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[ { "context": "Fortnite, the video game whose sudden rise has grabbed the imagination of gamers, is \"not addictive\", a Scottish university researcher has claimed. Andrew Reid, a doctoral researcher of serious games at Glasgow Caledonian University, said people found the game hard to stop playing. But he warned against using the term \"addictive\", which could stigmatise regular consumers of video games. He said some research showed \"positive characteristics of play\". After six years in development Epic games released Fortnite in July 2017. It is a co-operative survival shooting game that lets players build structures out of materials they scavenge from the game world. Its most popular format is the Battle Royale mode which pits 100 players against each other, some of whom are in small teams, to see who is the last person standing. The game is free but players can spend real money on in-app purchases. Concerns have been raised about hackers getting access to accounts used for purchases and over the potential dangers of children playing the game online with strangers. Since last year's release, it has been available to play on gaming devices such as the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, as well as PC and Mac. It has recently become available on some mobile devices. Mr Reid said the game was proving very popular because it was \"carefully created to deliver a truly engaging experience\". He said the gaming experience was different for each player and changed each time. Mr Reid said there was scope for further research on what constituted video-game addiction but it had been \"suggestively been defined as the excessive consumption of games that conflict with everyday living\". The researcher said it would be better to consider the reasons for wide and regular consumption of video games without calling players \"addicts\". \"To do otherwise would be to stigmatise the medium as an evil to our society, despite a growing portfolio of video games and research that reinforce the positive characteristics of play and interactivity,\" he said. Mr Reid said Fortnite had a \"cartoony, exaggerated style\" unlike 18-rated games such as Call of Duty whose hyper-realistic style may have different consequences on children's perceptions. He advised parents to try to encourage children to play in moderation. Mr Reid added: \"I'd also suggest playing Fortnite yourself to understand why children might be interested in it - so that you can speak the same language and get on the same wavelength.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1257, "answer_start": 455, "text": "After six years in development Epic games released Fortnite in July 2017. It is a co-operative survival shooting game that lets players build structures out of materials they scavenge from the game world. Its most popular format is the Battle Royale mode which pits 100 players against each other, some of whom are in small teams, to see who is the last person standing. The game is free but players can spend real money on in-app purchases. Concerns have been raised about hackers getting access to accounts used for purchases and over the potential dangers of children playing the game online with strangers. Since last year's release, it has been available to play on gaming devices such as the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, as well as PC and Mac. It has recently become available on some mobile devices." } ], "id": "9000_0", "question": "What is Fortnite?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Hong Kong police have violently tackled suspected protesters after thousands of people marched in the city in defiance of a ban. Images show police hitting people with batons and using pepper spray on a train in Hong Kong's metro. Police say they were called to the scene amid violence against citizens by \"radical protesters\". However it is unclear if all those injured and arrested in the metro system were involved in demonstrations. People took to the streets on Saturday to mark the fifth anniversary of China's government banning fully democratic elections in Hong Kong. Protesters lit fires and attacked the parliament building, with petrol bombs bring thrown. In response, police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to disperse crowds, and fired live warning shots as they tried to clear the streets. The latest protests came just a day after the arrest of several key pro-democracy activists and lawmakers in China's special administrative region. Hong Kong has now seen 13 successive weeks of demonstrations. The movement grew out of rallies against a controversial extradition bill - now suspended - which would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial. It has since become a broader pro-democracy movement in which clashes have grown more violent. During protests, crowds gathered by Prince Edward and Mong Kok stations in Hong Kong's Kowloon neighbourhood. Police said in a tweet they had responded at both sites after reports of \"radical protesters\" assaulting citizens and damaging property. In a statement, Hong Kong's government also said some protesters had \"committed arson and \"hurled miscellaneous objects and iron railings\" on to railway tracks, \"completely disregarding the safety of other passengers\". Forty people were subsequently arrested for unlawful assembly, criminal damage and the assault of police officers, police spokesperson Yolanda Yu told reporters. But several people complained of excessive force used by the authorities. \"The train stopped. Police boarded and hit me twice with a baton,\" an unnamed man told the South China Morning Post newspaper. \"They didn't arrest me. They were just venting their anger by hitting me.