunter, the woman at the center of the John Edwards sex scandal, has been known variously as a spiritual seeker, an aspiring actress, a party girl and a political operative, according to media reports. A video image shows Rielle Hunter arriving at the federal courthouse in Raleigh, North Carolina, on August 6. Last year, after months of denials, Edwards admitted having an affair with Hunter while he was campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2006. Edwards' campaign paid Hunter $114,000 to make a series of short webisode videos about his presidential campaign, and she traveled extensively with the candidate's entourage. Edwards denies that he is the father of a baby Hunter bore in February 2008, saying the affair was over before she became pregnant. Former Edwards aide Andrew Young claimed the baby was his. But Young later said that the former senator is the father and that his paternity claim had been made at Edwards' request. Hunter has not said who the father is. Watch Hunter and baby arrive at federal court » . \"Rielle is the black sheep of the family. We were all raised the same way. She chose a different path,\" Hunter's sister, Roxanne Marshall, told People magazine in August 2008. Hunter, born Lisa Druck in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was known for her partying ways as a young adult in New York, novelist Jay McInerney told People. He said Hunter, whom he dated for a while, and her friends inspired his book \"Story of My Life.\" After moving to Los Angeles, California, in 1991, she married Alexander Hunter III, according to the Raleigh (North Carolina) News & Observer. They divorced in 2000. Watch how a scandal might not wreck a career » . Hunter explored New Age spiritualism. She called her co-stars in the play \"Savage in Limbo\" together and burned herbs in the theater \"to clear the space of bad spirits and bring in the good ones,\" actress Elizabeth Dennehy told People. \"But it was all meaningful and earnest.\" Hunter changed her first name to Rielle in 1994 because \"it just came to her,\" publicist Pigeon O'Brien, a longtime acquaintance, told People. The movie Web site imdb.com lists Hunter under several names, as a writer, producer and actress, having appeared on screen in four films. She's the co-founder of Midline Groove Productions, a New Jersey-based production company. Hunter told the television show \"Extra\" that she met Edwards by chance in 2006 when she was 42. \"It was a random meeting. He was in a business meeting in New York, and I was in the same place,\" she said. Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, related to talk show host Oprah Winfrey how her husband described the beginning of the affair. \"She was standing in front of the hotel and said to him, 'You are so hot.' I can't deliver it, because I don't know how to deliver such lines,\" she told Winfrey. \"But 'You are so hot' are the words she said to him.\" The tabloid National Enquirer first reported in October 2007 that Edwards had engaged in an affair, but he denied it for months. He finally acknowledged the liaison in an August 2008 interview with ABC's \"Nightline\" as the Enquirer's reporting gained momentum, including the publication of a photo the tabloid said showed Edwards holding the baby. Hunter has shunned publicity since the affair became public. She spent an entire day in August at the federal courthouse in Raleigh, North Carolina. A federal grand jury is investigating payments to Hunter's production company, but officials would not say whether the grand jury was meeting on the day of Hunter's visit to the courthouse. Since the birth of her daughter, according to ABC, Hunter has assumed aliases and resided in various expensive homes in North Carolina and, more recently, in Santa Barbara, California. Edwards has denied giving any money to Hunter for anything other than her campaign work. Fred Baron, the finance chairman for the Edwards presidential campaign, told ABC that he used his personal resources to help Hunter move out of North Carolina and did not tell Edwards about the assistance, which consisted of access to jets, homes, cars and cash." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Rielle Hunter was party girl who became spiritual, acquaintances say .\nFilmmaker says she met former Sen. John Edwards by chance .\nEdwards' wife says Hunter approached him at hotel, said, \"You're so hot\"\nHunter has avoided spotlight since birth of child; paternity never stated ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LONDON, England (CNN) -- A giant oil-trading company is offering to pay thousands of Africans a settlement after a contractor illegally dumped toxic waste in West Africa three years ago. Parents say their child's body is covered in lesions as a result of toxic waste dumped in Ivory Coast in 2006. The United Nations says the 2006 dumping in Ivory Coast killed 15 people and sickened about 100,000 others. Trafigura is offering $1,536 (or 950 British pounds) per person to settle a lawsuit stemming from the dumping of 500 tons of toxic waste off Ivory Coast, or Cote d'Ivoire, a company spokeswoman said Monday. The law firm representing the claimants has said in the past it represents up to 30,000 people, making the settlement potentially worth about $46 million. A judge still must approve the deal before it becomes final. The Trafigura spokeswoman, Alex Nelless of the public relations firm Bell Pottinger, said she did not know if a court date had been set. The Dutch-based company does not admit liability in the settlement and aggressively fought the suit. It threatened to sue media outlets, including the BBC, for its reporting of the case. The British law firm representing the victims Monday refused to comment on any aspect of the case or to confirm the existence of a settlement. Nisha Patel, a spokeswoman for Leigh Day and Co. in London, said she did not know when the firm would be able to comment. Trafigura also sued Leigh Day for libel, a suit that Trafigura said had been \"resolved.\" Last week, the United Nations said that Trafigura caused death and injury when the cargo ship Probo Koala dumped 500 tons of toxic waste belonging to the company at sites around Abidjan, Ivory Coast's largest city. \"According to official estimates, 15 people died, 69 people were hospitalized and over 100,000 others, complaining of nausea and vomiting after inhaling fumes, sought medical treatment after the incident,\" said the report released Wednesday by Okechukwu Ibeanu, an unpaid investigator for the Geneva, Switzerland-based U.N. Human Rights Council. The areas where the toxic waste was dumped still have not been decontaminated and continue to threaten residents' health, Ibeanu said last month. Many people, he said, report headaches, skin lesions, digestive difficulties and nose, throat and lung problems, according to a U.N. statement. Trafigura rejects the U.N. findings and said the investigator ignored repeated offers to see the results of the company's own studies. It said 20 experts it had hired did not find a link between \"exposure to the chemicals released from the slops [toxic waste] and deaths, miscarriages, stillbirths, birth defects, loss of visual acuity or other serious and chronic injuries.\" It admits that a contractor dumped the toxic waste but denies responsibility. \"It remains Trafigura's position that it did not foresee, and could not have foreseen, the reprehensible acts of Compagnie Tommy in dumping the slops in and around Abidjan in August and September 2006, and that Compagnie Tommy acted entirely independently of, and without any authority from, Trafigura,\" the company said in a statement Saturday. \"Nevertheless, Trafigura regrets that this incident occurred and is pleased that the matter has now been resolved,\" it said. Trafigura said the statement was being issued jointly with Leigh Day and that a court had ordered the law firm to publish the statement on its Web site. CNN could not find the statement on Leigh Day's site, and the firm's spokeswoman declined to say if it was there. \"While we certainly do not accept legal liability, Trafigura regrets the Probo Koala incident and in particular the distress that it caused the local population,\" company director Eric de Turckheim said in a statement. Trafigura says on its Web site that it has \"access to approximately $17 billion in credit facilities and investments ... around the world of more than $1 billion.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "U.N. says 2006 dumping in Ivory Coast killed 15 people, sickened about 100,000 .\nFirm offers $1,536 per person to settle suit stemming from dumping of toxic waste .\nSettlement potentially could be worth $46 million; judge must still approve deal .\nDutch firm Trafigura says contractor dumped toxic waste, but it denies responsibility ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Singer Chris Brown publicly apologized for assaulting his pop star girlfriend, Rihanna, in a video statement posted on his personal Web site Monday. Chris Brown, shown here at his June 22 court appearance, has publicly apologized in a video posted Monday. \"I have told Rihanna countless times, and I'm telling you today, that I'm truly, truly sorry in that I wasn't able to handle the situation both differently and better,\" Brown said. \"What I did was unacceptable, 100 percent. I can only ask and pray that you forgive me. Please.