text:
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN)  -- Grammy-winning rapper Coolio was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Friday on suspicion of possessing illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia, according to a spokeswoman for the airport.

Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" was used in the movie "Dangerous Minds."

Coolio, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr., was taken to the Van Nuys Division station for booking, the spokeswoman said.

A source at the airport's public relations division confirmed the arrest but declined to be named.

Coolio is best known for his 1995 hip-hop hit "Gangsta's Paradise."

Efforts to reach his publicist were unsuccessful.

text: LOS

text: ANGELES

text: California

text: CNN

text: Grammy

text: winning

text: rapper

text: Coolio

text: was

text: arrested

text: at

text: Los

text: Angeles

text: International

text: Airport

text: on

text: Friday

text: on

text: suspicion

text: of

text: possessing

text: illegal

text: drugs

text: and

text: drug

text: paraphernalia

text: according

text: to

text: a

text: spokeswoman

text: for

text: the

text: airport

text: Coolio

text: 's

text: Gangsta

text: 's

text: Paradise

text: was

text: used

text: in

text: the

text: movie

text: Dangerous

text: Minds

text: Coolio

text: whose

text: real

text: name

text: is

text: Artis

text: Leon

text: Ivey

text: Jr.

text: was

text: taken

text: to

text: the

text: Van

text: Nuys

text: Division

text: station

text: for

text: booking

text: the

text: spokeswoman

text: said

text: A

text: source

text: at

text: the

text: airport

text: 's

text: public

text: relations

text: division

text: confirmed

text: the

text: arrest

text: but

text: declined

text: to

text: be

text: named

text: Coolio

text: is

text: best

text: known

text: for

text: his

text: hip

text: hop

text: hit

text: Gangsta

text: 's

text: Paradise

text: Efforts

text: to

text: reach

text: his

text: publicist

text: were

text: unsuccessful

question: What is his best known hit?

answer: "Gangsta's Paradise."

text: "Gangsta's Paradise."

question: Where was the Grammy winner held?

answer: Van Nuys Division station

text: Van Nuys Division station

question: What is the singers best known hit?

answer: "Gangsta's Paradise."

text: "Gangsta's Paradise."

question: who  accused of possessing illegal drugs, paraphernalia?

answer: Coolio

text: Coolio


text:
(CNN) -- A New Jersey teachers union is coming under fire after an internal memo included a veiled threat to Gov. Chris Christie.

The leaked memo, which was sent to union leaders in the New Jersey Education Association's Bergen County division, contains a closing paragraph written in the form of a prayer.

"Dear Lord," the letter reads. "This year you have taken away my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze, my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett, my favorite singer, Michael Jackson, and my favorite salesman, Billy Mays. I just wanted to let you know that Chris Christie is my favorite governor."

Bergen County Education Association President Joe Coppola said the memo was confidential and the line was intended as a joke.

"It was inappropriate, it was in bad taste, and it was definitely in poor judgment," Coppola said.

But Christie is not taking the letter lightly and had some strong words for the teachers union.

"We can have honest disagreements about policy," the governor said at a news conference Friday. "But I am sure there are teachers all across New Jersey when they learn about this today who are going to be ashamed."

He added, "I wonder what the children of New Jersey will think when the leadership of the teachers union is praying for their governor to die."

The incident comes as Christie and the New Jersey Education Association are entrenched in a bitter struggle over funding for New Jersey's school system.

Seeking to address an $11 billion budget deficit, Christie, a Republican who was elected in November, has proposed severe cuts to the state's education system, with teachers being hit especially hard.

Barbara Keshishian, president of the New Jersey Education Association, issued an apology Friday condemning the letter.

"Language such as that has no place in civil discourse," she said. "Our ongoing discussion with Gov. Christie is centered on serious issues of significant importance to the state, and that must be the focus of all our conversation."

text: CNN

text: A

text: New

text: Jersey

text: teachers

text: union

text: is

text: coming

text: under

text: fire

text: after

text: an

text: internal

text: memo

text: included

text: a

text: veiled

text: threat

text: to

text: Gov.

text: Chris

text: Christie

text: The

text: leaked

text: memo

text: which

text: was

text: sent

text: to

text: union

text: leaders

text: in

text: the

text: New

text: Jersey

text: Education

text: Association

text: 's

text: Bergen

text: County

text: division

text: contains

text: a

text: closing

text: paragraph

text: written

text: in

text: the

text: form

text: of

text: a

text: prayer

text: Dear

text: Lord

text: the

text: letter

text: reads

text: This

text: year

text: you

text: have

text: taken

text: away

text: my

text: favorite

text: actor

text: Patrick

text: Swayze

text: my

text: favorite

text: actress

text: Farrah

text: Fawcett

text: my

text: favorite

text: singer

text: Michael

text: Jackson

text: and

text: my

text: favorite

text: salesman

text: Billy

text: Mays

text: I

text: just

text: wanted

text: to

text: let

text: you

text: know

text: that

text: Chris

text: Christie

text: is

text: my

text: favorite

text: governor

text: Bergen

text: County

text: Education

text: Association

text: President

text: Joe

text: Coppola

text: said

text: the

text: memo

text: was

text: confidential

text: and

text: the

text: line

text: was

text: intended

text: as

text: a

text: joke

text: It

text: was

text: inappropriate

text: it

text: was

text: in

text: bad

text: taste

text: and

text: it

text: was

text: definitely

text: in

text: poor

text: judgment

text: Coppola

text: said

text: But

text: Christie

text: is

text: not

text: taking

text: the

text: letter

text: lightly

text: and

text: had

text: some

text: strong

text: words

text: for

text: the

text: teachers

text: union

text: We

text: can

text: have

text: honest

text: disagreements

text: about

text: policy

text: the

text: governor

text: said

text: at

text: a

text: news

text: conference

text: Friday

text: But

text: I

text: am

text: sure

text: there

text: are

text: teachers

text: all

text: across

text: New

text: Jersey

text: when

text: they

text: learn

text: about

text: this

text: today

text: who

text: are

text: going

text: to

text: be

text: ashamed

text: He

text: added

text: I

text: wonder

text: what

text: the

text: children

text: of

text: New

text: Jersey

text: will

text: think

text: when

text: the

text: leadership

text: of

text: the

text: teachers

text: union

text: is

text: praying

text: for

text: their

text: governor

text: to

text: die

text: The

text: incident

text: comes

text: as

text: Christie

text: and

text: the

text: New

text: Jersey

text: Education

text: Association

text: are

text: entrenched

text: in

text: a

text: bitter

text: struggle

text: over

text: funding

text: for

text: New

text: Jersey

text: 's

text: school

text: system

text: Seeking

text: to

text: address

text: an

text: billion

text: budget

text: deficit

text: Christie

text: a

text: Republican

text: who

text: was

text: elected

text: in

text: November

text: has

text: proposed

text: severe

text: cuts

text: to

text: the

text: state

text: 's

text: education

text: system

text: with

text: teachers

text: being

text: hit

text: especially

text: hard

text: Barbara

text: Keshishian

text: president

text: of

text: the

text: New

text: Jersey

text: Education

text: Association

text: issued

text: an

text: apology

text: Friday

text: condemning

text: the

text: letter

text: Language

text: such

text: as

text: that

text: has

text: no

text: place

text: in

text: civil

text: discourse

text: she

text: said

text: Our

text: ongoing

text: discussion

text: with

text: Gov.

text: Christie

text: is

text: centered

text: on

text: serious

text: issues

text: of

text: significant

text: importance

text: to

text: the

text: state

text: and

text: that

text: must

text: be

text: the

text: focus

text: of

text: all

text: our

text: conversation

question: Who is the union presedent?

answer: Joe Coppola

text: Joe Coppola

question: What does internal memo say?

answer: "Dear Lord," the letter reads. "This year you have taken away my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze, my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett, my favorite singer, Michael Jackson, and my favorite salesman, Billy Mays. I just wanted to let you know that Chris Christie is my favorite governor."

text: "Dear Lord," the letter reads. "This year you have taken away my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze, my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett, my favorite singer, Michael Jackson, and my favorite salesman, Billy Mays. I just wanted to let you know that Chris Christie is my favorite governor."

question: What did the union president say?

answer: the memo was confidential and the line was intended as a joke.

text: the memo was confidential and the line was intended as a joke.

question: Which state does Christie govern?

answer: New Jersey

text: New Jersey

question: What does the union president acknowledge?

answer: the memo was confidential and the line was intended as a joke.

text: the memo was confidential and the line was intended as a joke.

question: What does the internal memo say?

answer: to Gov. Chris Christie.

text: to Gov. Chris Christie.

question: What did the Governor say?

answer: "We can have honest disagreements about policy,"

text: "We can have honest disagreements about policy,"


text:
JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN)  -- Indonesia is no stranger to bombings such as the one that rocked two luxury hotels in Jakarta on Friday.

Indonesian counter-terrorist police commandos secure the damaged Ritz-Carlton hotel in Jakarta.

As authorities sift through the rubble of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels, which were struck by bombs that killed at least eight people, some could not help but think about past bombings in the Southeast Asian country.

In 2002, a bombing at two night clubs on the island of Bali killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists.

More than 300 people -- many of them young Australians on vacation -- were wounded by the massive blasts in the town of Kuta. Dozens of victims were burned beyond recognition or blown to pieces.

The bombing was blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah -- a terror group with ties to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda terrorist network. The group is suspected in other bombings. Many of those convicted in the plot were sentenced to death or life in prison.

In August 2003, the same JW Marriott Hotel that was attacked Friday was bombed, killing 12.

The Australian Embassy in Jakarta was targeted in 2004. A powerful car bomb shook Jakarta's central business district, blowing a hole through the embassy's security gate, killing at least eight people and wounding about 168.

A year later, three suicide bombers targeted two tourist spots on the resort island of Bali. The bombings -- two at the cafes near Jimbaran Beach and one at a restaurant in Kuta's main square -- killed 19 people and wounded at least 132, according to hospital officials.