\" MTR, which operates the city's metro line, told local media that three stations - Prince Edward, Mongkok and Kowloon Bay - had been closed as a result of the incident. Protesters took to the streets in the Wan Chai district, many joining a Christian march, while others demonstrated in the Causeway Bay shopping district in the pouring rain. Many carried umbrellas and wore face masks. Demonstrators - chanting \"stand with Hong Kong\" and \"fight for freedom\" - gathered outside government offices, the local headquarters of China's People's Liberation Army and the city's parliament, known as the Legislative Council. In the Admiralty district, some protesters threw fire bombs towards officers. Earlier, protesters had marched near the official residence of embattled leader Carrie Lam, who is the focal point of much of the anger. Riot police had erected barriers around key buildings, and fired tear gas and jets of blue-dyed water from water cannon. The coloured liquid is used to make it easier for police to identify protesters. Police later confirmed two officers had fired into the air during operations to clear protesters from the streets. Both officers fired one shot each when they felt their lives were threatened, the police department said. Eric, a 22-year-old student, told Reuters news agency: \"Telling us not to protest is like telling us not to breathe. I feel it's my duty to fight for democracy. Maybe we win, maybe we lose, but we fight.\" The recent demonstrations have been characterised as leaderless. On Friday police had appealed to members of the public to cut ties with \"violent protesters\" and had warned people not to take part in the banned march. - Summary of the protests in 100 and 500 words - All the context you need on the protests - The background to the protests in video - More on Hong Kong's history - Profile of Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2371, "answer_start": 1300, "text": "During protests, crowds gathered by Prince Edward and Mong Kok stations in Hong Kong's Kowloon neighbourhood. Police said in a tweet they had responded at both sites after reports of \"radical protesters\" assaulting citizens and damaging property. In a statement, Hong Kong's government also said some protesters had \"committed arson and \"hurled miscellaneous objects and iron railings\" on to railway tracks, \"completely disregarding the safety of other passengers\". Forty people were subsequently arrested for unlawful assembly, criminal damage and the assault of police officers, police spokesperson Yolanda Yu told reporters. But several people complained of excessive force used by the authorities. \"The train stopped. Police boarded and hit me twice with a baton,\" an unnamed man told the South China Morning Post newspaper. \"They didn't arrest me. They were just venting their anger by hitting me.\" MTR, which operates the city's metro line, told local media that three stations - Prince Edward, Mongkok and Kowloon Bay - had been closed as a result of the incident." } ], "id": "9001_0", "question": "What happened in the metro?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3881, "answer_start": 2372, "text": "Protesters took to the streets in the Wan Chai district, many joining a Christian march, while others demonstrated in the Causeway Bay shopping district in the pouring rain. Many carried umbrellas and wore face masks. Demonstrators - chanting \"stand with Hong Kong\" and \"fight for freedom\" - gathered outside government offices, the local headquarters of China's People's Liberation Army and the city's parliament, known as the Legislative Council. In the Admiralty district, some protesters threw fire bombs towards officers. Earlier, protesters had marched near the official residence of embattled leader Carrie Lam, who is the focal point of much of the anger. Riot police had erected barriers around key buildings, and fired tear gas and jets of blue-dyed water from water cannon. The coloured liquid is used to make it easier for police to identify protesters. Police later confirmed two officers had fired into the air during operations to clear protesters from the streets. Both officers fired one shot each when they felt their lives were threatened, the police department said. Eric, a 22-year-old student, told Reuters news agency: \"Telling us not to protest is like telling us not to breathe. I feel it's my duty to fight for democracy. Maybe we win, maybe we lose, but we fight.\" The recent demonstrations have been characterised as leaderless. On Friday police had appealed to members of the public to cut ties with \"violent protesters\" and had warned people not to take part in the banned march." } ], "id": "9001_1", "question": "What else happened on Saturday?