\" Brown, 20, was arrested after an early morning argument inside a rented Lamborghini on a Hollywood street in February. He admitted guilt to a felony assault charge in June in a plea deal under which he will serve five years of probation and do about 1,400 hours of \"labor-oriented service.\" Sentencing is set for August 5. A publicist for Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, has not responded to CNN requests for comment on the apology. Watch Brown ask for forgiveness » . Brown, in the two-minute video, said he had wanted to \"publicly express my deepest regret and accept full responsibility\" since February, but he remained silent on the advice of his defense lawyer. \"Although I will do some interviews and answer some questions in the future, I felt it was time you heard directly from me that I am sorry,\" he said. \"I have tried to live my life in a way which can make those around me proud of me, and until recently, I think I was doing a pretty good job,\" Brown said. \"I wish I had the chance to relive those few moments again, but unfortunately I can't. I cannot go into what happened, and most importantly, I'm not going to sit here and make any excuses.\" The incident began when Rihanna, who was riding in the sports car driven by Brown, found a text message on his cell phone from \"a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with,\" according to a sworn statement by Los Angeles Police Detective DeShon Andrews. \"A verbal argument ensued,\" followed by the physical attack, the statement said. It went on to describe the assault in great detail, saying Brown punched Rihanna numerous times and put her in a headlock, restricting her breathing and causing her to start to lose consciousness. He threatened to beat her and kill her, according to the statement, and he bit her ear and her fingers. Eventually, \"Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away,\" the statement said. \"A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F.'s plea for help and called 911, causing a police response. An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order.\" At the end of his statement, the detective said Brown sent a text message nine days later, apologizing. \"I take great pride in me being able to exercise self-control, and what I did was inexcusable,\" Brown said in his video apology. \"I am very sad and very ashamed of what I've done. My mother and my spiritual teachers have taught me way better than that.\" Brown, who lost several product endorsements after his arrest, said he realizes he has \"truly been blessed\" and he intends \"to live my life so that I am truly worthy of the term 'role model.' \" \"As many of you know, I grew up in a home where there was domestic violence, and I saw firsthand what uncontrolled rage can do,\" he said. \"I have sought and I am continuing to seek help to ensure that what occurred in February can never happen again. And as I sit here today, I can tell you that I will do everything in my power to make sure that it never happens again. And I promise that.\" His probation requires that Brown complete domestic violence counseling. The judge said he cannot have contact with Rihanna again until that is completed." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Chris Brown posts an apology on his Web site .\nBrown struck a plea deal last month for incident involving girlfriend Rihanna .\nBrown: \"I'm not going to sit here and make any excuses\"" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "PINE VALLEY, California (CNN) -- Dozens of America's greatest military heroes are gathered in Chicago, Illinois, possibly the last large gathering of living Medal of Honor recipients. John Finn, 100, at his California ranch, said he was just a dutiful soldier. That \"hero stuff is a bunch crap,\" he said. Among the men with light blue ribbons holding a star around their necks signifying uncommon bravery, will be John Finn. Finn, who received the nation's highest medal for valor for his actions during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, turned 100 this summer, the oldest living Medal of Honor recipient. Finn was stationed at Kanoehe Bay Naval Air Station, where the Japanese struck five minutes before attacking Pearl Harbor, across southeast Oahu Island from Kanoehe Bay. Finn recalled how a neighbor was the first to alert him, when she knocked on his door saying, \"They want you down at the squadron right away!\" Finn saw the first Japanese plane before his car even reached his hangar. \"I put that old car of mine in second gear and wound it up getting down to the hangar where I could be where my guns and ammunition were,\" Finn said. One of the first things he did was take control of a machine gun from his squadron's painter. \"I said, 'Alex, let me take that gun,' \" Finn explained. \"I knew that I had more experience firing a machine gun than a painter.\" \"I got that gun and I started shooting at Jap planes,\" Finn said in the salty language not uncommon among veterans of that long-ago war. But Finn's machine gun was right out in the open, nothing protecting him from the attacking pilots. \"I was out there shooting the Jap planes and just every so often I was a target for some,\" Finn said. \"They were Japanese fighter plane pilots. I can remember seeing, in some cases, I could see their faces.\" Watch John Finn's give his account of his actions on December 7, 1941 » . He was wounded in the head, the arm, the hand and the foot, but Finn fought on, a one-man counterattack to the surprise air raid that pulled America into World War II. Finn talked to CNN at his ranch in the desert east of San Diego, California. He surrounds himself with reminders of his life -- his entire life, not just that one infamous day out of 100 years. There are pictures of his wife, Alice, who married him before Pearl Harbor and was by his side until 1998. The hillside outside his home is covered with old cars, old trucks and even an old military ambulance. But the first thing one notices when visiting Finn's ranch is the sign at the road, with a painting of his medal next to his name. The citation for his Medal of Honor tells that part of his story: . \"He continued to man this gun and to return the enemy's fire vigorously and with telling effect throughout the enemy strafing and bombing attacks and with complete disregard for his own personal safety. It was only by specific orders that he was persuaded to leave his post to seek medical attention. Following first-aid treatment, although obviously suffering much pain and moving with great difficulty, he returned to the squadron area and actively supervised the rearming of returning planes,\" the citation stated. With Japanese still attacking, getting his wounds treated wasn't a priority, Finn said. \"Medical help comes later. If you're busy shooting a machine gun or a rifle or a pistol or doing anything, you can't worry about getting medical attention,\" he explained. Less than a year later, Finn, out of the hospital and recovered from his wounds, was back on duty with the Navy in Hawaii. Adm. Chester Nimitz presented Finn with the Medal of Honor for his bravery, joining the ranks of the men, and one woman, recognized with the nation's highest award for heroism. These days most medals are awarded at the White House, but with the war heating up, such a long trip was out of the question. In fact, his first visit to the White House came in the spring when President Obama invited him for a visit. Back at his ranch, Finn bristled when asked about being called a \"hero.\" \"That damned hero stuff is a bunch crap, I guess. Well, it is one thing that I think any man that is in that, you gotta be in that position,\" Finn said. \"You gotta understand that there's all kinds of heroes, but they never get a chance to be in a hero's position.\" Fewer than 100 men who have received the Medal of Honor are alive today. More than half of them are expected in Chicago this week for the annual Congressional Medal of Honor Society Convention. But because they are all veterans of World War II, Korea or Vietnam, their ranks are shrinking every year. The men from more recent conflicts, like Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq, were all awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. And this week, while many of those living recipients gather in Chicago, Obama will present the latest Medal of Honor at the White House to a soldier who fought and died heroically in Afghanistan." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In Pearl Harbor attack, John Finn was wounded in head and limbs but fought on .