Despite the string of bombings, presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal said Indonesia has made strides in addressing terrorist groups.  Watch an eyewitness report of the blasts Â»

"We have made significant progress in curbing the activities of terrorists," the spokesman said.  Watch a report on suspects behind the blasts Â»

"In recent years, we have several preventative successes in arresting terrorist cells just before they were able to make their attacks. And we have not had an attack since the Bali bombing several years ago. But this is a blow. This is a blow to us. But we will find out the perpetrators."

text: JAKARTA

text: Indonesia

text: CNN

text: Indonesia

text: is

text: no

text: stranger

text: to

text: bombings

text: such

text: as

text: the

text: one

text: that

text: rocked

text: two

text: luxury

text: hotels

text: in

text: Jakarta

text: on

text: Friday

text: Indonesian

text: counter

text: terrorist

text: police

text: commandos

text: secure

text: the

text: damaged

text: Ritz

text: Carlton

text: hotel

text: in

text: Jakarta

text: As

text: authorities

text: sift

text: through

text: the

text: rubble

text: of

text: the

text: JW

text: Marriott

text: and

text: Ritz

text: Carlton

text: hotels

text: which

text: were

text: struck

text: by

text: bombs

text: that

text: killed

text: at

text: least

text: eight

text: people

text: some

text: could

text: not

text: help

text: but

text: think

text: about

text: past

text: bombings

text: in

text: the

text: Southeast

text: Asian

text: country

text: In

text: a

text: bombing

text: at

text: two

text: night

text: clubs

text: on

text: the

text: island

text: of

text: Bali

text: killed

text: people

text: mostly

text: foreign

text: tourists

text: More

text: than

text: people

text: many

text: of

text: them

text: young

text: Australians

text: on

text: vacation

text: were

text: wounded

text: by

text: the

text: massive

text: blasts

text: in

text: the

text: town

text: of

text: Kuta

text: Dozens

text: of

text: victims

text: were

text: burned

text: beyond

text: recognition

text: or

text: blown

text: to

text: pieces

text: The

text: bombing

text: was

text: blamed

text: on

text: Jemaah

text: Islamiyah

text: a

text: terror

text: group

text: with

text: ties

text: to

text: Osama

text: bin

text: Laden

text: 's

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: terrorist

text: network

text: The

text: group

text: is

text: suspected

text: in

text: other

text: bombings

text: Many

text: of

text: those

text: convicted

text: in

text: the

text: plot

text: were

text: sentenced

text: to

text: death

text: or

text: life

text: in

text: prison

text: In

text: August

text: the

text: same

text: JW

text: Marriott

text: Hotel

text: that

text: was

text: attacked

text: Friday

text: was

text: bombed

text: killing

text: The

text: Australian

text: Embassy

text: in

text: Jakarta

text: was

text: targeted

text: in

text: A

text: powerful

text: car

text: bomb

text: shook

text: Jakarta

text: 's

text: central

text: business

text: district

text: blowing

text: a

text: hole

text: through

text: the

text: embassy

text: 's

text: security

text: gate

text: killing

text: at

text: least

text: eight

text: people

text: and

text: wounding

text: about

text: A

text: year

text: later

text: three

text: suicide

text: bombers

text: targeted

text: two

text: tourist

text: spots

text: on

text: the

text: resort

text: island

text: of

text: Bali

text: The

text: bombings

text: two

text: at

text: the

text: cafes

text: near

text: Jimbaran

text: Beach

text: and

text: one

text: at

text: a

text: restaurant

text: in

text: Kuta

text: 's

text: main

text: square

text: killed

text: people

text: and

text: wounded

text: at

text: least

text: according

text: to

text: hospital

text: officials

text: Despite

text: the

text: string

text: of

text: bombings

text: presidential

text: spokesman

text: Dino

text: Patti

text: Djalal

text: said

text: Indonesia

text: has

text: made

text: strides

text: in

text: addressing

text: terrorist

text: groups

text: Watch

text: an

text: eyewitness

text: report

text: of

text: the

text: blasts

text: Â

text: We

text: have

text: made

text: significant

text: progress

text: in

text: curbing

text: the

text: activities

text: of

text: terrorists

text: the

text: spokesman

text: said

text: Watch

text: a

text: report

text: on

text: suspects

text: behind

text: the

text: blasts

text: Â

text: In

text: recent

text: years

text: we

text: have

text: several

text: preventative

text: successes

text: in

text: arresting

text: terrorist

text: cells

text: just

text: before

text: they

text: were

text: able

text: to

text: make

text: their

text: attacks

text: And

text: we

text: have

text: not

text: had

text: an

text: attack

text: since

text: the

text: Bali

text: bombing

text: several

text: years

text: ago

text: But

text: this

text: is

text: a

text: blow

text: This

text: is

text: a

text: blow

text: to

text: us

text: But

text: we

text: will

text: find

text: out

text: the

text: perpetrators

question: What happen to the JW marriott Hotel in 2003?

answer: was bombed, killing 12.

text: was bombed, killing 12.

question: Who was blamed for it?

answer: Jemaah Islamiyah

text: Jemaah Islamiyah

question: what did the presidential spokesman say about Indonesia?

answer: has made strides in addressing terrorist groups.

text: has made strides in addressing terrorist groups.

question: Who was the bombing blamed on?

answer: Jemaah Islamiyah

text: Jemaah Islamiyah

question: Who said that  Indonesia has made strides in addressing terrorism?

answer: presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal

text: presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal

question: What does the spokesman say?

answer: "We have made significant progress in curbing the activities of terrorists,"

text: "We have made significant progress in curbing the activities of terrorists,"

question: What year did the bombing of  night clubs on the island of Bali take place?

answer: 2002,

question: What happened in Bali in 2002?

answer: a bombing at two night clubs

text: a bombing at two night clubs

question: What happened in 2002?

answer: a bombing at two night clubs on the island of Bali killed 202 people,

text: a bombing at two night clubs on the island of Bali killed 202 people,


text:
(CNN) -- Friends and family planned a memorial service in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday for Thor Hesla, who died in Monday's attack on a luxury hotel in Afghanistan.

Friends describe Thor Hesla as a "passionate believer" and "larger than life."

Hesla, 45, loved a game of ultimate Frisbee, a motorcycle ride and a great adventure. Friends say he found no adventure greater than helping people.

He set off for another adventure in October, this time to Afghanistan  to work with the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, to help build civil society.

"Thor Hesla was a passionate believer in what is possible in the world ," said a statement posted online by Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, a friend of 20 years.

The Taliban said it was behind the attack that killed him, carried out by suicide bombers and gunmen. Six other people were killed at Kabul's Serena hotel that day.

Six days after Hesla arrived in Afghanistan, he had e-mailed details of his new surroundings to his far-away friends.

Despite the violence wracking the nation, Hesla described Kabul as a city with potential and "astonishing beauty."

He said he was struck by glimpses of "desperately poor" Afghans. "I saw a man moving down the street who was, literally, wearing only rags yesterday," Hesla wrote.

He expressed pride in his work and the American effort to rebuild Afghanistan, writing, "You are forcibly reminded how good and inspirational Americans can be."

Life in Kabul isn't easy. Diplomats and contractors in Afghanistan are under strict security and their travel is severely restricted.

A witness to Monday's attack said terrorists forced their way into the hotel gym and shot three or four people who were working out.  Watch witness describe the attack Â»

Hesla's friends said he joined the hotel's gym and spa as a diversion from his limited daily routine.

"You're always, always, always, reminded how great a blessing it is to come from a land which has never known -- since 1865 -- serious war," Hesla wrote his friends, referring to the Civil War. "It's really difficult to calculate how damaging all-out war can be on a society."

"He was very passionate about everything," said friend Stefan Tigges, according to CNN affiliate WGCL. "He was very generous. He was very spirited, very kind."

Tigges told the Atlanta TV station his friend was "larger than life in every way in terms of his sense of humor, his intellect, his capacity to love, all these things."

At Atlanta's Emory University, Hesla studied English literature and played rugby. He also worked for the Atlanta Olympic Committee and various Democratic political campaigns, including the 2000 campaign for Democratic presidential candidate Bill Bradley.

In countries such as Trinidad and Tobago; Venezuela, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Antigua, Barbados and Aruba, Hesla tried to build bridges between feuding groups, and worked on political campaigns seeking to fight crime and corruption, create jobs and improve education, his friends said.

For more than three years, Hesla had worked in war-ravaged Kosovo, where he helped reform economic systems.

After taking time off to travel and write both a screenplay and a novel, he had set off for Afghanistan to work as a contractor for USAID in its "capacity building" program, helping government institutions, social organizations and universities with financial matters.

"We mourn the loss of our fellow employee, Thor Hesla, " said Elizabeth Palmer of BearingPoint, Hesla's employer. "He was a loving son and brother and an important part of our BearingPoint family. His commitment to helping the people of Afghanistan was well known, and we will miss him terribly."

Following Thursday's services in Georgia, another is planned for Hesla in Washington D.C., which friends said was his "adopted home." E-mail to a friend

CNN's Elise Labott contributed to this report.

text: CNN

text: Friends

text: and

text: family

text: planned

text: a

text: memorial

text: service

text: in

text: Atlanta

text: Georgia

text: on

text: Thursday

text: for

text: Thor

text: Hesla

text: who

text: died

text: in

text: Monday

text: 's

text: attack

text: on

text: a

text: luxury

text: hotel

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: Friends

text: describe

text: Thor

text: Hesla

text: as

text: a

text: passionate

text: believer

text: and

text: larger

text: than

text: life

text: Hesla

text: loved

text: a

text: game

text: of

text: ultimate

text: Frisbee

text: a

text: motorcycle

text: ride

text: and

text: a

text: great

text: adventure

text: Friends

text: say

text: he

text: found

text: no

text: adventure

text: greater

text: than

text: helping

text: people

text: He

text: set

text: off

text: for

text: another

text: adventure

text: in

text: October

text: this

text: time

text: to

text: Afghanistan

text: to

text: work

text: with

text: the

text: U.S.