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Nicola Sturgeon has said a vote for the SNP would strengthen Scotland's hand over Brexit and allow her to argue for a seat at the negotiating table. The first minister was speaking to the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme ahead of the 8 June election. The Scottish government wants Scotland to remain in the EU - and in particular the single market. But the UK government insisted that Scotland would leave alongside the rest of the United Kingdom. At the referendum last June voters in Scotland backed the UK remaining in the EU by 62% to 38%, but in the UK as a whole voters supported leaving by 52% to 48%. Ms Sturgeon, who is spearheading a campaign to retain the 56 Westminster seats won by the SNP in 2015, told BBC Scotland's Gary Robertson that Prime Minister Theresa May had \"dismissed out of hand\" her proposals for Scotland to remain in the European single market. She said: \"What I am saying in this election is that we have an opportunity, by how we vote, to give those proposals democratic legitimacy. \"And, by voting for the SNP, to give me the ability to strengthen Scotland's hands in those [Brexit] negotiations, get a seat at the negotiating table and argue for Scotland's place in the single market.\" Scotland's first minister went on to reiterate that if Scotland became independent then she would want the country to be a member of the EU. However, Ms Sturgeon accepted that it was \"possible, not necessarily desirable\" that for \"a period\" an independent Scotland would be in the European Free Trade Association (Efta) and European Economic Area (EEA). She explained: \"Because we as the Scottish government, the SNP, are not in charge of the Brexit process right now we don't know exactly what that is going to be like, how that is going to unfold. \"So I was simply saying that there may be the prospect of a phased return for Scotland to the EU where we would be in Efta, the EEA, on an interim basis.\" Ms Sturgeon went on to say that the Common Fisheries Policy was \"no longer fit for purpose\". She said: \"We have argued and continue to argue either for it to be scrapped or for fundamental reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.\" The politician said her party had been advocates for regionalising fishing policy and for taking a fresh look at the EU's \"open to all\" approach to fishing waters. Ms Sturgeon added that it was vital Scotland's fishing industry could continue to have access to an international export market. By BBC Scotland political correspondent Glenn Campbell Nicola Sturgeon has sought to redefine the mandate that she is seeking in this UK general election. It is, she said, \"to demand a place for Scotland at the Brexit negotiating table and the inclusion of the case for our place in the single market in the negotiating remit\". That is a \"more immediate priority\" than indyref2, Ms Sturgeon said. The first minister demanded the power to hold another independence vote after Theresa May rejected her \"compromise\" proposals for a special deal to keep Scotland in the single market. Now, she is arguing that the general election result could make the prime minister think again on that and, if so, presumably the demand for a Brexit-related independence vote would be withdrawn. In the event that there is a second referendum, Ms Sturgeon has also said that the SNP may seek a \"phased approach\" to securing EU membership. It is her clearest indication yet that if Scotland is already out of the EU, the SNP would initially seek Norway-style membership of the single market through EFTA and the EEA. Read more from Glenn Ms Sturgeon was also questioned on her plans for the currency of an independent Scotland. She said the \"starting point\" was the pound and not the Euro. Ms Sturgeon added: \"When we come to an independence referendum - if we come to an independence referendum - these issues will be subject to the greatest scrutiny. \"There is no rule that forces any member of the European Union to join the Euro, so that is simply a statement of fact that no country can be forced to join the Euro, but we are in a Westminster election campaign right now, not an independence referendum. \"The question for Scotland is do we send MPs to Westminster that are going to stand up for Scotland - and we face the prospect because of what is happening in England of a Tory government with a bigger majority. \"It is vital that we've got MPs that stand up for Scotland, fight Scotland's corner and make Scotland's voice heard. We have an opportunity in this election to strengthen, not Theresa May's hand, but strengthen Scotland's hand.\" In a series of interviews on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, each main party leader made their campaign pitch ahead of the 8 June election. Kezia Dugdale - Scottish Labour The leader of Scottish Labour, Kezia Dugdale, has insisted that she thinks her party can win next month's general election. She said people across Scotland were tired of politics in Scotland being dominated by the constitution. She told the BBC: \"What I am saying clearly is that with Labour you get a clear promise of opposition to independence and an independence referendum.