\nFinn's medal citation states he continued to \"return the enemy's fire vigorously\"\nCongressional Medal of Honor Society Convention is in Chicago this week ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Park Ji-Sung made history this year when the Manchester United midfielder became the first Korean to appear in the final of the European Champions League. Manchester United's Park Ji-Sung in action for his club. The 28-year-old finished on the losing side in May, after Alex Ferguson's team were beaten 2-0 by Spain's Barcelona on the night, but for Park, his inclusion in the starting eleven represented a significant achievement. CNN will be traveling to the Red Devils' training ground on September 21 to speak to Park about his life, and we're giving you the chance to question the man himself. What do you want to ask Park Ji-Sung? When it comes to Asian football, there's no bigger star than Park Ji-Sung. The midfielder is a hero in his home country, not only for captaining the national team, but also for flying the flag for Korean football abroad thanks to a string of lung-busting performances for one of the world's most famous club sides. Video : Park Ji-Sung talks to CNN. » . In fact, he has been nicknamed \"Three-lung Park\" by the media in his homeland, thanks to his seemingly overflowing energy supply. The same newspapers plaster Park on their front pages whenever he plays. Yet when he signed for Manchester United from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, some unfairly thought that it was a mere sop, a marketing tool for Manchester United to sell more replica shirts. Check out CNN's Park Ji-Sung gallery. » . But Ferguson has had other ideas, picking Park for some of United's most important games. \"He has developed his tactical and technical ability and he has become a very important player for us,\" Ferguson told a press conference during United's summer tour of Korea. \"He has had a fantastic career with us.\" That career has seen him earn a Champions League winner's medal, numerous Premier League titles and a fourth place finish at the 2002 World Cup finals. If anything this year has been his best yet. Following last season's English Premier League title, and a start in this year's Champions League final, he led South Korea to the 2010 World Cup finals, scoring a late goal against Iran to secure their automatic qualification for South Africa. To confirm his status, he has just signed a two-year extension at United. And now CNN are offering you the chance to put your questions to arguably Asia's greatest player. What is Alex Ferguson like to work with? What has been the highlight of his career so far? And what hope do South Korea have of emulating their 2002 World Cup glory in South Africa next summer? Leave your questions below." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Park Ji-Sung is the first Korean to play in the Champions League final .\nHe has just lead the South Korean national team to the World Cup finals .\nSir Alex Ferguson calls him \"a very important player\" for United .\nSound Off: What do you want to ask Park Ji-Sung?" } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- A legally insane killer who escaped in Washington state during a field trip to a fair was recaptured Sunday, the Spokane County Sheriff's Department said. Authorities combed Washington state for Phillip Paul, a killer who escaped Thursday during a field trip. Phillip Paul, who was on the run for three days, had been planning the break for \"at least the last several months,\" Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich said at a news conference. Paul was recaptured at about 4 p.m. PT in Goldendale, Washington, sheriff's Sgt. Dave Reagan said. Goldendale is about 250 miles from the site of Paul's escape from a county fair in Spokane County, Washington. Police received a tip Saturday afternoon that Paul was dropped off by a person he managed to dupe into giving him a ride to Goldendale, Knezovich said. Police spotted him hiding in a wooded area about 100 yards from the drop-off point Sunday and eventually arrested him while he was trying to hitch another ride, Knezovich said. Sheriff's officials told CNN affiliate KREM-TV that Paul also escaped briefly in 1991 and assaulted a law enforcement officer. That same officer was involved in arresting Paul on Sunday, Reagan said. Paul, 47, escaped at around noon Thursday. Though Paul had been confined in a mental institution because of a murder confession, he was allowed to go on the trip to the county fair. Paul had packed all his personal belongings in a large backpack before leaving on the trip, which the sheriff said should have been a sign that Paul was \"about ready to do something this drastic.\" Paul was committed to Eastern State Hospital after admitting he strangled and slit the throat of community activist Ruth Motley in 1987, KREM-TV reported. According to court documents obtained by KREM, Paul believed Motley was a witch and killed her in response to voices in his head. He subsequently burned a deer carcass as a sacrifice, according to the documents. Paul's escape Thursday prompted a massive manhunt and brought criticism from many, including state government officials and police. \"There was an extreme amount of anger throughout the law enforcement community that this event even took place,\" Knezovich said. \"This is a situation, in my opinion, that should have never happened.\" Knezovich also complained that hospital officials had not reported Paul's escape for two hours, which he said also hindered the investigation. A review of the policy that allows patients to take trips has been launched, said Susan Dreyfus, secretary of the Washington's Department of Social and Health Services. Dreyfus said she was concerned about Paul's escape and another recent brief escape by a patient at a different local mental facility." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Phillip Paul recaptured Sunday in Goldendale, Washington, authorities say .\nPaul duped someone into driving him 250 miles from escape site .\nPaul planned escape for at least several months, police say .\nLegally insane killer escaped Thursday during hospital field trip to fair ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- On a recent Southwest Airlines flight, a man dropped his pants and exposed himself to the female passenger sitting next to him, then punched her, according to an FBI affidavit. The plane was in midair, and the naked man reportedly grew angrier, screaming uncontrollably and shaking his fist in the air. In August, a man on Southwest Airlines exposed himself and punched a fellow passenger, an FBI affidavit says. The man had gone \"berserk,\" said James Scanlon, a 52-year-old passenger who witnessed the August incident. \"He was jeopardizing my safety on that airplane. I was afraid he would rush the cockpit or try to jump out.\" Laws prohibiting interference with flight crews and attendants on aircraft have been on the books for decades. But since the September 11, 2001, attacks, federal officials and airlines have clamped down on misconduct, imposing bigger fines and stricter punishments for passengers who behave badly. \"Now people are more hyper-vigilant on what occurs on aircrafts,\" said Ron Koziol, assistant section chief for the FBI's violent crimes unit, who calls airplanes a \"high-risk\" environment. \"The U.S. government is more aware of what can occur on an aircraft, and [officials] don't want those issues causing the plane to be in an unsafe environment.\" The FBI reports an average of 80 incidents aboard aircraft each year. The man on the Southwest fight, Darius Chappill, was charged in U.S. District Court in Oakland, California with interference with a flight crew and accused of exposing himself. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The Federal Aviation Administration, which handles unruly incidents deemed to be civil violations, has reported more than 900 cases over the past five years. In 2000, a series of incidents in which passengers verbally harassed and hit crew members prompted the FAA to boost the civil penalty fine for interfering with a crew member from a maximum of $1,100 to $25,000. The FBI usually handles more serious cases of abuse or dangerous behavior. The FAA numbers don't reflect all the cases of inappropriate behavior, said Les Dorr, a spokesman for the agency. Crew members are used to experiencing the wrath of passengers who are frustrated by delays and missing baggage. Sometimes, these incidents aren't severe enough to be reported to government officials. Many confrontations occur when a flight attendant refuses to serve an intoxicated passenger another alcoholic beverage, according to flight attendants. When the temper tantrums get physical, airline officials may resort to plastic handcuffs and restraining tape. On a Frontier Airlines flight in July 2007, passenger Tamera Freeman was seen physically abusing her children, who were crying, according to court documents. The court records show that when the flight attendant refused to serve her alcohol, Freeman threw her drink at the attendant. Crew members subsequently taped Freeman into her seat, and she spent three months in jail for the incident. Passengers who fail to comply with standard airline policies -- such as staying seated when the seat-belt sign is on or turning off electronics when the plane is landing -- also spark confrontation, airline attendants said. Christina Szele, a New York passenger onboard JetBlue Airways in 2008, decided to smoke in her seat last summer despite the no-smoking law implemented on U.S. flights in 1990. Court documents revealed that when flight attendants asked Szele to stop, she began to yell obscenities and racial slurs. The flight was diverted to Denver, Colorado. Szele later was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Denver to serve five years' probation for interference with a JetBlue flight crew member. Szele was ordered to participate in anger management and drug and alcohol abuse treatment as well as fined nearly $8,000. Tim Smith, an American Airlines spokesman, reported a slight decrease in the number of incidents of misconduct this year compared with last year. The number of unruly passenger incidents tracked by the FAA also has dipped since 2004. The punishment for unruly behavior can be severe. In addition to federal charges, fines and jail time, passengers who are prosecuted may be liable for paying to divert a flight to an unscheduled airport, which can run into the tens of thousands of dollars. Depending on the offense, the unruly passenger may be banned from the airline permanently. But some passengers said they believe the airlines and government are reacting too harshly. \"You can't have a dispute on board an airline with the flight crew period,\" said Charles Slepian, CEO of Foreseeable Risk Analysis Center Inc., a security consulting group. \"In some instances, it's a good thing. But others will say it is a violation of my First Amendment rights.