text: Agency

text: for

text: International

text: Development

text: or

text: USAID

text: to

text: help

text: build

text: civil

text: society

text: Thor

text: Hesla

text: was

text: a

text: passionate

text: believer

text: in

text: what

text: is

text: possible

text: in

text: the

text: world

text: said

text: a

text: statement

text: posted

text: online

text: by

text: Jennifer

text: Laszlo

text: Mizrahi

text: a

text: friend

text: of

text: years

text: The

text: Taliban

text: said

text: it

text: was

text: behind

text: the

text: attack

text: that

text: killed

text: him

text: carried

text: out

text: by

text: suicide

text: bombers

text: and

text: gunmen

text: Six

text: other

text: people

text: were

text: killed

text: at

text: Kabul

text: 's

text: Serena

text: hotel

text: that

text: day

text: Six

text: days

text: after

text: Hesla

text: arrived

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: he

text: had

text: e

text: mailed

text: details

text: of

text: his

text: new

text: surroundings

text: to

text: his

text: far

text: away

text: friends

text: Despite

text: the

text: violence

text: wracking

text: the

text: nation

text: Hesla

text: described

text: Kabul

text: as

text: a

text: city

text: with

text: potential

text: and

text: astonishing

text: beauty

text: He

text: said

text: he

text: was

text: struck

text: by

text: glimpses

text: of

text: desperately

text: poor

text: Afghans

text: I

text: saw

text: a

text: man

text: moving

text: down

text: the

text: street

text: who

text: was

text: literally

text: wearing

text: only

text: rags

text: yesterday

text: Hesla

text: wrote

text: He

text: expressed

text: pride

text: in

text: his

text: work

text: and

text: the

text: American

text: effort

text: to

text: rebuild

text: Afghanistan

text: writing

text: You

text: are

text: forcibly

text: reminded

text: how

text: good

text: and

text: inspirational

text: Americans

text: can

text: be

text: Life

text: in

text: Kabul

text: is

text: n't

text: easy

text: Diplomats

text: and

text: contractors

text: in

text: Afghanistan

text: are

text: under

text: strict

text: security

text: and

text: their

text: travel

text: is

text: severely

text: restricted

text: A

text: witness

text: to

text: Monday

text: 's

text: attack

text: said

text: terrorists

text: forced

text: their

text: way

text: into

text: the

text: hotel

text: gym

text: and

text: shot

text: three

text: or

text: four

text: people

text: who

text: were

text: working

text: out

text: Watch

text: witness

text: describe

text: the

text: attack

text: Â

text: Hesla

text: 's

text: friends

text: said

text: he

text: joined

text: the

text: hotel

text: 's

text: gym

text: and

text: spa

text: as

text: a

text: diversion

text: from

text: his

text: limited

text: daily

text: routine

text: You

text: 're

text: always

text: always

text: always

text: reminded

text: how

text: great

text: a

text: blessing

text: it

text: is

text: to

text: come

text: from

text: a

text: land

text: which

text: has

text: never

text: known

text: since

text: serious

text: war

text: Hesla

text: wrote

text: his

text: friends

text: referring

text: to

text: the

text: Civil

text: War

text: It

text: 's

text: really

text: difficult

text: to

text: calculate

text: how

text: damaging

text: all

text: out

text: war

text: can

text: be

text: on

text: a

text: society

text: He

text: was

text: very

text: passionate

text: about

text: everything

text: said

text: friend

text: Stefan

text: Tigges

text: according

text: to

text: CNN

text: affiliate

text: WGCL

text: He

text: was

text: very

text: generous

text: He

text: was

text: very

text: spirited

text: very

text: kind

text: Tigges

text: told

text: the

text: Atlanta

text: TV

text: station

text: his

text: friend

text: was

text: larger

text: than

text: life

text: in

text: every

text: way

text: in

text: terms

text: of

text: his

text: sense

text: of

text: humor

text: his

text: intellect

text: his

text: capacity

text: to

text: love

text: all

text: these

text: things

text: At

text: Atlanta

text: 's

text: Emory

text: University

text: Hesla

text: studied

text: English

text: literature

text: and

text: played

text: rugby

text: He

text: also

text: worked

text: for

text: the

text: Atlanta

text: Olympic

text: Committee

text: and

text: various

text: Democratic

text: political

text: campaigns

text: including

text: the

text: campaign

text: for

text: Democratic

text: presidential

text: candidate

text: Bill

text: Bradley

text: In

text: countries

text: such

text: as

text: Trinidad

text: and

text: Tobago

text: Venezuela

text: St.

text: Vincent

text: and

text: the

text: Grenadines

text: Antigua

text: Barbados

text: and

text: Aruba

text: Hesla

text: tried

text: to

text: build

text: bridges

text: between

text: feuding

text: groups

text: and

text: worked

text: on

text: political

text: campaigns

text: seeking

text: to

text: fight

text: crime

text: and

text: corruption

text: create

text: jobs

text: and

text: improve

text: education

text: his

text: friends

text: said

text: For

text: more

text: than

text: three

text: years

text: Hesla

text: had

text: worked

text: in

text: war

text: ravaged

text: Kosovo

text: where

text: he

text: helped

text: reform

text: economic

text: systems

text: After

text: taking

text: time

text: off

text: to

text: travel

text: and

text: write

text: both

text: a

text: screenplay

text: and

text: a

text: novel

text: he

text: had

text: set

text: off

text: for

text: Afghanistan

text: to

text: work

text: as

text: a

text: contractor

text: for

text: USAID

text: in

text: its

text: capacity

text: building

text: program

text: helping

text: government

text: institutions

text: social

text: organizations

text: and

text: universities

text: with

text: financial

text: matters

text: We

text: mourn

text: the

text: loss

text: of

text: our

text: fellow

text: employee

text: Thor

text: Hesla

text: said

text: Elizabeth

text: Palmer

text: of

text: BearingPoint

text: Hesla

text: 's

text: employer

text: He

text: was

text: a

text: loving

text: son

text: and

text: brother

text: and

text: an

text: important

text: part

text: of

text: our

text: BearingPoint

text: family

text: His

text: commitment

text: to

text: helping

text: the

text: people

text: of

text: Afghanistan

text: was

text: well

text: known

text: and

text: we

text: will

text: miss

text: him

text: terribly

text: Following

text: Thursday

text: 's

text: services

text: in

text: Georgia

text: another

text: is

text: planned

text: for

text: Hesla

text: in

text: Washington

text: D.C.

text: which

text: friends

text: said

text: was

text: his

text: adopted

text: home

text: E

text: mail

text: to

text: a

text: friend

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Elise

text: Labott

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: who is responsible for the bombing

answer: The Taliban

text: The Taliban

question: on what place are the Memorials planned?

answer: Atlanta, Georgia,

text: Atlanta, Georgia,

question: where was the bombing

answer: Afghanistan.

text: Afghanistan.

question: What happened to an Atlanta native named Thor Hesla?

answer: died in Monday's attack on a luxury hotel in Afghanistan.

text: died in Monday's attack on a luxury hotel in Afghanistan.

question: where had astonishing beauty

answer: Kabul

text: Kabul

question: where was thor from

answer: Atlanta, Georgia,

text: Atlanta, Georgia,


text:
JERUSALEM (CNN)  -- Pope Benedict XVI completed his eight-day tour of the Holy Land on Friday with an exhortation to both Israelis and Palestinians to work through their decades-old conflict.

Pope Benedict XVI prays in Jerusalem on Friday at what's believed to be the burial site of Jesus.

"No more bloodshed! No more fighting! No more terrorism! No more war! Instead let us break the vicious circle of violence. Let there be lasting peace based on justice, let there be genuine reconciliation and healing," the pontiff said.

Benedict made the comments at a farewell ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv before Israeli President Shimon Peres and other religious and secular leaders.

In his concluding remarks, Benedict called his visit to Israel's Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and his conversations with survivors a "deeply moving encounter." He seemed to address some criticism he received within the country for not speaking in stronger terms about anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.

Referring to the Holocaust, Benedict spoke of the victims who "were brutally exterminated under a godless regime that propagated an ideology of anti-Semitism and hatred."

After Benedict's Monday speech at Yad Vashem, the memorial's chairman, Holocaust survivor Rabbi Yisrael Lau, criticized the pope, saying the pontiff did not "participate in the pain of the Jewish people" and "used the term 'killed' when talking about Holocaust victims and not the word 'murdered' as his predecessor did."

Benedict drew the ire of Jews and German Catholics earlier this year by rehabilitating an excommunicated bishop who had disputed the number of Jews killed in concentration camps during World War II. The bishop's excommunication was unrelated to his Holocaust denial.

Friday, Benedict repeated his call for Palestinians to enjoy a "sovereign independent homeland" and "to live in dignity and to travel freely."

He remarked that "one of the saddest sights for me during my visit to these lands was the wall" -- a reference to the 20-foot concrete barrier he saw in Bethlehem during his visit to a Palestinian refugee camp. Israel says the structure, which it calls a security fence, was built to prevent terrorist attacks; Palestinians consider it an illegal land grab.

Benedict began the day with a busy morning in Jerusalem's Old City, including meeting the patriarchs of the Greek Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic churches.

Between sessions with the patriarchs, Benedict toured and prayed at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, believed to be located on the site where Jesus was crucified and buried.

On his Middle East visit, the pope has navigated the region's treacherous political landscape, which often pits Jew against Muslim and Muslim against Christian.

Benedict has repeatedly called for reconciliation between the peoples of the region during his visit, urging Israelis and Palestinian to put aside their grievances and divisions.

"Just and peaceful coexistence among the peoples of the Middle East can only be achieved through a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect, in which the rights and dignity of all are acknowledged and upheld," the pope said. Celebrating Mass on Thursday, Benedict covered similar territory in his message to over 30,000 parishioners gathered at the Mount of the Transfiguration, outside Nazareth.  Watch the reaction of one visitor who attended Mass Â»

"Christians readily join Jews, Muslims, Druze and people of other religions in wishing to safeguard children from fanaticism and violence, while preparing them to be builders of a better world," he said.