\" Willie Rennie - Scottish Liberal Democrats There is no inconsistency in supporting a second referendum on Brexit but not on independence, the Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie has said. The Liberal Democrat manifesto says UK voters should be offered a vote on the final deal to leave the EU. But the party is firmly opposed to another referendum on whether Scotland should be independent. Mr Rennie told the BBC: \"I think the British people, not just Theresa May, not just the MPs, not just the Conservatives, should decide on whether that deal is good enough or not.\" Ruth Davidson - Scottish Conservative Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said there were issues around why Scotland appeared to be \"uniquely unattractive\" to immigrants. She told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that being the \"highest taxed part\" of the UK disadvantaged the country. She added: \"I have my own theories about this in terms of the fact that we are the highest taxed part of the UK, the fact that we have an economy that is shrinking not growing when the rest of the UK economy is growing.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6252, "answer_start": 4582, "text": "In a series of interviews on BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, each main party leader made their campaign pitch ahead of the 8 June election. Kezia Dugdale - Scottish Labour The leader of Scottish Labour, Kezia Dugdale, has insisted that she thinks her party can win next month's general election. She said people across Scotland were tired of politics in Scotland being dominated by the constitution. She told the BBC: \"What I am saying clearly is that with Labour you get a clear promise of opposition to independence and an independence referendum.\" Willie Rennie - Scottish Liberal Democrats There is no inconsistency in supporting a second referendum on Brexit but not on independence, the Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie has said. The Liberal Democrat manifesto says UK voters should be offered a vote on the final deal to leave the EU. But the party is firmly opposed to another referendum on whether Scotland should be independent. Mr Rennie told the BBC: \"I think the British people, not just Theresa May, not just the MPs, not just the Conservatives, should decide on whether that deal is good enough or not.\" Ruth Davidson - Scottish Conservative Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said there were issues around why Scotland appeared to be \"uniquely unattractive\" to immigrants. She told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that being the \"highest taxed part\" of the UK disadvantaged the country. She added: \"I have my own theories about this in terms of the fact that we are the highest taxed part of the UK, the fact that we have an economy that is shrinking not growing when the rest of the UK economy is growing.\"" } ], "id": "9002_0", "question": "What have Scotland's leaders been saying?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Ethiopia undertook a major national reforestation programme this year, with the ambitious target of planting four billion trees in just three months. The highlight was a single day in July, on which people across the country turned out to help with planting 350 million tree seedlings. At the end of August, the government claimed to have just about achieved these goals. But is it really possible to plant that many trees in such a short time and what evidence is there that the overall target has been met? The campaign, known as the Green Legacy Initiative, has been championed by the country's Nobel peace prize-winning Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed. Politicians around the world have pointed to Ethiopia as an example of what can be done to reforest their own countries and reverse the effects of both damaging farming techniques and climate change. During the recent UK election campaign, major political parties made expansive promises to plant millions more trees, and referred to Ethiopia's initiative. The Labour party pledged to plant two billion trees by 2040, the Conservatives at least 30 million more trees every year, and the Green Party 700 million by 2030. Canada has plans to plant two billion trees over 10 years. Record breaking attempt Ethiopia held a one-day tree planting event on 29 July, with an initial target to plant 200 million tree saplings across the country. The government announced that the target had been exceeded, with more than 350 million planted over a 12-hour period. They gave a very precise number - 353,633,660 trees planted that day. The government had promoted the day as an attempt at an official Guinness World Record (GWR). But GWR told the BBC they are yet to receive any evidence. \"We would encourage the organisers to get in touch with this for our records management team to review,\" said spokeswoman Jessica Spillane. The prime minister's office declined to comment on the figures and the status of the record verification, saying the country has already answered most questions around the tree planting. For more on what we were able to find out about this planting day, see our Reality Check article here. If you look at the three-month project to plant four billion trees, that's at least 45 million planted each day. If you take into account the bumper planting day on which 350 million were claimed to have been planted, then that's just over 