\" Several airlines require their attendants to take courses on how to defuse confrontations and calm passengers who make belligerent threats. \"We have all accepted that when we chose this career path our job is to be a safety professional,\" said Kelly Skyles, national safety and security coordinator for the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, an organization that represents attendants at American Airlines. \"I'm the eyes, ears and nose of the aircraft to report everything to the cockpit. The service part, that's just a bonus of our job.\" Diana Fairechild, an aviation consultant and flight attendant for two decades, said flying conditions have become more strenuous. Few airlines serve meals on domestic flights, and snacks and drinks are carefully rationed. The seating space is smaller, leaving passengers feeling crunched. There are more delays, fees and less fresh oxygen on board, she said, which can trigger angry behavior. Fairechild said she has seen the quality of customer service dwindle since September 11 as some crew members have shorter tempers in dealing with passengers who disobey the law. \"Listening helps,\" Fairechild said on the skills she used to deal with rowdy passengers. \"Patience. Just being heard makes a big difference.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "FAA reports more than 900 cases of unruly behavior on planes over past five years .\nLast month, a man reportedly exposed himself to passenger on Southwest Airlines .\nFBI officials say bad behavior less tolerated on flights after September 11 attacks .\nUnruly behavior can bring civil fines up to $25,000 or criminal charges ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- The bodies of 152 people killed in a fiery plane crash in Iran Wednesday have been returned to their families, an Iranian state broadcaster reported Sunday. An Iranian Armenian woman places flower at crash site. Ahmad Majidi, the head of the special working group investigating the Caspian Airlines crash, also said a Russian team had arrived in Iran to help study the crash of the Russian-made plane, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting said. The plane went down in a field near the city of Qavzin Wednesday, killing all 168 people on board and leaving a huge smoldering crater. Majidi did not say what had happened to the 16 bodies that have not been handed over. The plane's flight data recorders have been recovered and are being studied by Iranian and Russian experts, IRIB said. Fragments of the plane are also being examined to help determine the cause of the crash, Majidi said. The plane \"disintegrated into pieces,\" said Col. Masood Jafari Nasab, security commander of Qazvin. See a map of the crash location » . Video of the crash site showed a huge crater in the earth scattered with charred pieces of the plane and tattered passports. Watch as the flight data recorders are recovered » . \"The aircraft all of a sudden fell out of the sky and exploded on impact, where you see the crater,\" a witness told Iran's government-backed Press TV from the crash site. Ten members of the country's youth judo team were aboard the plane, several sources including Press TV reported. The government-backed network said the dead included eight athletes and two coaches. It was at least the fifth major airline accident in the world this year, following crashes of planes flown by Colgan Air, Turkish Airlines, Air France and Yemenia Airways. A US Airways pilot managed to land his plane safely on the Hudson river in New York City in January, with no major injuries, after the plane lost power. But aviation safety expert John Wiley said there was no reason to fear air travel in general, and no one airline or aircraft is particularly dangerous. Caspian Airlines Flight 7908 -- a Russian-made Tupolev Tu-154M plane -- went down near the village of Jannatabad near Qazvin at 11:33 a.m. (2:03 a.m. ET) Wednesday, Press TV reported. Conversations between the pilot and the ground were normal and did not indicate any technical problems, the network's Web site reported, citing the managing director of Iran's airport authority without naming him. The Tupolev 154 is essentially banned in the West because it does not comply with European noise and pollution regulations, but it has a safer-than-average accident record, Wiley said. Wednesday's crash is the first on record for Caspian Airlines, which was founded in 1993, he added. The plane crashed 16 minutes after takeoff, said the newspaper Hamshari, quoting a spokesman from Iran's civil aviation organization. That would have put the flight in one of the safest stages of travel, according to International Air Transport Association data. Only about 5 percent of accidents take place during the phase called en-route climb, 16 to 20 minutes into a flight, when a plane climbs to cruising altitude of 35,000 feet. About half of accidents take place during landing." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Bodies of 152 people killed in plane crash in Iran returned to their families .\nRussian team arrives in Iran to help study crash of Russian-made plane .\nIran's Press TV says flight data recorders of crashed plane damaged .\nAll 168 aboard killed when Tupolev Tu-154M went down near Qazvin ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Why leave home when you can send out a sexy, stylish robot version of yourself to do anything you tell it? In \"Surrogates,\" lifelike robots take the place of humans in day-to-day life. That's the world of \"Surrogates,\" a film starring Bruce Willis that opens Friday. Willis plays an FBI agent who investigates the first murder to occur in years in a world where no one worries about crime or pain, because their robots self-heal with a quick reboot. Far-fetched science fiction? Sure. But scientists and the movie's makers say the technology might not be as far away as most people think. Armies use remote-controlled robots to attack enemies and destroy land mines. Emerging technology for the disabled allows users to operate robotic limbs and control computer cursors without touching a keyboard. And emerging \"telepresence\" technology is letting people see, hear and, increasingly, walk, talk and gesture using human-sized robots a world away. \"There are a lot of real-world components to this,\" said robotics expert and author Daniel H. Wilson, whose books like \"Where's My Jet Pack?\" and \"How to Survive a Robot Uprising\" explore the intersections between science fiction and real science. \"Clearly, there are not fully functional humanoid robots ... but there are a lot of components to telepresence that already exist.\" \"Surrogates\" director Jonathan Mostow, whose film credits include 2003's \"Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,\" said he was drawn to the concept of surrogate robots as an extension of current technology. And, he said, as he met with scientists, he became convinced that something approaching the concept could one day be a reality. \"To me, it's not even a question of the technology. Technology always catches up,\" he said. \"The question is, is some universal human urge being met by this invention? It seems to me we have a fundamental human desire to be lazy, to sort of not have to do things in person and to do it remotely. \"That began with the telegraph and the telephone and has morphed into the Internet.\" The first steps down the road are being taken at Anybots, a Mountain View, California, company founded in 2001 by Trevor Blackwell. The company offers, for about $30,000, a 5-foot-tall, 35-pound robot that allows the user to remotely travel, see, hear and talk. It hopes to release its latest version of the robot at a more affordable price. The robot's vaguely humanoid curves, roughly adult height and ability to move around using technology similar to that of the Segway are important steps up from current teleconferencing technology, Blackwell said. Anybots in the development phase are being designed to run, jump and climb stairs, and they come equipped with fully articulated hands designed to perform increasingly human-like tasks. Blackwell said he's not sure the technology will ever advance to the level imagined in \"Surrogates\" -- but that may have as much to do with desire as ability. \"I don't know if we'll ever get quite to that level, of being that realistic,\" he said. \"Most of the time, you're not trying to fool people; you're just trying to make something human enough so people can relate to it.