Benedict's trip marks the first papal visit to some of Christianity's most holy places since Pope John Paul II made the pilgrimage in 2000.

text: JERUSALEM

text: CNN

text: Pope

text: Benedict

text: XVI

text: completed

text: his

text: eight

text: day

text: tour

text: of

text: the

text: Holy

text: Land

text: on

text: Friday

text: with

text: an

text: exhortation

text: to

text: both

text: Israelis

text: and

text: Palestinians

text: to

text: work

text: through

text: their

text: decades

text: old

text: conflict

text: Pope

text: Benedict

text: XVI

text: prays

text: in

text: Jerusalem

text: on

text: Friday

text: at

text: what

text: 's

text: believed

text: to

text: be

text: the

text: burial

text: site

text: of

text: Jesus

text: No

text: more

text: bloodshed

text: No

text: more

text: fighting

text: No

text: more

text: terrorism

text: No

text: more

text: war

text: Instead

text: let

text: us

text: break

text: the

text: vicious

text: circle

text: of

text: violence

text: Let

text: there

text: be

text: lasting

text: peace

text: based

text: on

text: justice

text: let

text: there

text: be

text: genuine

text: reconciliation

text: and

text: healing

text: the

text: pontiff

text: said

text: Benedict

text: made

text: the

text: comments

text: at

text: a

text: farewell

text: ceremony

text: at

text: Ben

text: Gurion

text: International

text: Airport

text: in

text: Tel

text: Aviv

text: before

text: Israeli

text: President

text: Shimon

text: Peres

text: and

text: other

text: religious

text: and

text: secular

text: leaders

text: In

text: his

text: concluding

text: remarks

text: Benedict

text: called

text: his

text: visit

text: to

text: Israel

text: 's

text: Holocaust

text: memorial

text: Yad

text: Vashem

text: and

text: his

text: conversations

text: with

text: survivors

text: a

text: deeply

text: moving

text: encounter

text: He

text: seemed

text: to

text: address

text: some

text: criticism

text: he

text: received

text: within

text: the

text: country

text: for

text: not

text: speaking

text: in

text: stronger

text: terms

text: about

text: anti

text: Semitism

text: and

text: Holocaust

text: denial

text: Referring

text: to

text: the

text: Holocaust

text: Benedict

text: spoke

text: of

text: the

text: victims

text: who

text: were

text: brutally

text: exterminated

text: under

text: a

text: godless

text: regime

text: that

text: propagated

text: an

text: ideology

text: of

text: anti

text: Semitism

text: and

text: hatred

text: After

text: Benedict

text: 's

text: Monday

text: speech

text: at

text: Yad

text: Vashem

text: the

text: memorial

text: 's

text: chairman

text: Holocaust

text: survivor

text: Rabbi

text: Yisrael

text: Lau

text: criticized

text: the

text: pope

text: saying

text: the

text: pontiff

text: did

text: not

text: participate

text: in

text: the

text: pain

text: of

text: the

text: Jewish

text: people

text: and

text: used

text: the

text: term

text: killed

text: when

text: talking

text: about

text: Holocaust

text: victims

text: and

text: not

text: the

text: word

text: murdered

text: as

text: his

text: predecessor

text: did

text: Benedict

text: drew

text: the

text: ire

text: of

text: Jews

text: and

text: German

text: Catholics

text: earlier

text: this

text: year

text: by

text: rehabilitating

text: an

text: excommunicated

text: bishop

text: who

text: had

text: disputed

text: the

text: number

text: of

text: Jews

text: killed

text: in

text: concentration

text: camps

text: during

text: World

text: War

text: II

text: The

text: bishop

text: 's

text: excommunication

text: was

text: unrelated

text: to

text: his

text: Holocaust

text: denial

text: Friday

text: Benedict

text: repeated

text: his

text: call

text: for

text: Palestinians

text: to

text: enjoy

text: a

text: sovereign

text: independent

text: homeland

text: and

text: to

text: live

text: in

text: dignity

text: and

text: to

text: travel

text: freely

text: He

text: remarked

text: that

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: saddest

text: sights

text: for

text: me

text: during

text: my

text: visit

text: to

text: these

text: lands

text: was

text: the

text: wall

text: a

text: reference

text: to

text: the

text: concrete

text: barrier

text: he

text: saw

text: in

text: Bethlehem

text: during

text: his

text: visit

text: to

text: a

text: Palestinian

text: refugee

text: camp

text: Israel

text: says

text: the

text: structure

text: which

text: it

text: calls

text: a

text: security

text: fence

text: was

text: built

text: to

text: prevent

text: terrorist

text: attacks

text: Palestinians

text: consider

text: it

text: an

text: illegal

text: land

text: grab

text: Benedict

text: began

text: the

text: day

text: with

text: a

text: busy

text: morning

text: in

text: Jerusalem

text: 's

text: Old

text: City

text: including

text: meeting

text: the

text: patriarchs

text: of

text: the

text: Greek

text: Orthodox

text: and

text: Armenian

text: Apostolic

text: churches

text: Between

text: sessions

text: with

text: the

text: patriarchs

text: Benedict

text: toured

text: and

text: prayed

text: at

text: the

text: Church

text: of

text: the

text: Holy

text: Sepulcher

text: believed

text: to

text: be

text: located

text: on

text: the

text: site

text: where

text: Jesus

text: was

text: crucified

text: and

text: buried

text: On

text: his

text: Middle

text: East

text: visit

text: the

text: pope

text: has

text: navigated

text: the

text: region

text: 's

text: treacherous

text: political

text: landscape

text: which

text: often

text: pits

text: Jew

text: against

text: Muslim

text: and

text: Muslim

text: against

text: Christian

text: Benedict

text: has

text: repeatedly

text: called

text: for

text: reconciliation

text: between

text: the

text: peoples

text: of

text: the

text: region

text: during

text: his

text: visit

text: urging

text: Israelis

text: and

text: Palestinian

text: to

text: put

text: aside

text: their

text: grievances

text: and

text: divisions

text: Just

text: and

text: peaceful

text: coexistence

text: among

text: the

text: peoples

text: of

text: the

text: Middle

text: East

text: can

text: only

text: be

text: achieved

text: through

text: a

text: spirit

text: of

text: cooperation

text: and

text: mutual

text: respect

text: in

text: which

text: the

text: rights

text: and

text: dignity

text: of

text: all

text: are

text: acknowledged

text: and

text: upheld

text: the

text: pope

text: said

text: Celebrating

text: Mass

text: on

text: Thursday

text: Benedict

text: covered

text: similar

text: territory

text: in

text: his

text: message

text: to

text: over

text: parishioners

text: gathered

text: at

text: the

text: Mount

text: of

text: the

text: Transfiguration

text: outside

text: Nazareth

text: Watch

text: the

text: reaction

text: of

text: one

text: visitor

text: who

text: attended

text: Mass

text: Â

text: Christians

text: readily

text: join

text: Jews

text: Muslims

text: Druze

text: and

text: people

text: of

text: other

text: religions

text: in

text: wishing

text: to

text: safeguard

text: children

text: from

text: fanaticism

text: and

text: violence

text: while

text: preparing

text: them

text: to

text: be

text: builders

text: of

text: a

text: better

text: world

text: he

text: said

text: Benedict

text: 's

text: trip

text: marks

text: the

text: first

text: papal

text: visit

text: to

text: some

text: of

text: Christianity

text: 's

text: most

text: holy

text: places

text: since

text: Pope

text: John

text: Paul

text: II

text: made

text: the

text: pilgrimage

text: in

question: When was the last time a Pope visited the Holy Land?

answer: 2000

question: where did the pop visit?

answer: Holy Land

text: Holy Land

question: what does the pope call for?

answer: Palestinians to enjoy a "sovereign independent homeland" and "to live in dignity and to travel freely."

text: Palestinians to enjoy a "sovereign independent homeland" and "to live in dignity and to travel freely."

question: What is special about Pope Benedic's trip to the Mideast?

answer: marks the first papal visit

text: marks the first papal visit

question: Where has the pope visited?

answer: Palestinian refugee camp.

text: Palestinian refugee camp.

question: Which other pope visited the holy land?

answer: John Paul II

text: John Paul II

question: What day did the pope visit the old city on?

answer: Friday

text: Friday

question: What did the Pope call for?

answer: Palestinians to enjoy a "sovereign independent homeland" and "to live in dignity and to travel freely."

text: Palestinians to enjoy a "sovereign independent homeland" and "to live in dignity and to travel freely."

question: when was the last papal visit?

answer: Pope John Paul II made the pilgrimage in 2000

text: Pope John Paul II made the pilgrimage in 2000


text:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The power of women hit the State Department on Wednesday when first lady Michelle Obama joined Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to celebrate champions of women's rights around the world.

Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton present the State Department Women of Courage Awards.

The event was to celebrate the State Department Women of Courage Awards, but highlighted how both the current and former first ladies have made women's rights a signature issue.

Since calling women's rights a human rights issue at a women's conference in Beijing in 1995, Clinton has made it a personal mission to champion the rights of women. Her first two trips as secretary of state have been packed with events promoting the importance of women's rights.

"These personal experiences have informed my work, and I will continue to fight for human rights as secretary of state in traditional and especially nontraditional ways and venues," Clinton told the audience.

You "can't solve problems of financial crisis, climate change, disease and poverty if half of the population is left behind," Clinton said. The rights of women will "always be central to our foreign policy."

In a commentary published Monday in honor of International Women's Day, Clinton warned that "women still comprise the majority of the world's poor, unfed and unschooled."

"Global problems are too big and too complex to be solved without the full participation of women," she wrote in the article, which ran in more than 50 newspapers around the world.

"Strengthening women's rights is not only a continuing moral obligation -- it is also a necessity as we face a global economic crisis, the spread of terrorism and nuclear weapons, regional conflicts that threaten families and communities, and climate change and the dangers it presents to the world's health and security."

Ambiga Sreenevasan, a Malaysian lawyer who won an award Wednesday for her work on behalf of justice for women, called Clinton "a woman of courage who has encouraged woman around the world."

Clinton's speech declaring that women's rights are human rights, Sreenevasan said, has "resonated with a lot of us here."

Clinton also heaped praise on the current first lady, saying that in a very short time, Michelle Obama "through her grace and her wisdom [has] become an inspiration to women and girls, not only in the United States, but around the world."

Obama spoke about the importance of proper health care, education and justice for women in ensuring strong families and communities.

"The difference between a broken community and a thriving one is the presence of women who are valued, where relationships among women and between women and men are based upon mutual respect," Obama said.

Obama said the work done by the honorees has not just changed their own circumstances, but by inspiring hope and motivating others to act, that work also has changed women's lives around the world.

"This is how real change occurs, one determined woman at a time. And change is coming," she said. "The women we honor today teach us three very important lessons. One, that as women, we must stand up for ourselves. The second, as women we must stand up for each other. And finally, as women we must stand up for justice for all."

On Wednesday, President Obama created a White House Council on Women and Girls, charged with devising a coordinated federal response to various challenges faced by American women.

The council, which will be led by senior presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett and which will include most members of the president's Cabinet, will be charged with ensuring that all governmental agencies take the needs of women into account.

The president said the council will also help ensure a more coordinated federal response on a range of issues, including equal pay, family leave and child care.

He also nominated Melanne Verveer, Clinton's chief of staff when she was first lady, as ambassador-at-large for global women's issues.

In addition to Sreenevasan, the Women of Courage honorees make up an impressive list of advocates on behalf of women under difficult and often dangerous circumstances.

Hadizatou Mani escaped caste-based slavery in Niger to help fight for rights of other people still enslaved in the country. Veronika Marchenko was honored for her activism on behalf of slain soldiers' families in Russia.