40 million every other day over the period. The Ethiopian government's plan has been to plant the trees on 6.5 million hectares of rural land. Assuming an average tree density of around 1,500 per hectare, that's certainly enough land to plant four billion trees. But that doesn't tell us anything about what was actually planted. The only planting figures we have are provided by the Ethiopian government itself. According to these, just over 3.5 billion trees were planted in three months from June to August. A further 1.3 billion seedlings were grown, but not planted. We can't count them all ourselves, but we did send one of our reporters to a newly-planted area to take some photographs of saplings, struggling in the arid conditions of the Tigray region in the north of country. We contacted a satellite imaging company that works with high-resolution images, who told us that the newly planted saplings would be difficult to identify, their small crowns and narrow trunks largely indistinguishable from scrub or other cultivated land. Tim Christophersen, a forestry expert at the UN, told us he had been encouraged by Ethiopia's commitment to reforestation, but could not give a verdict on its tree planting challenge. \"Ethiopia has asked the international community for support with planting, but more importantly with the maintenance and nurturing of the trees,\" he told the BBC, adding that the country has pledged to restore 15 million hectares of degraded forests and landscapes by 2030, as part of a global effort to tackle deforestation. It seems clear that whilst Ethiopia's ambition to plant billions of trees has been praised by environmentalists, there has been no significant work done on evaluating exactly how many trees have been planted this year. Part of the problem may be to do with the way the tree planting has been remunerated. In July, the EU and the Ethiopian government signed a 36m euros ($40m; PS31m) financing agreement to help the country grow greener. Local organisations all across Ethiopia have been provided with funds to plant a set number of trees, and it is not too surprising to learn that they have been reporting a high planting rate to local officials who have then collated the figures at the national level. Whatever the actual numbers, there's no doubt there has been a major effort on the part of the Ethiopian government to tackle very serious deforestation problems. Half a century ago, Ethiopia had around 40% forest cover. Today that figure is 15%. If the recent tree planting programme is to tackle this problem, the seedlings will have to be watered on a regular basis. It will take a great deal of precious water in a country that already has a significant shortfall, but it could also create an environment better suited to retaining water. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2972, "answer_start": 2161, "text": "If you look at the three-month project to plant four billion trees, that's at least 45 million planted each day. If you take into account the bumper planting day on which 350 million were claimed to have been planted, then that's just over 40 million every other day over the period. The Ethiopian government's plan has been to plant the trees on 6.5 million hectares of rural land. Assuming an average tree density of around 1,500 per hectare, that's certainly enough land to plant four billion trees. But that doesn't tell us anything about what was actually planted. The only planting figures we have are provided by the Ethiopian government itself. According to these, just over 3.5 billion trees were planted in three months from June to August. A further 1.3 billion seedlings were grown, but not planted." } ], "id": "9003_0", "question": "Is it possible to plant four billion trees?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4658, "answer_start": 2973, "text": "We can't count them all ourselves, but we did send one of our reporters to a newly-planted area to take some photographs of saplings, struggling in the arid conditions of the Tigray region in the north of country. We contacted a satellite imaging company that works with high-resolution images, who told us that the newly planted saplings would be difficult to identify, their small crowns and narrow trunks largely indistinguishable from scrub or other cultivated land. Tim Christophersen, a forestry expert at the UN, told us he had been encouraged by Ethiopia's commitment to reforestation, but could not give a verdict on its tree planting challenge. \"Ethiopia has asked the international community for support with planting, but more importantly with the maintenance and nurturing of the trees,\" he told the BBC, adding that the country has pledged to restore 15 million hectares of degraded forests and landscapes by 2030, as part of a global effort to tackle deforestation. It seems clear that whilst Ethiopia's ambition to plant billions of trees has been praised by environmentalists, there has been no significant work done on evaluating exactly how many trees have been planted this year. Part of the problem may be to do with the way the tree planting has been remunerated. In July, the EU and the Ethiopian government signed a 36m euros ($40m; PS31m) financing agreement to help the country grow greener. Local organisations all across Ethiopia have been provided with funds to plant a set number of trees, and it is not too surprising to learn that they have been reporting a high planting rate to local officials who have then collated the figures at the national level." } ], "id": "9003_1", "question": "How do you count so many trees?