\" Wilson, who said he appreciates \"Surrogates\" because it avoids sci-fi's traditional \"man vs. machine\" dynamic, also imagines social reasons for not pursuing such technology. \"Would humans stand in line at the grocery store behind a robot? Would I let my children play outside if I knew there were robots outside walking dogs?\" he said. It's more realistic, Wilson said, that a humanoid robot could be created to remotely perform tasks that would be too dangerous for the machine's operator to do. although NASA employs robots in space, the highly technical work often required for space walks still requires a human touch -- at least for now. Plus, he said, making robots that look and act like us would help them function better, he said. \"Another major reason to create humanoid robots is, they can use all of our tools,\" Wilson said. \"Human beings have taken large chunks of the planet and completely transformed the environment to support our embodiment. Doorways are a certain width all over the world because human beings are about the same size. All our tools are similar because we've all got hands and thumbs.\" For Mostow, the movie also reflects technological advances that, for better or worse, exist as the world of online networking continues to grow. \"You can do your shopping. You can get your news. You can let everyone know what you're up to,\" he said. \"For those who telecommute, you don't even have to put your clothes on to go to work. \"This idea basically just takes that to its logical conclusion.\"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "In \"Surrogates\" sexy, stylish robots live life for their owners .\nScientists say \"telepresence\" with robots is real, will improve .\nCalifornia company Anybots developing robot that can jump, climb stairs .\nDirector: Androids are \"logical conclusion\" of technology that already exists ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Two Florida school administrators face contempt charges and possible prison time for saying a prayer at a school luncheon. Pace High School enacted a decree in January banning officials from promoting religion at school events. Frank Lay, principal of Pace High School, and Athletic Director Robert Freeman are accused of violating a consent decree banning employees of Santa Rosa County schools from endorsing religion. They face a non-jury trial September 17 before U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers. The statute under which they are charged carries a maximum penalty of up to six months in prison, subject to sentencing guidelines. Attorneys defending Lay and Freeman call it outrageous that the two are being prosecuted for \"a simple prayer.\" But the American Civil Liberties Union, whose lawsuit led to the consent decree, maintains that students have a right to be free from administrators foisting their religious beliefs on them. Still, an ACLU representative said the organization never suggested that people should go to jail for violating the decree. Watch why lawyer thinks men did nothing wrong » . The ACLU filed suit last year against the district on behalf of two Pace students who alleged that \"school officials regularly promoted religion and led prayers at school events,\" according to an ACLU statement. Both parties approved the consent decree put in place January 9, under which district and school officials are \"permanently prohibited from promoting, advancing, endorsing, participating in or causing prayers during or in conjunction with school events,\" the ACLU said. Lay was a party in the initial lawsuit, and his attorney was among those approving the consent decree, according to the organization. In addition, the court required that all district employees receive a copy. On January 28, \"Lay asked Freeman to offer a prayer of blessing during a school-day luncheon for the dedication of a new fieldhouse at Pace High School,\" according to court documents. \"Freeman complied with the request and offered the prayer at the event. It appears this was a school-sponsored event attended by students, faculty and community members.\" Attorneys from Liberty Counsel, a conservative legal group helping defend Lay and Freeman, said in a written statement that attendees included booster club members and other adults who helped the field house project, all \"consenting adults.\" In a February 4 letter to district Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick in which Lay acknowledged the incident, he said that although past football booster club members \"and other adults associated with the school system\" were at the luncheon, culinary class students were in charge of food preparation and serving. Lay wrote that he asked Freeman to bless the food \"for the adults. ... I take full responsibility for this action. My actions were overt and not meant to circumvent any court order or constitutional mandate.\" In response, Wyrosdick noted in a letter to Lay that in a meeting, the principal had admitted that \"you are, and were at the date of this incident, aware of the court injunction and aware that this type of action is not permissible under the injunction.\" Wyrosdick recounted telling Lay that the prayer was not appropriate. \"This note is to share with you written instructions to avoid this type of action,\" the superintendent said. Both letters are in the public court file. \"It is a sad day in America when school officials are criminally prosecuted for a prayer over a meal,\" said Mathew Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of the law school at Liberty University, founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. \"It is outrageous and an offense to the First Amendment to punish a school official for a simple prayer.\" Liberty Counsel said it is challenging the consent decree, maintaining that it \"unconstitutionally infringes on the rights of teachers, administrators and students.\" The ACLU, according to the Liberty Counsel statement, has begun \"to go against individual employees.\" The organization said that neither man \"willfully violated any orders of the court.\" \"We're not going after individuals,\" said Glenn Katon, director of the Religious Freedom Project for the ACLU of Florida. \"We're just trying to make sure that school employees comply with the court order.\" The ACLU did not request the criminal contempt charges against Lay and Freeman, he said; the judge initiated them after seeing a reference to the incident in a motion. And the ACLU is not involved in the criminal proceedings, he said. \"We certainly never suggested that anyone go to jail,\" Katon said. Lay is not facing jail time for praying, he said, but for violating a court order. \"The moral of this story is, for us, this is about the students' right to be free from teachers and school administrators thrusting upon the students their religious beliefs,\" Katon said. \"They keep talking about the religious rights of the administrators, but the administrators and the principals don't have any right to trumpet their religious beliefs in a school setting.\" Neither Lay nor Freeman has been placed on leave, according to the school district. Pace is about 10 miles north of Pensacola, Florida." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Attorneys: It's troubling that officials are being prosecuted for \"simple prayer\"\nSchool's principal, athletic director could be jailed for six months .\nACLU says it supports prayer ban but never suggested officials should be jailed .\nPrincipal acknowledges requesting prayer but didn't mean to circumvent court order ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Editor's note: John M. McCardell Jr., president emeritus at Middlebury College, is founder and president of Choose Responsibility, a nonprofit organization that seeks to engage the public in debate over the effects of the 21-year-old drinking age. John McCardell says the 21-year-old drinking age isn't preventing widespread binge drinking. (CNN) -- One year ago, a group of college and university presidents and chancellors, eventually totaling 135, issued a statement that garnered national attention. The \"Amethyst Initiative\" put a debate proposition before the public -- \"Resolved: That the 21-year-old drinking age is not working.\" It offered, in much the way a grand jury performs its duties, sufficient evidence for putting the proposition to the test. It invited informed and dispassionate public debate and committed the signatory institutions to encouraging that debate. And it called on elected officials not to continue assuming that, after 25 years, the status quo could not be challenged, even improved. One year later, the drinking age debate continues, and new research reinforces the presidential impulse. Just this summer a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry revealed that, among college-age males, binge drinking is unchanged from its levels of 1979; that among non-college women it has increased by 20 percent; and that among college women it has increased by 40 percent. Remarkably, the counterintuitive conclusion drawn by the investigators, and accepted uncritically by the media, including editorials in The New York Times and The Washington Post is that the study proves that raising the drinking age to 21 has been a success. More recently, a study of binge drinking published in the Journal of the American Medical Association announced that \"despite efforts at prevention, the prevalence of binge drinking among college students is continuing to rise, and so are the harms associated with it.