Suaad Allami won an award for running a nongovernmental organization on behalf of women in Sadr City, Iraq, that is considered a "one-stop shop" for legal, educational and domestic violence counseling for women.

Mutabar Tadjibayeva is one of the most vocal activists in Uzbekistan fighting on behalf of women's rights, despite being arrested and beaten by police.

In Guatemala, where an average of two women each day die a violent death, Norma Cruz provides support to families of women who are murdered.

One honoree, 12-year-old Reem al-Numery of Yemen, was unable to attend because she is in court fighting her forced marriage to a 30-year-old cousin who allegedly raped and beat her. Her battle in the courts to divorce her husband has sparked an avalanche of activism on behalf of Yemeni preteens sold into wedlock.

text: WASHINGTON

text: CNN

text: The

text: power

text: of

text: women

text: hit

text: the

text: State

text: Department

text: on

text: Wednesday

text: when

text: first

text: lady

text: Michelle

text: Obama

text: joined

text: Secretary

text: of

text: State

text: Hillary

text: Clinton

text: to

text: celebrate

text: champions

text: of

text: women

text: 's

text: rights

text: around

text: the

text: world

text: Michelle

text: Obama

text: and

text: Hillary

text: Clinton

text: present

text: the

text: State

text: Department

text: Women

text: of

text: Courage

text: Awards

text: The

text: event

text: was

text: to

text: celebrate

text: the

text: State

text: Department

text: Women

text: of

text: Courage

text: Awards

text: but

text: highlighted

text: how

text: both

text: the

text: current

text: and

text: former

text: first

text: ladies

text: have

text: made

text: women

text: 's

text: rights

text: a

text: signature

text: issue

text: Since

text: calling

text: women

text: 's

text: rights

text: a

text: human

text: rights

text: issue

text: at

text: a

text: women

text: 's

text: conference

text: in

text: Beijing

text: in

text: Clinton

text: has

text: made

text: it

text: a

text: personal

text: mission

text: to

text: champion

text: the

text: rights

text: of

text: women

text: Her

text: first

text: two

text: trips

text: as

text: secretary

text: of

text: state

text: have

text: been

text: packed

text: with

text: events

text: promoting

text: the

text: importance

text: of

text: women

text: 's

text: rights

text: These

text: personal

text: experiences

text: have

text: informed

text: my

text: work

text: and

text: I

text: will

text: continue

text: to

text: fight

text: for

text: human

text: rights

text: as

text: secretary

text: of

text: state

text: in

text: traditional

text: and

text: especially

text: nontraditional

text: ways

text: and

text: venues

text: Clinton

text: told

text: the

text: audience

text: You

text: ca

text: n't

text: solve

text: problems

text: of

text: financial

text: crisis

text: climate

text: change

text: disease

text: and

text: poverty

text: if

text: half

text: of

text: the

text: population

text: is

text: left

text: behind

text: Clinton

text: said

text: The

text: rights

text: of

text: women

text: will

text: always

text: be

text: central

text: to

text: our

text: foreign

text: policy

text: In

text: a

text: commentary

text: published

text: Monday

text: in

text: honor

text: of

text: International

text: Women

text: 's

text: Day

text: Clinton

text: warned

text: that

text: women

text: still

text: comprise

text: the

text: majority

text: of

text: the

text: world

text: 's

text: poor

text: unfed

text: and

text: unschooled

text: Global

text: problems

text: are

text: too

text: big

text: and

text: too

text: complex

text: to

text: be

text: solved

text: without

text: the

text: full

text: participation

text: of

text: women

text: she

text: wrote

text: in

text: the

text: article

text: which

text: ran

text: in

text: more

text: than

text: newspapers

text: around

text: the

text: world

text: Strengthening

text: women

text: 's

text: rights

text: is

text: not

text: only

text: a

text: continuing

text: moral

text: obligation

text: it

text: is

text: also

text: a

text: necessity

text: as

text: we

text: face

text: a

text: global

text: economic

text: crisis

text: the

text: spread

text: of

text: terrorism

text: and

text: nuclear

text: weapons

text: regional

text: conflicts

text: that

text: threaten

text: families

text: and

text: communities

text: and

text: climate

text: change

text: and

text: the

text: dangers

text: it

text: presents

text: to

text: the

text: world

text: 's

text: health

text: and

text: security

text: Ambiga

text: Sreenevasan

text: a

text: Malaysian

text: lawyer

text: who

text: won

text: an

text: award

text: Wednesday

text: for

text: her

text: work

text: on

text: behalf

text: of

text: justice

text: for

text: women

text: called

text: Clinton

text: a

text: woman

text: of

text: courage

text: who

text: has

text: encouraged

text: woman

text: around

text: the

text: world

text: Clinton

text: 's

text: speech

text: declaring

text: that

text: women

text: 's

text: rights

text: are

text: human

text: rights

text: Sreenevasan

text: said

text: has

text: resonated

text: with

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: us

text: here

text: Clinton

text: also

text: heaped

text: praise

text: on

text: the

text: current

text: first

text: lady

text: saying

text: that

text: in

text: a

text: very

text: short

text: time

text: Michelle

text: Obama

text: through

text: her

text: grace

text: and

text: her

text: wisdom

text: has

text: become

text: an

text: inspiration

text: to

text: women

text: and

text: girls

text: not

text: only

text: in

text: the

text: United

text: States

text: but

text: around

text: the

text: world

text: Obama

text: spoke

text: about

text: the

text: importance

text: of

text: proper

text: health

text: care

text: education

text: and

text: justice

text: for

text: women

text: in

text: ensuring

text: strong

text: families

text: and

text: communities

text: The

text: difference

text: between

text: a

text: broken

text: community

text: and

text: a

text: thriving

text: one

text: is

text: the

text: presence

text: of

text: women

text: who

text: are

text: valued

text: where

text: relationships

text: among

text: women

text: and

text: between

text: women

text: and

text: men

text: are

text: based

text: upon

text: mutual

text: respect

text: Obama

text: said

text: Obama

text: said

text: the

text: work

text: done

text: by

text: the

text: honorees

text: has

text: not

text: just

text: changed

text: their

text: own

text: circumstances

text: but

text: by

text: inspiring

text: hope

text: and

text: motivating

text: others

text: to

text: act

text: that

text: work

text: also

text: has

text: changed

text: women

text: 's

text: lives

text: around

text: the

text: world

text: This

text: is

text: how

text: real

text: change

text: occurs

text: one

text: determined

text: woman

text: at

text: a

text: time

text: And

text: change

text: is

text: coming

text: she

text: said

text: The

text: women

text: we

text: honor

text: today

text: teach

text: us

text: three

text: very

text: important

text: lessons

text: One

text: that

text: as

text: women

text: we

text: must

text: stand

text: up

text: for

text: ourselves

text: The

text: second

text: as

text: women

text: we

text: must

text: stand

text: up

text: for

text: each

text: other

text: And

text: finally

text: as

text: women

text: we

text: must

text: stand

text: up

text: for

text: justice

text: for

text: all

text: On

text: Wednesday

text: President

text: Obama

text: created

text: a

text: White

text: House

text: Council

text: on

text: Women

text: and

text: Girls

text: charged

text: with

text: devising

text: a

text: coordinated

text: federal

text: response

text: to

text: various

text: challenges

text: faced

text: by

text: American

text: women

text: The

text: council

text: which

text: will

text: be

text: led

text: by

text: senior

text: presidential

text: adviser

text: Valerie

text: Jarrett

text: and

text: which

text: will

text: include

text: most

text: members

text: of

text: the

text: president

text: 's

text: Cabinet

text: will

text: be

text: charged

text: with

text: ensuring

text: that

text: all

text: governmental

text: agencies

text: take

text: the

text: needs

text: of

text: women

text: into

text: account

text: The

text: president

text: said

text: the

text: council

text: will

text: also

text: help

text: ensure

text: a

text: more

text: coordinated

text: federal

text: response

text: on

text: a

text: range

text: of

text: issues

text: including

text: equal

text: pay

text: family

text: leave

text: and

text: child

text: care

text: He

text: also

text: nominated

text: Melanne

text: Verveer

text: Clinton

text: 's

text: chief

text: of

text: staff

text: when

text: she

text: was

text: first

text: lady

text: as

text: ambassador

text: at

text: large

text: for

text: global

text: women

text: 's

text: issues

text: In

text: addition

text: to

text: Sreenevasan

text: the

text: Women

text: of

text: Courage

text: honorees

text: make

text: up

text: an

text: impressive

text: list

text: of

text: advocates

text: on

text: behalf

text: of

text: women

text: under

text: difficult

text: and

text: often

text: dangerous

text: circumstances

text: Hadizatou

text: Mani

text: escaped

text: caste

text: based

text: slavery

text: in

text: Niger

text: to

text: help

text: fight

text: for

text: rights

text: of

text: other

text: people

text: still

text: enslaved

text: in

text: the

text: country

text: Veronika

text: Marchenko

text: was

text: honored

text: for

text: her

text: activism

text: on

text: behalf

text: of

text: slain

text: soldiers

text: families

text: in

text: Russia

text: Suaad

text: Allami

text: won

text: an

text: award

text: for

text: running

text: a

text: nongovernmental

text: organization

text: on

text: behalf

text: of

text: women

text: in

text: Sadr

text: City

text: Iraq

text: that

text: is

text: considered

text: a

text: one

text: stop

text: shop

text: for

text: legal

text: educational

text: and

text: domestic

text: violence

text: counseling

text: for

text: women

text: Mutabar

text: Tadjibayeva

text: is

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: most

text: vocal

text: activists

text: in

text: Uzbekistan

text: fighting

text: on

text: behalf

text: of

text: women

text: 's

text: rights

text: despite

text: being

text: arrested

text: and

text: beaten

text: by

text: police

text: In

text: Guatemala

text: where

text: an

text: average

text: of

text: two

text: women

text: each

text: day

text: die

text: a

text: violent

text: death

text: Norma

text: Cruz

text: provides

text: support

text: to

text: families

text: of

text: women

text: who

text: are

text: murdered

text: One

text: honoree

text: old

text: Reem

text: al

text: Numery

text: of

text: Yemen

text: was

text: unable

text: to

text: attend

text: because

text: she

text: is

text: in

text: court

text: fighting

text: her

text: forced

text: marriage

text: to

text: a

text: old

text: cousin

text: who

text: allegedly

text: raped

text: and

text: beat

text: her

text: Her

text: battle

text: in

text: the

text: courts

text: to

text: divorce

text: her

text: husband

text: has

text: sparked

text: an

text: avalanche

text: of

text: activism

text: on

text: behalf

text: of

text: Yemeni

text: preteens

text: sold

text: into

text: wedlock

question: whats Event celebrates State Department Women of Courage Awards?

answer: of

text: of

question: which is the first lady?

answer: Michelle

text: Michelle


text:
(CNN) -- Singer Carrie Underwood has gotten engaged to hockey player beau Mike Fisher, her spokesperson confirmed to CNN.