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "More than 200 UK shopping centres are in danger of falling into administration, experts are warning. The demise of \"major anchor stores\" like BHS and Toys R Us and the rise of online shopping has caused a \"downward spiral\", analyst Nelson Blackley said. Many of the at-risk centres are owned by US private equity firms under deals that will need refinancing. \"If centres close, particularly in small towns, it will be catastrophic,\" Mr Blackley said. \"We have too many of them, doing exactly the same - the same range of stores and products - and basically that's not attractive,\" he added. In pictures: The rise and fall of shopping centres Mother and daughter Helena Waszczyszyn and Anja Ramsden, from Nottingham, said the city's Broadmarsh Centre was \"empty and soulless\". While it is not one of the 200 owned by private equity, the centre has seen shops close over the course of the past decade and is currently awaiting an PS86m redevelopment. Ms Ramsden said: \"The shops have gone one by one - even when they were there they were a bit rubbish. \"It's desolate in there. There's a toilet, somewhere to sit and it's out of the rain, that's it.\" Jasmin Stephenson, from Eastwood in Nottinghamshire, had a similar view of the centre, saying: \"I literally only go if I have to.\" \"A few years ago a lot of businesses closed down and cleared out,\" she said. \"They said they were going to renovate it but nothing has happened. It's not a place I go to now. \"It's a shame, as a lot of history was demolished to make way for it and it's just a concrete block. That's quite depressing.\" Mr Blackley, from the National Retail Research Knowledge Exchange Centre, said the growth of online retail in the UK - on sites such as Amazon - had been faster than in almost any other retail market in the world. \"If the major anchor store moves out, that has a halo effect on other stores in that centre. It's a downward spiral and you can't fill shopping centres with nail bars and vape shops.\" Steve Hall, from Essex, said: \"I like shopping centres but they do seem to be dying and I wish some money was spent on making them good again.\" Mr Blackley, who is based at Nottingham Trent University's Nottingham Business School, pointed to research in the Financial Times that suggested about PS2.5bn worth of shopping centres and retail parks are up for sale in towns and cities across the UK. Some of this marketing is unofficial and not in the public domain,\" he said. \"It's a trend that's moving very quickly. You don't necessarily want to be in the business of owning shopping centres at the moment. \"People are suggesting a number of leading national retailers are on the edge and may close and that would bring shopping centres down with them. \"The collapse of BHS, two years ago, left empty units in around 200 shopping centres and more than half of those large, empty units have not yet been filled.\" The crisis is affecting shopping centres across the UK, regardless of their location Daniel Mead from asset management firm APAM said. All kinds of shopping centres, regardless of location or whether they are in small towns or major cities, could be affected,\" he said. \"What they have in common is the way in which they are funded - the capital structure behind them. Obviously, if the centre is in a more affluent location, the problem could be easier to fix.\" One centre which recently went into receivership is the Nicholsons Shopping Centre in Maidenhead which, according to the Financial Times, was bought by Vixcroft, a private equity-backed property specialist and hedge fund Cheyne Capital in 2015. The paper described Nicholsons as \"one of the first significant collapses among dozens of UK retail property assets bought by opportunistic investors\". Residents have spoken to the BBC about their concerns regarding a number of shopping centres up and down the country, where they feel empty units and an apparent lack of investment have led to stagnation. - Kettering's Newlands Centre, which is backed by private equity, has seen the closure of a number of outlets. \"It's a sad scene at the moment,\" said Paul Ansell, chair of the town's civic society. \"There is a cycle of shops opening and closing and I'm not sure what they can do to improve it.\" - The Guildhall in Stafford, also backed by a private equity group, has seen many retailers vacate the centre in favour of the town's new Riverside complex. \"We are concerned it's not as vibrant and active as it was,\" said William Read, of the Stafford Historical and Civic Society. \"I walked through there the other day and about 15-20% of the units are empty.