\" Worse still, a related study has shown that habits formed at 18 die hard: \"For each year studied, a greater percentage of 21- to 24-year-olds [those who were of course once 18, 19 and 20] engaged in binge drinking and driving under the influence of alcohol.\" Yet, in the face of mounting evidence that those young adults age 18 to 20 toward whom the drinking age law has been directed are routinely -- indeed in life- and health-threatening ways -- violating it, there remains a belief in the land that a minimum drinking age of 21 has been a \"success.\" And elected officials are periodically reminded of a provision in the 1984 law that continues to stifle any serious public debate in our country's state legislative chambers: Any state that sets its drinking age lower than 21 forfeits 10 percent of its annual federal highway appropriation. But it's not 1984 anymore. This statement may seem obvious, but not necessarily. In 1984 Congress passed and the president signed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. The Act, which raised the drinking age to 21 under threat of highway fund withholding, sought to address the problem of drunken driving fatalities. And indeed, that problem was serious. States that lowered their ages during the 1970s and did nothing else to prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol witnessed an alarming increase in alcohol-related traffic fatalities. It was as though the driving age were lowered but no drivers education were provided. The results were predictable. Now, 25 years later, we are in a much different, and better, place. Thanks to the effective public advocacy of organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, we are far more aware of the risks of drinking and driving. Automobiles are much safer. Seatbelts and airbags are mandatory. The \"designated driver\" is now a part of our vocabulary. And more and more states are mandating ignition interlocks for first-time DUI offenders, perhaps the most effective way to get drunken drivers off the road. And the statistics are encouraging. Alcohol-related fatalities have declined over the last 25 years. Better still, they have declined in all age groups, though the greatest number of deaths occurs at age 21, followed by 22 and 23. We are well on the way to solving a problem that vexed us 25 years ago. The problem today is different. The problem today is reckless, goal-oriented alcohol consumption that all too often takes place in clandestine locations, where enforcement has proven frustratingly difficult. Alcohol consumption among young adults is not taking place in public places or public view or in the presence of other adults who might help model responsible behavior. But we know it is taking place. If not in public, then where? The college presidents who signed the Amethyst Initiative know where. It happens in \"pre-gaming\" sessions in locked dorm rooms where students take multiple shots of hard alcohol in rapid succession, before going to a social event where alcohol is not served. It happens in off-campus apartments beyond college boundaries and thus beyond the presidents' authority; and it happens in remote fields to which young adults must drive. And the Amethyst presidents know the deadly result: Of the 5,000 lives lost to alcohol each year by those under 21, more than 60 percent are lost OFF the roadways, according to the National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse. The principal problem of 2009 is not drunken driving. The principal problem of 2009 is clandestine binge drinking. That is why the Amethyst presidents believe a public debate is so urgent. The law does not say drink responsibly or drink in moderation. It says don't drink. To those affected by it, those who in the eyes of the law are, in every other respect legal adults, it is Prohibition. And it is incomprehensible. The principal impediment to public debate is the 10 percent highway penalty. That penalty should be waived for those states that choose to try something different, which may turn out to be something better. But merely adjusting the age -- up or down -- is not really the way to make a change. We should prepare young adults to make responsible decisions about alcohol in the same way we prepare them to operate a motor vehicle: by first educating and then licensing, and permitting them to exercise the full privileges of adulthood so long as they demonstrate their ability to observe the law. Licensing would work like drivers education -- it would involve a permit, perhaps graduated, allowing the holder the privilege of purchasing, possessing and consuming alcohol, as each state determined, so long as the holder had passed an alcohol education course and observed the alcohol laws of the issuing state. Most of the rest of the world has come out in a different place on the drinking age. The United States is one of only four countries -- the others are Indonesia, Mongolia and Palau -- with an age as high as 21. All others either have no minimum age or have a lower age, generally 18, with some at 16. Young adults know that. And, in their heart of hearts, they also know that a law perceived as unjust, a law routinely violated, can over time breed disrespect for law in general. Slowly but surely we may be seeing a change in attitude. This summer, Dr. Morris Chafetz, a distinguished psychiatrist, a member of the presidential commission that recommended raising the drinking age, and the founder of the National Institute for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse admitted that supporting the higher drinking age is \"the most regrettable decision of my entire professional career.\" This remarkable statement did not receive the attention it merited. Alcohol is a reality in the lives of young adults. We can either try to change the reality -- which has been our principal focus since 1984, by imposing Prohibition on young adults 18 to 20 -- or we can create the safest possible environment for the reality. A drinking age minimum of 21 has not changed the reality. It's time to try something different. It's not 1984 anymore. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of John M. McCardell Jr." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "John McCardell: 135 college officers joined in questioning 21 as drinking age .\nHe says binge drinking is flourishing in locked rooms and remote areas .\nHe says U.S. is one of very few countries with such a high drinking age .\nMcCardell says alcohol is a reality in lives of 18- to 20-year-olds ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The U.S. military bombed about 300 tons of poppy seeds in a dusty field in southern Afghanistan Tuesday in a dramatic show of force designed to break up the Taliban's connection to heroin. The U.S. military bombed about 300 tons of poppy seeds in a dusty field in southern Afghanistan Tuesday. The air strike occurred mid-day in Helmand province and was observed by CNN's Ivan Watson, who is embedded with the U.S. Marines operating in that province. The military dropped a series of 1,000-pound bombs from planes on the mounds of poppy seeds and then followed with strikes from helicopters. Tony Wayne, with the U.S. State Department, said the strikes on poppy seeds, that can be used to make opium and heroin, is part of a strategy shift for the military to stop the Taliban and other insurgents from profiting from drugs. Watch U.S. military bomb poppy seeds » . \"There is a nexus that needs to be broken between the insurgents and the drug traffickers,\" Wayne said. \"Also, it is part of winning the hearts and minds of the population because in some cases they are intimidated into growing poppies.\" In a bid to encourage Afghan farmers to swap out their poppy plants for wheat crops the U.S. Agency for International Development has been offering them seeds, fertilizers and improved irrigation. Observers have noticed a significant decline in the opium trade in Afghanistan, with the number of poppy-free provinces increasing from 13 in 2007 to 18 in 2008, according to a U.N. report released last year. Opium cultivation in the country, which has 34 provinces, dropped by about 20 percent in a year, the U.N. reported in August. \"It's a challenge to deliver assistance in a war zone -- you can hear fighter jets flying above us right now,\" said Rory Donohoe, a USAID development officer. \"At the end of the day, what we found is successful is that we work in areas that we can work,\" he told CNN in a recent interview in Helmand province. \"We come to places like this demonstration farm where Afghans can come here to a safe environment, get training, pick up seeds and fertilizer, then go back to districts of their own.