"I'm happy to confirm that Carrie Underwood is engaged to Mike Fisher, and the couple couldn't be happier," said Jessie Schmidt. "No wedding date has been set at this time."

Fisher plays for the Ottawa Senators hockey team in Canada.

During an appearance on Ellen Degeneres' talk show in November, Underwood joked with the host that the relationship -- then almost a year long -- was the longest she had ever had.

"I joke and say my dogs are the longest relationship ever," Underwood said.

The couple have been enjoying a long distance relationship and Underwood demurred at the idea of living together.

"No, call me old-fashioned," Underwood said during her interview with Ellen. "He's there. I'm here. We're both doing our thing and it's good. The next guy I move in with will be my hubby."

Underwood, who has risen from being a former winner of "American Idol" to a country music superstar,  has been linked in the past with Dallas Cowboys football player Tony Romo and "Gossip Girl" actor Chace Crawford.

text: CNN

text: Singer

text: Carrie

text: Underwood

text: has

text: gotten

text: engaged

text: to

text: hockey

text: player

text: beau

text: Mike

text: Fisher

text: her

text: spokesperson

text: confirmed

text: to

text: CNN

text: I

text: 'm

text: happy

text: to

text: confirm

text: that

text: Carrie

text: Underwood

text: is

text: engaged

text: to

text: Mike

text: Fisher

text: and

text: the

text: couple

text: could

text: n't

text: be

text: happier

text: said

text: Jessie

text: Schmidt

text: No

text: wedding

text: date

text: has

text: been

text: set

text: at

text: this

text: time

text: Fisher

text: plays

text: for

text: the

text: Ottawa

text: Senators

text: hockey

text: team

text: in

text: Canada

text: During

text: an

text: appearance

text: on

text: Ellen

text: Degeneres

text: talk

text: show

text: in

text: November

text: Underwood

text: joked

text: with

text: the

text: host

text: that

text: the

text: relationship

text: then

text: almost

text: a

text: year

text: long

text: was

text: the

text: longest

text: she

text: had

text: ever

text: had

text: I

text: joke

text: and

text: say

text: my

text: dogs

text: are

text: the

text: longest

text: relationship

text: ever

text: Underwood

text: said

text: The

text: couple

text: have

text: been

text: enjoying

text: a

text: long

text: distance

text: relationship

text: and

text: Underwood

text: demurred

text: at

text: the

text: idea

text: of

text: living

text: together

text: No

text: call

text: me

text: old

text: fashioned

text: Underwood

text: said

text: during

text: her

text: interview

text: with

text: Ellen

text: He

text: 's

text: there

text: I

text: 'm

text: here

text: We

text: 're

text: both

text: doing

text: our

text: thing

text: and

text: it

text: 's

text: good

text: The

text: next

text: guy

text: I

text: move

text: in

text: with

text: will

text: be

text: my

text: hubby

text: Underwood

text: who

text: has

text: risen

text: from

text: being

text: a

text: former

text: winner

text: of

text: American

text: Idol

text: to

text: a

text: country

text: music

text: superstar

text: has

text: been

text: linked

text: in

text: the

text: past

text: with

text: Dallas

text: Cowboys

text: football

text: player

text: Tony

text: Romo

text: and

text: Gossip

text: Girl

text: actor

text: Chace

text: Crawford

question: How long has the relationship lasted?

answer: almost a year

text: almost a year

question: Where does Mike Fisher live?

answer: plays for the Ottawa Senators

text: plays for the Ottawa Senators

question: Who said the almost yearlong relationship was her longest to date?

answer: Underwood

text: Underwood

question: who is engaged to hockey player Mike Fisher?

answer: Carrie Underwood

text: Carrie Underwood

question: Who is Carrie Underwood engaged to?

answer: Mike Fisher,

text: Mike Fisher,

question: Who lives in Canada?

answer: Mike Fisher,

text: Mike Fisher,

question: What country does Mike Fisher live in?

answer: Canada.

text: Canada.

question: Who is engaged to Mike Fisher?

answer: Carrie Underwood

text: Carrie Underwood

question: How long has their relationship been going on?

answer: a year

text: a year


text:
(CNN) -- Zimbabwe's capital of Harare was quiet Saturday night after polls began closing for elections that will decide the future of longtime President Robert Mugabe.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe campaigns in the capital of Harare last week.

Results were not expected until Sunday.

The main opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change, alleged widespread irregularities and promised to release its own election results, defying a government order.

Critics of the government have predicted that the elections will be rigged or marred by fraud, though the government has promised that they will be "free and fair."

At a news conference in Harare, Movement for Democratic Change Secretary-General Tenda Biti said that some of the party's agents have been chased away from polling stations.

The party also said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission claimed to have lost the accreditation for agents at 19 stations and refused to let them in.

Biti said there was a "massive" deployment of soldiers and police at most stations. Journalists inside the country reported a heavy presence of the army and police but disagreed with Biti's description of it as "massive."

Police said they were investigating the bombing of a house in Harare belonging to a parliamentarian candidate from Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party.

The bombing happened early Saturday, and it was not immediately clear whether it was connected to the elections, police said. No one was inside the home at the time.

The Zimbabwean government has denied CNN and other international news organizations permission to enter the country to report on the elections. Read about reporting on the elections.

The elections are posing one of the toughest challenges to Mugabe's 28-year rule. Two candidates, both from different factions of the opposition party, stand a good chance of unseating him.

One opposition contender is Movement for Democratic Change founder Morgan Tsvangirai, who fought hotly contested challenges against the president in 2000, 2002 and 2005.

The other is Mugabe's former finance minister, Simba Makoni. He was a member of the Zanu-PF party until he announced his bid to unseat Mugabe and the party kicked him out.

Voter turnout was high after the polls opened at 7 a.m. (1 a.m. ET), journalists reported, but it tapered off throughout the day.

Shortly before polls closed at 7 p.m. (1 p.m. ET), "there was a rush of people to put in their last-minute votes" in some places, media rights activist Reyhana Masters said.

Biti also said police were assisting many voters in casting ballots. The opposition has spoken out against "assistance" in the voting booth, calling it an intimidation tactic, but Mugabe passed a presidential decree this week that said police could help those voters who are elderly or infirm.  Watch Zimbabweans worry their vote won't count Â»

The government has warned the opposition not to release its own election results, saying that doing so is the role of the electoral commission and could spark violence of the kind seen in Kenya after elections there late last year.

Some Zimbabweans reported irregularities in Saturday's voting.

Eddie Matsangaise of the Zimbabwe Exile Forum said he had heard that the names of long-dead white colonialist leaders were on voter lists, but voters who thought they were registered were turned away.

Iden Wetherell, editor of the newspaper Zimbabwe Independent, said the opposition had found large numbers of voters registered at one address where there isn't a building.

Voter confusion was also a problem. The elections are not just for president but also for parliamentary, senate and local council seats, meaning voters have to cast a number of ballots in a limited amount of time.

Limited voter education means many registered voters were not told which ward to go to and may turn up at the wrong polling stations.  Watch claims of dead voters still on the rolls Â»

The absence of international media and independent observers has heightened critics' concerns. The United States this week warned of a possible unfair election, and New York-based Human Rights Watch warned this month that the elections were likely to be "deeply flawed."

Human Rights Watch said in a report that Zimbabwe's electoral commission is partisan toward Zanu-PF and lacks both expertise and resources to run the elections properly.

An MDC official said this week that leaked correspondence from the electoral commission showed it had asked for 3.3 million more ballots than there are registered voters, including 250,000 extra postal ballots for soldiers and police.

Tenda Biti, the opposition's secretary-general, said it was an indication of fraud.

A hero of the country's civil war against the white Rhodesian government, Mugabe became the country's first black prime minister in 1980. But nearly three decades later, he has consolidated his rule over all aspects of Zimbabwean life, and the country does not appear better for it.

His country was once revered for offering its citizens some of the best education and health care in Africa, but now, schooling is a luxury and Zimbabwe has one of the lowest life expectancies in the world.

Zimbabwe was once known as the breadbasket of southern Africa, but now it is difficult to get even basic food supplies. Inflation has skyrocketed to more than 100,000 percent while food production and agricultural exports have dropped drastically.  Watch reasons for meltdown of Zimbabwe's economy Â»

Part of the economic freefall is traced to Mugabe's land redistribution policies, including his controversial seizure of commercially white-owned farms in 2000. Mugabe gave the land to black Zimbabweans who he said were cheated under colonialist rule, and white farmers who resisted were jailed.

In 2005, Mugabe launched Operation Clean Out the Trash, in which he razed slum areas across the country.