\" Both private equity groups have been contacted for a comment. - The Callendar Square shopping centre in Falkirk, Stirlingshire, was bought by \"global real estate investment manager\" Colony Northstar in 2015. In 2006, the centre was valued at more than PS25m but local media reported it sold for little more than PS1m at auction last year. - The Broadmarsh in Nottingham is owned by Intu - currently the subject of a takeover bid - which operates shopping centres across the UK. While it does not face the same issues as private-equity backed centres, Mr Blackley said it offers \"about as bad a retail experience as you can get without the centre physically closing\". Nigel Wheatley, the centre's general manager, said preparations were under way for its \"exciting transformation\". Intu, which runs the centre, said it was currently undertaking \"preparatory work\" for a planned PS86m redevelopment. The research to identify \"at-risk\" centres was carried out by APAM, which said it had found many of the affected centres had been the subject of short-term speculative deals. Executive director Simon Cooke said: \"We think these shopping centres have been hit with the perfect storm of defaulting retail markets, weaker consumer spending, the impact of the internet and rising rents and rates, making it very difficult for retailers to trade and make a profit. \"We perceive many of these borrowers beginning to breach land covenants.\" Mr Cooke said most of the centres \"in crisis\" were the subject of deals that are due to be refinanced. \"They have to return money to their investors,\" said Mr Cooke. \"That's not looking very likely. Frankly, the centres are either going to have to be sold at a lower price or have capital injected in order to regenerate and we don't see banks having an appetite for that.\" \"These are big tracts of land, occupying a central space in towns,\" he said. \"You could see increasing vandalism, increasing crime, with a knock-on impact on infrastructure. I'm not suggesting every town is going to face these problems but we need to stop the rot.\" \"Politicians need to come up with a plan to kick-start the regeneration of shopping centres,\" he added. A government spokesman said: \"It's true that high streets are changing, like they always have, and we're committed to helping communities adapt.\" They said the government had put together an \"expert panel\" to \"diagnose the issues affecting the high street and develop recommendations that will help them thrive\". The trend of closing shopping centres is fairly well-known in the US, where \"dead mall\" or \"ghost mall\" is the term that describes the decaying edifices left when mainstream department stores have moved out. \"Many of the challenges facing shopping centres in the UK are mirrored in the USA,\" said Mr Blackley. Centres that have prospered, he said, have been canny about expanding their offer. \"UK shopping centres must change if they are to survive,\" according to Mr Blackley. \"They need to think like a hospitality brand. There has been a marked shift to the 'experience economy', and an increase in spend on food and beverage, which is now accounting for over 20% of total spend in some of the newest schemes. \"Some of the big centres in the UK are incorporating Sea Life Centres, ice rinks, indoor ski slopes. These are the shopping centres that, in my view, will survive. \"There's no doubt that if shopping centres don't deliver an experience consumers want, they will fall by the wayside.\" Some of the other visions for the future are similarly radical. Mr Mead, head of shopping centre asset management at APAM, said community facilities such as libraries, medical centres and even schools could all sit within retail complexes. \"In Richmond, a new school is being built above a Lidl store, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility,\" he said. \"What people like about shopping centres is that they are centrally located with good transport links. The NHS has expressed interest in having a presence in some centres. With a chemist and other retailers already located there, it would be like a one-stop shop in the town centre. \"The problem is, these centres are run by investors who have a short-term approach and haven't the skill-sets or investments to embrace the kind of changes required. There needs to be a joint venture created with local communities to fix the problem.\" In recent months, some local authorities have bought unloved shopping centres from investors keen to offload them. \"In February 2018, Canterbury City Council struck one of the largest shopping centre deals involving a council on record, taking full control of Whitefriars Shopping Centre in the city,\" said Mr Blackley. \"The local authority bought out global fund manager TH Real Estate's 50% stake for PS75m.\" In Shrewsbury, Shropshire Council bought three centres - including one that was neglected - to \"support economic growth and regeneration\" in the town centre. Whether such schemes will work depends on the passion and vision of the authorities concerned and whether they are able to secure private investment. In Coventry, the city council's plan to work with private investors to redevelop its post-war shopping precincts is seen as a good example of how to revive a shopping centre. \"But such investments by councils do risk public money,\" said Mr Blackley. \"In too many cases, councils are trying to plug a gap and I don't think that is sustainable long term.