\" Watch Afghans speak about the change in their farming practices » . Many of Afghanistan's northern and eastern provinces have already benefited from USAID alternative farming programs, which have doled out more than $22 million to nearly 210,000 Afghans to build or repair 435 miles (700 kilometers) of roads and some 2,050 miles (3,300 kilometers) of irrigation and drainage canals. Giving Afghan farmers improved access to markets and improved irrigation is successfully weaning them away from poppy production, according to officials at USAID. Over the years, opium and heroin -- both derivatives of the poppy -- have served as a major source of revenue for the insurgency, most notably the Taliban movement that once ruled Afghanistan. \"If you can just help the people of Afghanistan in this way, the fighting will go away,\" said Abdul Qadir, a farmer in Lashkar Gah. \"The Taliban and other enemies of the country will also disappear.\" Atia Abawi contributed to this report ." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "U.S. bombs poppy seeds in bid to break up Taliban's connection to heroin .\nPoppy seeds used to produce opium and heroin .\nOpium, heroin has been a major source of revenue for the Taliban .\nUSAID offering seeds, other help to encourage Afghan farmers to grow wheat ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Honduras suspended diplomatic relations with Argentina on Tuesday in retaliation for having its ambassador expelled from Argentina last week. Riot police stand in front of marchers supporting ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya on Tuesday. The move stems from tensions between the two countries over a June 28 military-led coup in which Honduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya was replaced by congressional leader Roberto Micheletti. When Honduran Ambassador Carmen Eleonora Ortez Williams, who had been appointed by Zelaya, did not protest the coup, Argentina took exception. Most countries in the world -- as well as the United Nations, the Organization of American States and the European Union -- have denounced the coup and demanded that Zelaya be restored to power. Those nations still consider Zelaya president and do not recognize any officials from Micheletti's government or any functionaries who support him. Argentina asked Ortez to leave last week \"for supporting the de facto government of Roberto Micheletti.\" On Tuesday, Honduras suspended relations with Argentina and asked the South American nation's diplomats to leave within 72 hours. Honduras' relations with Argentina will be \"channeled\" though the Argentine embassy in Israel, said a release issued in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital. \"With regards to Argentine personnel stationed in Tegucigalpa and who are finishing their functions in Honduras, they will be granted, based on the principle of strictest reciprocity, the same treatment, time and facilities that was conceded to Honduran functionaries accredited in Argentina,\" the Honduran release said. The Honduran political crisis stems from Zelaya's desire to hold a referendum that could have led to extending term limits by changing the constitution, despite the country's congress having outlawed the vote and the supreme court having ruled it illegal. Zelaya vowed to hold the vote anyway but was ousted before the voting started. The congress named Micheletti provisional president shortly after Zelaya was detained by the military and sent into exile. Micheletti said Zelaya was not overthrown in a coup, but rather removed from power through constitutional means." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Honduras takes action after its ambassador is expelled from Argentina .\nArgentina ousted ambassador because she backed new Honduras government .\nArgentina among nations demanding that ousted Honduran president be restored .\nHonduran President Jose Manuel Zelaya ousted in military coup in June ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "ASHLAND, Ohio (CNN) -- An Ohio bakery shut down in October is bustling again, with 60 eager employees who had expected a Christmas on the unemployment rolls. Cookie production has resumed and some workers are back on the job at the Archway factory in Ashland, Ohio. Some 300 workers lost their jobs when the Archway cookie factory in Ashland, Ohio, was suddenly closed by the private equity firm that owned it. The workers also were left without benefits like health insurance. But then Lance Inc., a Charlotte, North Carolina-based snack food company, purchased Archway at a bankruptcy auction. And last week 60 workers were asked to return immediately, with perhaps more coming back in the months ahead. Kathy Sexton, a worker at the bakery, had been preparing her children for a very modest holiday. Watch the holiday brighten for workers » . \"They said they understood,\" Sexton recalls. \"They said, 'That's all right, Mom.' You always want to give them more, but ... I didn't think I would be able to.\" Now she can. Tiny Ashland has been struggling. Ohio has lost 200,000 jobs over the past eight years. The recent presidential campaign saw both candidates visiting frequently. The outlook in Ashland became especially bleak when the Archway plant closed. Workers at the bakery said they felt betrayed when Archway at first said there would be more work in a day or two, but then changed the locks. Rita Devan remembers. \"They just kept taking and taking until there was nothing left to take,\" Devan says, \"and they didn't care that they were putting 300 people out of work.\" Things are different now. When it promised to reopen the bakery, Lance gave all 300 former Archway workers a $1,500 prepaid debit card. \"I was crying,\" Devan says of the gift. \"I am like, 'What are these people doing? They don't know me. They don't know us. They don't know any of the Archway people. And they are giving each and every one of us $1,500.' \" Sexton -- the woman who'd been preparing her kids for a meager holiday -- says of the $1,500 gift: \"It was awesome. My first thought was, 'I can give my kids a Christmas.' \" David Singer, CEO of Lance, says the gift cards were a way of letting Ashland know the new owners are different. \"We wouldn't do it willy-nilly,\" Singer says. \"We do want to make money. But this is the pool of folks that we intend to hire. We just wanted to let them know who we were.\" The 60 workers rehired so far are earning their previous salary and retained their seniority. They also were provided health insurance from day one. The bakery now produces Lance cookies that are sold to big chains like Target and Wal-Mart. But production of Archway cookies is scheduled to resume soon. Lance has told the employees that it hopes to have the plant fully operational by the end of 2009 -- that is, five lines of cookies being produced simultaneously. The new owners say that if new orders keep flowing in, more jobs will follow. Terry Mowry is another worker rehired by Lance. He says what has happened is hard to describe: \"You just saw life being breathed right back into the face of these people.\" And Devan says with a laugh: \"I walked into the garage last night, and my husband says, 'You actually smell like a cookie again.' \" \"He said, 'Boy, I missed that smell.' \"" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Archway bakery suddenly closed doors in October, throwing some 300 out of work .\nLance snack food company steps in, buys Archway at bankruptcy auction .\nNew owner gives each laid-off worker a prepaid $1,500 debit card .\nCompany rehires 60 workers, says more will regain jobs if orders keep coming in ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "Click here for video . Thursday, August 20, 2009 . 8:13 PM ET - Gruesome details emerging from Buena Park police in the brutal death of 28 year old Jasmine Fiore. Not only was Fiore stuffed in a suitcase and thrown away in a dumpster, but we learn Fiore's teeth and fingers were removed. Authorities believe the murder suspect, Ryan Jenkins, is armed with a handgun, still on the run, most likely in Canada. (From Stacey Newman, Nancy Grace Producer) 7:24 PM ET - Moments ago Buena Park, California police announced that as of this afternoon an arrest warrant has been issued for Ryan Jenkins in the murder of 28 year old swimsuit model Jasmine Fiore. Jenkins is officially a fugitive. Although Jenkins' black BMW has been located in Washington State, Fiore's white Mercedes is still missing. Authorities do believe Jenkins has crossed the border into Canada and they are now working with Canadian Royal Police to apprehend Jenkins. (From Stacey Newman, Nancy Grace Producer) 6:23 PM ET - Major developments right now! The Orange County DA's office confirms they will file murder charges against reality TV star Ryan Jenkins in the brutal death of swimsuit model Jasmine Fiore. A news conference is set to take place any moment, standby for more details. We will also bring you all the latest developments on the show at 8pm EST for the full hour tonight. (From Stacey Newman, Nancy Grace Producer) 3 PM ET - Is a reality TV star wanted for questioning in the murder of swimsuit model 28 year old Jasmine Fiore on the run? LA cops have been unable to get in touch with Ryan Jenkins since Jenkins reported her missing and cops discovered the gorgeous model dead inside a suitcase dumped inside a Buena Park