Mugabe denies mismanagement and blames his country's woes on the West, saying that sanctions have harmed the economy. E-mail to a friend

CNN's Robyn Curnow in Beitbridge, South Africa, contributed to this report.

text: CNN

text: Zimbabwe

text: 's

text: capital

text: of

text: Harare

text: was

text: quiet

text: Saturday

text: night

text: after

text: polls

text: began

text: closing

text: for

text: elections

text: that

text: will

text: decide

text: the

text: future

text: of

text: longtime

text: President

text: Robert

text: Mugabe

text: Zimbabwean

text: President

text: Robert

text: Mugabe

text: campaigns

text: in

text: the

text: capital

text: of

text: Harare

text: last

text: week

text: Results

text: were

text: not

text: expected

text: until

text: Sunday

text: The

text: main

text: opposition

text: party

text: Movement

text: for

text: Democratic

text: Change

text: alleged

text: widespread

text: irregularities

text: and

text: promised

text: to

text: release

text: its

text: own

text: election

text: results

text: defying

text: a

text: government

text: order

text: Critics

text: of

text: the

text: government

text: have

text: predicted

text: that

text: the

text: elections

text: will

text: be

text: rigged

text: or

text: marred

text: by

text: fraud

text: though

text: the

text: government

text: has

text: promised

text: that

text: they

text: will

text: be

text: free

text: and

text: fair

text: At

text: a

text: news

text: conference

text: in

text: Harare

text: Movement

text: for

text: Democratic

text: Change

text: Secretary

text: General

text: Tenda

text: Biti

text: said

text: that

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: party

text: 's

text: agents

text: have

text: been

text: chased

text: away

text: from

text: polling

text: stations

text: The

text: party

text: also

text: said

text: the

text: Zimbabwe

text: Electoral

text: Commission

text: claimed

text: to

text: have

text: lost

text: the

text: accreditation

text: for

text: agents

text: at

text: stations

text: and

text: refused

text: to

text: let

text: them

text: in

text: Biti

text: said

text: there

text: was

text: a

text: massive

text: deployment

text: of

text: soldiers

text: and

text: police

text: at

text: most

text: stations

text: Journalists

text: inside

text: the

text: country

text: reported

text: a

text: heavy

text: presence

text: of

text: the

text: army

text: and

text: police

text: but

text: disagreed

text: with

text: Biti

text: 's

text: description

text: of

text: it

text: as

text: massive

text: Police

text: said

text: they

text: were

text: investigating

text: the

text: bombing

text: of

text: a

text: house

text: in

text: Harare

text: belonging

text: to

text: a

text: parliamentarian

text: candidate

text: from

text: Mugabe

text: 's

text: ruling

text: Zanu

text: PF

text: party

text: The

text: bombing

text: happened

text: early

text: Saturday

text: and

text: it

text: was

text: not

text: immediately

text: clear

text: whether

text: it

text: was

text: connected

text: to

text: the

text: elections

text: police

text: said

text: No

text: one

text: was

text: inside

text: the

text: home

text: at

text: the

text: time

text: The

text: Zimbabwean

text: government

text: has

text: denied

text: CNN

text: and

text: other

text: international

text: news

text: organizations

text: permission

text: to

text: enter

text: the

text: country

text: to

text: report

text: on

text: the

text: elections

text: Read

text: about

text: reporting

text: on

text: the

text: elections

text: The

text: elections

text: are

text: posing

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: toughest

text: challenges

text: to

text: Mugabe

text: 's

text: rule

text: Two

text: candidates

text: both

text: from

text: different

text: factions

text: of

text: the

text: opposition

text: party

text: stand

text: a

text: good

text: chance

text: of

text: unseating

text: him

text: One

text: opposition

text: contender

text: is

text: Movement

text: for

text: Democratic

text: Change

text: founder

text: Morgan

text: Tsvangirai

text: who

text: fought

text: hotly

text: contested

text: challenges

text: against

text: the

text: president

text: in

text: and

text: The

text: other

text: is

text: Mugabe

text: 's

text: former

text: finance

text: minister

text: Simba

text: Makoni

text: He

text: was

text: a

text: member

text: of

text: the

text: Zanu

text: PF

text: party

text: until

text: he

text: announced

text: his

text: bid

text: to

text: unseat

text: Mugabe

text: and

text: the

text: party

text: kicked

text: him

text: out

text: Voter

text: turnout

text: was

text: high

text: after

text: the

text: polls

text: opened

text: at

text: a.m.

text: a.m.

text: ET

text: journalists

text: reported

text: but

text: it

text: tapered

text: off

text: throughout

text: the

text: day

text: Shortly

text: before

text: polls

text: closed

text: at

text: p.m.

text: p.m.

text: ET

text: there

text: was

text: a

text: rush

text: of

text: people

text: to

text: put

text: in

text: their

text: last

text: minute

text: votes

text: in

text: some

text: places

text: media

text: rights

text: activist

text: Reyhana

text: Masters

text: said

text: Biti

text: also

text: said

text: police

text: were

text: assisting

text: many

text: voters

text: in

text: casting

text: ballots

text: The

text: opposition

text: has

text: spoken

text: out

text: against

text: assistance

text: in

text: the

text: voting

text: booth

text: calling

text: it

text: an

text: intimidation

text: tactic

text: but

text: Mugabe

text: passed

text: a

text: presidential

text: decree

text: this

text: week

text: that

text: said

text: police

text: could

text: help

text: those

text: voters

text: who

text: are

text: elderly

text: or

text: infirm

text: Watch

text: Zimbabweans

text: worry

text: their

text: vote

text: wo

text: n't

text: count

text: Â

text: The

text: government

text: has

text: warned

text: the

text: opposition

text: not

text: to

text: release

text: its

text: own

text: election

text: results

text: saying

text: that

text: doing

text: so

text: is

text: the

text: role

text: of

text: the

text: electoral

text: commission

text: and

text: could

text: spark

text: violence

text: of

text: the

text: kind

text: seen

text: in

text: Kenya

text: after

text: elections

text: there

text: late

text: last

text: year

text: Some

text: Zimbabweans

text: reported

text: irregularities

text: in

text: Saturday

text: 's

text: voting

text: Eddie

text: Matsangaise

text: of

text: the

text: Zimbabwe

text: Exile

text: Forum

text: said

text: he

text: had

text: heard

text: that

text: the

text: names

text: of

text: long

text: dead

text: white

text: colonialist

text: leaders

text: were

text: on

text: voter

text: lists

text: but

text: voters

text: who

text: thought

text: they

text: were

text: registered

text: were

text: turned

text: away

text: Iden

text: Wetherell

text: editor

text: of

text: the

text: newspaper

text: Zimbabwe

text: Independent

text: said

text: the

text: opposition

text: had

text: found

text: large

text: numbers

text: of

text: voters

text: registered

text: at

text: one

text: address

text: where

text: there

text: is

text: n't

text: a

text: building

text: Voter

text: confusion

text: was

text: also

text: a

text: problem

text: The

text: elections

text: are

text: not

text: just

text: for

text: president

text: but

text: also

text: for

text: parliamentary

text: senate

text: and

text: local

text: council

text: seats

text: meaning

text: voters

text: have

text: to

text: cast

text: a

text: number

text: of

text: ballots

text: in

text: a

text: limited

text: amount

text: of

text: time

text: Limited

text: voter

text: education

text: means

text: many

text: registered

text: voters

text: were

text: not

text: told

text: which

text: ward

text: to

text: go

text: to

text: and

text: may

text: turn

text: up

text: at

text: the

text: wrong

text: polling

text: stations

text: Watch

text: claims

text: of

text: dead

text: voters

text: still

text: on

text: the

text: rolls

text: Â

text: The

text: absence

text: of

text: international

text: media

text: and

text: independent

text: observers

text: has

text: heightened

text: critics

text: concerns

text: The

text: United

text: States

text: this

text: week

text: warned

text: of

text: a

text: possible

text: unfair

text: election

text: and

text: New

text: York

text: based

text: Human

text: Rights

text: Watch

text: warned

text: this

text: month

text: that

text: the

text: elections

text: were

text: likely

text: to

text: be

text: deeply

text: flawed

text: Human

text: Rights

text: Watch

text: said

text: in

text: a

text: report

text: that

text: Zimbabwe

text: 's

text: electoral

text: commission

text: is

text: partisan

text: toward

text: Zanu

text: PF

text: and

text: lacks

text: both

text: expertise

text: and

text: resources

text: to

text: run

text: the

text: elections

text: properly

text: An

text: MDC

text: official

text: said

text: this

text: week

text: that

text: leaked

text: correspondence

text: from

text: the

text: electoral

text: commission

text: showed

text: it

text: had

text: asked

text: for

text: million

text: more

text: ballots

text: than

text: there

text: are

text: registered

text: voters

text: including

text: extra

text: postal

text: ballots

text: for

text: soldiers

text: and

text: police

text: Tenda

text: Biti

text: the

text: opposition

text: 's

text: secretary

text: general

text: said

text: it

text: was

text: an

text: indication

text: of

text: fraud

text: A

text: hero

text: of

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: civil

text: war

text: against

text: the

text: white

text: Rhodesian

text: government

text: Mugabe

text: became

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: first

text: black

text: prime

text: minister

text: in

text: But

text: nearly

text: three

text: decades

text: later

text: he

text: has

text: consolidated

text: his

text: rule

text: over

text: all

text: aspects

text: of

text: Zimbabwean

text: life

text: and

text: the

text: country

text: does

text: not

text: appear

text: better

text: for

text: it

text: His

text: country

text: was

text: once

text: revered

text: for

text: offering

text: its

text: citizens

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: best

text: education

text: and

text: health

text: care

text: in

text: Africa

text: but

text: now

text: schooling

text: is

text: a

text: luxury

text: and

text: Zimbabwe

text: has

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: lowest

text: life

text: expectancies

text: in

text: the

text: world

text: Zimbabwe

text: was

text: once

text: known

text: as

text: the

text: breadbasket

text: of

text: southern

text: Africa

text: but

text: now

text: it

text: is

text: difficult

text: to

text: get

text: even

text: basic

text: food

text: supplies

text: Inflation

text: has

text: skyrocketed

text: to

text: more

text: than

text: percent

text: while

text: food

text: production

text: and

text: agricultural

text: exports

text: have

text: dropped

text: drastically

text: Watch

text: reasons

text: for

text: meltdown

text: of

text: Zimbabwe

text: 's

text: economy

text: Â

text: Part

text: of

text: the

text: economic

text: freefall

text: is

text: traced

text: to

text: Mugabe

text: 's

text: land

text: redistribution

text: policies

text: including

text: his

text: controversial

text: seizure

text: of

text: commercially

text: white

text: owned

text: farms

text: in

text: Mugabe

text: gave

text: the

text: land

text: to

text: black

text: Zimbabweans

text: who

text: he

text: said

text: were

text: cheated

text: under

text: colonialist

text: rule

text: and

text: white

text: farmers

text: who

text: resisted

text: were

text: jailed

text: In

text: Mugabe

text: launched

text: Operation

text: Clean

text: Out

text: the

text: Trash

text: in

text: which

text: he

text: razed

text: slum

text: areas

text: across

text: the

text: country

text: Mugabe

text: denies

text: mismanagement

text: and

text: blames

text: his

text: country

text: 's

text: woes

text: on

text: the

text: West

text: saying

text: that

text: sanctions

text: have

text: harmed

text: the

text: economy

text: E

text: mail

text: to

text: a

text: friend

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Robyn

text: Curnow

text: in

text: Beitbridge

text: South

text: Africa

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: What country was once called the breadbasket of southern Africa?

answer: Zimbabw

text: Zimbabw

question: Who is Mugabe?

answer: Zimbabwean President

text: Zimbabwean President

question: What is Zimbabwe's main opposition?

answer: Movement for Democratic Change,

text: Movement for Democratic Change,

question: What number of challangers does Mugabe face?

answer: Two

text: Two

question: What economic factor is rampant?

answer: . Inflatio

text: . Inflatio

question: What is rampant in Zimbabwe?

answer: . Inflatio

text: . Inflatio

question: What is the name of the main opposition party?

answer: Movement for Democratic Change,

text: Movement for Democratic Change,


text:
ATHENS, Greece (CNN)   -- Fires in southern Greece that have razed dozens of villages and killed at least 44 people may have been deliberately set ahead of next month's national elections, the prime minister suggested Saturday.

A fire burns in the Mesohoria area on Evia Island, northeast of Athens.

Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis declared a nationwide state of emergency Saturday night. He also turned to European Union allies, which have promised help.

Emergency crews pulled charred bodies from homes and local media reported death tolls of up to 50 people.

Scores are hospitalized with severe burns and respiratory problems, state-run television reported.

Although the fires were concentrated in the southern Peloponnese region, heavy smoke billowing Saturday afternoon above Mount Hymettus, southeast of Athens, signaled a new fire. It was burning close to Athens International Airport, forcing officials to close a highway.

In a nationally televised address, Karamanlis suggested the blazes might have been set by political extremists, disrupting political campaigning.

"So many fires sparked simultaneously in so many places is no coincidence," Karamanlis said, and vowed to punish those responsible.

Many firefighters told CNN they are suspicious of the fire's source, given several witness reports that the blazes cropped up simultaneously along a 20-kilometer (12-mile) front of lush greenery in southern Greece.

The prime minister described the situation as a "battle that has to be won," and ordered all resources mobilized to fight the fires.

He also announced that a fund has been set up for fire victims and their families, and an assessment of the disaster will be made.

The most devastated area stretches for 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the western towns of the Zaharo, within the highlands of the western Peloponnese, to the southern tip of the peninsula, Mani.

In the past 24 hours, hundreds of firefighters, soldiers, and planes loaded with water have been battling the infernos on a dozen fronts, authorities said. Yet, despite their efforts, officials said the flames had not been tamed.

"Our emergency services are overstretched and it is humanly impossible to battle this force of nature," a top fire official told CNN.

An EU statement said 30 member countries had offered assistance. France on Saturday was slated to send two planes to help quell the fires, and Norway and Germany pledged to send aircraft as well.

A sweltering heat wave in Greece has parched  forests and scrubland. With intense winds fanning the flames, authorities call this the country's worst fire season on record.

Since June, more than 3,000 fires have razed thousands of hectares of forests and scrubland across the country -- nearly triple last year's total -- according to officials.

A mother, her child and at least seven other people died fleeing burning woods in the mountainous villages in western Peloponnese, near the town of Zaharo, according to a fire department official.

Farther south, six people -- including two French tourists found by rescue crews in an embrace -- were killed in a forest fire that swept near their hotel in the town of Areopolis, located 190 kilometers (120 miles) southwest of Athens.

Greece's elections are set for September 16. The ruling party has called for a temporary suspension of political campaigning as a sign of respect to those who died in the flames, and flags on government buildings were flying Saturday at half staff. E-mail to a friend

Journalist Anthee Carassava contributed to this report

text: ATHENS

text: Greece

text: CNN

text: Fires

text: in

text: southern

text: Greece

text: that

text: have

text: razed

text: dozens

text: of

text: villages

text: and

text: killed

text: at

text: least

text: people

text: may

text: have

text: been

text: deliberately

text: set

text: ahead

text: of

text: next

text: month

text: 's

text: national

text: elections

text: the

text: prime

text: minister

text: suggested

text: Saturday

text: A

text: fire

text: burns

text: in

text: the

text: Mesohoria

text: area

text: on

text: Evia

text: Island

text: northeast

text: of

text: Athens

text: Prime

text: Minister

text: Kostas

text: Karamanlis

text: declared

text: a

text: nationwide

text: state

text: of

text: emergency

text: Saturday

text: night

text: He

text: also

text: turned

text: to

text: European

text: Union

text: allies

text: which

text: have

text: promised

text: help

text: Emergency

text: crews

text: pulled

text: charred

text: bodies

text: from

text: homes

text: and

text: local

text: media

text: reported

text: death

text: tolls

text: of

text: up

text: to

text: people

text: Scores

text: are

text: hospitalized

text: with

text: severe

text: burns

text: and

text: respiratory

text: problems

text: state

text: run

text: television

text: reported

text: Although

text: the

text: fires

text: were

text: concentrated

text: in

text: the

text: southern

text: Peloponnese

text: region

text: heavy

text: smoke

text: billowing

text: Saturday

text: afternoon

text: above

text: Mount

text: Hymettus

text: southeast

text: of

text: Athens

text: signaled

text: a

text: new

text: fire

text: It

text: was

text: burning

text: close

text: to

text: Athens

text: International

text: Airport

text: forcing

text: officials

text: to

text: close

text: a

text: highway

text: In

text: a

text: nationally

text: televised

text: address

text: Karamanlis

text: suggested

text: the

text: blazes

text: might

text: have

text: been

text: set

text: by

text: political

text: extremists

text: disrupting

text: political

text: campaigning

text: So

text: many

text: fires

text: sparked

text: simultaneously

text: in

text: so

text: many

text: places

text: is

text: no

text: coincidence

text: Karamanlis

text: said

text: and

text: vowed

text: to

text: punish

text: those

text: responsible

text: Many

text: firefighters

text: told

text: CNN

text: they

text: are

text: suspicious

text: of

text: the

text: fire

text: 's

text: source

text: given

text: several

text: witness

text: reports

text: that

text: the

text: blazes

text: cropped

text: up

text: simultaneously

text: along

text: a

text: front

text: of

text: lush

text: greenery

text: in

text: southern

text: Greece

text: The

text: prime

text: minister

text: described

text: the

text: situation

text: as

text: a

text: battle

text: that

text: has

text: to

text: be

text: won

text: and

text: ordered

text: all

text: resources

text: mobilized

text: to

text: fight

text: the

text: fires

text: He

text: also

text: announced

text: that

text: a

text: fund

text: has

text: been

text: set

text: up

text: for

text: fire

text: victims

text: and

text: their

text: families

text: and

text: an

text: assessment

text: of

text: the

text: disaster

text: will

text: be

text: made

text: The

text: most

text: devastated

text: area

text: stretches

text: for

text: kilometers

text: miles

text: from

text: the

text: western

text: towns

text: of

text: the

text: Zaharo

text: within

text: the

text: highlands

text: of

text: the

text: western

text: Peloponnese

text: to

text: the

text: southern

text: tip

text: of

text: the

text: peninsula

text: Mani

text: In

text: the

text: past

text: hours

text: hundreds

text: of

text: firefighters

text: soldiers

text: and

text: planes

text: loaded

text: with

text: water

text: have

text: been

text: battling

text: the

text: infernos

text: on

text: a

text: dozen

text: fronts

text: authorities

text: said

text: Yet

text: despite

text: their

text: efforts

text: officials

text: said

text: the

text: flames

text: had

text: not

text: been

text: tamed

text: Our

text: emergency

text: services

text: are

text: overstretched

text: and

text: it

text: is

text: humanly

text: impossible

text: to

text: battle

text: this

text: force

text: of

text: nature

text: a

text: top

text: fire

text: official

text: told

text: CNN

text: An

text: EU

text: statement

text: said

text: member

text: countries

text: had

text: offered

text: assistance

text: France

text: on

text: Saturday

text: was

text: slated

text: to

text: send

text: two

text: planes

text: to

text: help

text: quell

text: the

text: fires

text: and

text: Norway

text: and

text: Germany

text: pledged

text: to

text: send

text: aircraft

text: as

text: well

text: A

text: sweltering

text: heat

text: wave

text: in

text: Greece

text: has

text: parched

text: forests

text: and

text: scrubland

text: With

text: intense

text: winds

text: fanning

text: the

text: flames

text: authorities

text: call

text: this

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: worst

text: fire

text: season

text: on

text: record

text: Since

text: June

text: more

text: than

text: fires

text: have

text: razed

text: thousands

text: of

text: hectares

text: of

text: forests

text: and

text: scrubland

text: across

text: the

text: country

text: nearly

text: triple

text: last

text: year

text: 's

text: total

text: according

text: to

text: officials

text: A

text: mother

text: her

text: child

text: and

text: at

text: least

text: seven

text: other

text: people

text: died

text: fleeing

text: burning

text: woods

text: in

text: the

text: mountainous

text: villages

text: in

text: western

text: Peloponnese

text: near

text: the

text: town

text: of

text: Zaharo

text: according

text: to

text: a

text: fire

text: department

text: official

text: Farther

text: south

text: six

text: people

text: including

text: two

text: French

text: tourists

text: found

text: by

text: rescue

text: crews

text: in

text: an

text: embrace

text: were

text: killed

text: in

text: a

text: forest

text: fire

text: that

text: swept

text: near

text: their

text: hotel

text: in

text: the

text: town

text: of

text: Areopolis

text: located

text: kilometers

text: miles

text: southwest

text: of

text: Athens

text: Greece

text: 's

text: elections

text: are

text: set

text: for

text: September

text: The

text: ruling

text: party

text: has

text: called

text: for

text: a

text: temporary

text: suspension

text: of

text: political

text: campaigning

text: as

text: a

text: sign

text: of

text: respect

text: to

text: those

text: who

text: died

text: in

text: the

text: flames

text: and

text: flags

text: on

text: government

text: buildings

text: were

text: flying

text: Saturday

text: at

text: half

text: staff

text: E

text: mail

text: to

text: a

text: friend

text: Journalist

text: Anthee

text: Carassava

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: How many countries have offered to help according to the European Union?

answer: 30

question: Who declared a state of emergency?

answer: Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis

text: Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis

question: Who many countries offered help?

answer: 30

question: What is the European Union doing?

answer: promised help.

text: promised help.

question: What is the death toll revised to?

answer: 50 people.

text: 50 people.

question: What did the Greek government delcare?

answer: declared a nationwide state of emergency

text: declared a nationwide state of emergency

question: What is the death toll at?

answer: 50

question: What is happening in Greece?

answer: Fires

text: Fires

question: What countries have offered help?

answer: European Union allies,

text: European Union allies,