apartment complex dumpster. The last reported sightings of Jenkins were in San Diego alongside Fiore, before her death and within the last 48 hours near a Washington state marina. Jenkins' car and empty boat trailer discovered at that marina alongside the US-Canadian border. The Buena Park police are set to hold a news conference shortly. (From Stacey Newman, Nancy Grace Producer) 1:41 PM ET - Investigators confirm a reality TV star they want to question in connection with the murder of swimsuit beauty Jasmine Fiore may be heading for the border. A car and empty boat trailer belonging to Ryan Jenkins was discovered at a marina in Washington State, a few miles from the Canadian border. Authorities say Jenkins most likely walked across the border to British Columbia. LAPD wants to question Jenkins as a person of interest in Fiore's death because he was one of the last people to see her, reported her missing hours before the model's body was found, then took off. Jenkins has a criminal domestic violence record and was best known for his appearance on VH1's \"Megan Wants a Millionaire\". In light of the investigation, VH1 has shut down airing any more new episodes. (From Stacey Newman, Nancy Grace Producer) Wednesday, August 19, 2009: 7:28 PM ET - Preliminary reports are the swimsuit model found dead in a suitcase inside a Buena Park, California dumpster was strangled. Jasmine Fiore had signs of physical trauma when her body was discovered Saturday morning. The shocking discovery came just hours after her husband, reality TV star, Ryan Jenkins reported Fiore missing. The pair was last spotted in San Diego at a poker game Friday night. And the skeletons are already flying out of the closet for Jenkins. We've just received a criminal report stemming from a 2005 assault case in Calgary, Alberta involving Jenkins and a woman who was not Jasmine Fiore. (From Stacey Newman, Nancy Grace Producer) 5:36 PM ET - A reality TV star is making headlines at this hour for something other than appearing on the airwaves on VH1's \"Megan Wants a Millionaire.\" Police want to question 32 year old Ryan Jenkins in connection with the brutal death of a young, gorgeous swimsuit model. 28 year old Jasmine Fiore vanished after a poker tournament in San Diego. Fiore was allegedly there with Jenkins and reports are the two were husband and wife, secretly married in Las Vegas. Police confirm Jenkins was the one who reported Fiore missing Saturday night, just hours after her body was discovered in a bloody suitcase, thrown away like trash at a Buena Park apartment complex dumpster...but then Jenkins went missing. There are two vehicles of interest in the search for Jenkins...Fiore's white 2007 Mercedes CL S550 and Jenkins' black BMW X5. Police say Jenkins could be behind the wheel of either car. (From Stacey Newman, Nancy Grace Producer)" }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "Jasmine Fiore, 28, was found choked to death and stuffed in a suitcase .\nHer husband, reality star Ryan Alexander Jenkins now a murder suspect in the case .\nJenkins reported Fiore missing last Saturday night ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) -- A British couple convicted for having sex on a public beach in Dubai will not face jail after a judge suspended their prison sentences, their lawyer said Tuesday. File image of one of the co-accused -- Vince Acors -- arriving at court in Dubai in September. The couple, Michelle Palmer and Vincent Acors, had faced a three-month sentence, but they were freed on bail in October pending an appeal. Hassan Mattar, one of their lawyers, said he was trying to get permission for Palmer -- who worked in Dubai -- to stay in the United Arab Emirates, and for Acors to travel back to Britain. Acors had been on a business trip to Dubai when he was arrested. The United Arab Emirates, where Dubai is located, is home to thousands of expatriates and is among the most moderate Gulf states. Still, the oil-rich kingdom adheres to certain Islamic rules. Palmer and Acors were arrested on a public beach shortly after midnight on July 5. Police charged them with illicit relations, public indecency, and public intoxication. A court found them guilty in October and fined them 1,000 dirhams ($367) for the charge of public indecency. Both denied they had intercourse. And during the trial, Mattar argued that the public prosecutor failed to produce corroborative evidence against his clients on the first two charges, though he said both tested positive for liquor. More than a million British visitors traveled to the UAE in 2006, and more than 100,000 British nationals live there, according to the British Foreign Office. The country is in the midst of a building boom to position itself as one of the world's premier tourist destinations. It is already home to the world's largest mall, the world's largest tower, and -- despite being in the Middle East -- the largest indoor snow park in the world. -- CNN's Caroline Faraj contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "The couple, Michelle Palmer and Vincent Acors, faced three-month sentence .\nThe pair were arrested at a Dubai beach shortly after midnight on July 5 .\nThey were charged with with illicit relations, public indecency, public intoxication .\nAlthough a relatively moderate Gulf state, Dubai adheres to certain Islamic rules ." } ]

[ { "from": "system", "value": "You are a summarization AI. Provide a succinct and relevant summary of the provided text." }, { "from": "human", "value": "(CNN) -- Inspectors have found \"nothing unusual\" in the rest of Southwest Airlines' fleet of 737-300s after a football-sized hole in one of the jets forced an emergency landing, an airline spokeswoman said Tuesday. The breach in the aircraft's fuselage caused a loss of cabin pressure. No passengers were injured. The airline inspected its roughly 200 Boeing 737-300s overnight following the incident that forced Southwest Flight 2294 to make an emergency landing in Charleston, West Virginia. A sudden drop in cabin pressure caused the jet's oxygen masks to deploy, but there were no injuries among the 126 passengers or the five-member crew. Marilee McInnis, a Southwest spokeswoman, said the jets were inspected during non-operational hours overnight, and the cause of the incident remained unknown Tuesday morning. The airline is working closely with the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate the matter, she said. Flight 2294 was at 34,000 feet, en route from Nashville, Tennessee, to Baltimore, Maryland, when the incident happened, McInnis said. See map of flight path » . \"About 45 minutes into the flight, there was a loud pop. No one really knew what it was,\" passenger Steve Hall told CNN Radio. Watch as passenger describes watching the hole form » . The plane landed in Charleston at 5:10 p.m. after the crew reported the sudden drop in cabin pressure, which caused the jet's oxygen masks to deploy. \"We were seated about two rows back from the wing, and four rows back you heard this loud rush and your ears popped, and you could tell that part of the inside was trying to pull out,\" passenger Sheryl Bryant told CNN affiliate WBAL-TV upon arriving in Baltimore aboard a replacement plane. \"And it was crazy -- the oxygen masks dropped,\" she continued. She put her mask on her face, then helped her 4- and 6-year-old children with theirs, she said. Bryant tried to stay calm and reassure her children, she said. Watch Bryant's account of acting brave » . \"My kids and I, we prayed, and then we said, you know, life will be fine,\" she said. Bryant praised the flight crew and ground personnel for keeping passengers informed and for giving clear instructions. \"We have a tremendous talent represented in the pilots and the flight crew,\" another passenger, Pastor Alvin Kibble, told WBAL-TV. \"I think we need to value them far more than perhaps what we do. It's very easy for us to begin to take things for granted.\" The damaged aircraft was still parked at Charleston's Yeager Airport on Tuesday, when NTSB officials arrived to inspect the plane, airport spokesman Brian Belcher said. A complete inspection could take one to two days, and investigators are expected to interview the passengers and crew as well, he said. The airline is \"doing things\" for the affected passengers on Monday's flight, but McInnis would not say whether they would receive refunds. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident, FAA spokeswoman Holly Baker said. \"There is no responsible way to speculate as to a cause at this point,\" Southwest said in a statement Monday night. \"We have safety procedures in place, and they were followed in this instance to get all passengers and crew safely on the ground,\" the airline said. \"Reports we have are that our passengers were calm and that our pilots and flight attendants did a great job getting the aircraft on the ground safely.\" CNN's Shawn Nottingham and Stephanie Gallman contributed to this report." }, { "from": "gpt", "value": "NEW: Southwest inspects all its 737-300 aircraft after one develops hole midflight .\nPassengers describe ordeal, praise professionalism of flight crew .\nBaltimore-bound Southwest jet makes emergency landing in West Virginia .\nFootball-sized hole in fuselage causes cabin to depressurize, oxygen masks to drop ." } ]