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5512, "answer_start": 3752, "text": "Residents have spoken to the BBC about their concerns regarding a number of shopping centres up and down the country, where they feel empty units and an apparent lack of investment have led to stagnation. - Kettering's Newlands Centre, which is backed by private equity, has seen the closure of a number of outlets. \"It's a sad scene at the moment,\" said Paul Ansell, chair of the town's civic society. \"There is a cycle of shops opening and closing and I'm not sure what they can do to improve it.\" - The Guildhall in Stafford, also backed by a private equity group, has seen many retailers vacate the centre in favour of the town's new Riverside complex. \"We are concerned it's not as vibrant and active as it was,\" said William Read, of the Stafford Historical and Civic Society. \"I walked through there the other day and about 15-20% of the units are empty.\" Both private equity groups have been contacted for a comment. - The Callendar Square shopping centre in Falkirk, Stirlingshire, was bought by \"global real estate investment manager\" Colony Northstar in 2015. In 2006, the centre was valued at more than PS25m but local media reported it sold for little more than PS1m at auction last year. - The Broadmarsh in Nottingham is owned by Intu - currently the subject of a takeover bid - which operates shopping centres across the UK. While it does not face the same issues as private-equity backed centres, Mr Blackley said it offers \"about as bad a retail experience as you can get without the centre physically closing\". Nigel Wheatley, the centre's general manager, said preparations were under way for its \"exciting transformation\". Intu, which runs the centre, said it was currently undertaking \"preparatory work\" for a planned PS86m redevelopment." } ], "id": "9004_0", "question": "Centres stagnating?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Experts are debating what the US Constitution says about impeachment, in light of the ongoing inquiry into President Donald Trump's alleged abuse of power involving Ukraine. So what did they say? The US Constitution provides in Article II, Section 4, that the president, the vice-president and all civil officers, may be impeached for \"treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanours\". But what that actually means has long been a subject of debate. Four constitutional lawyers have appeared before the House Judiciary Committee to give their view - three called by the Democrats and one by Republicans. After a president is impeached in the House of Representatives, the Senate then votes on conviction and removal from office. In this case, the US president is accused of an abuse of power in trying to extract political favours from Ukraine by withholding military aid and a White House meeting with Ukraine's leader. But does that deserve impeachment and possible subsequent removal from office? Here's what the legal scholars said. President Trump's conduct described in the testimony and evidence clearly constitutes an impeachable high crime and misdemeanour under the Constitution. According to the testimony and to the publicly released memorandum of the July 25, 2019, telephone call between the two presidents, President Trump abused his office by soliciting the president of Ukraine to investigate his political rivals in order to gain personal political advantage, including in the 2020 presidential election. This act on its own qualifies as an impeachable high crime and misdemeanour. Noah Feldman, Harvard Law School The president's serious misconduct, including bribery, soliciting a personal favour from a foreign leader in exchange for his exercise of power, and obstructing justice and Congress are worse than the misconduct of any prior president, including what previous presidents who faced impeachment have done or been accused of doing. When we apply our constitutional law to the facts found in the Mueller Report and other public sources, I cannot help but conclude that this president has attacked each of the Constitution's safeguards against establishing a monarchy in this country. Both the context and gravity of the president's misconduct are clear: The \"favour\" he requested from Ukraine's president was to receive - in exchange for his release of the funds Ukraine desperately needed - Ukraine's announcement of a criminal investigation of a political rival. The investigation was not the important action for the president; the announcement was because it could then be used in this country to manipulate the public into casting aside the president's political rival because of concerns about his corruption. Michael Gerhardt of the University of North Carolina School of Law Wouldn't you know in your gut that such a president had abused his office, betrayed the national interest and tried to corrupt the electoral process? I believe the evidentiary record shows wrongful acts on that scale here. It shows a president who delayed meeting a foreign leader and providing assistance that Congress and his own advisers agreed served our national interest in promoting democracy and limiting Russian aggression. And it shows a president who did this to strong-arm a foreign leader into smearing one of the president's opponents in our ongoing election season. Based on the evidentiary record, what has happened in the case before you is something that I do not think we have ever seen before: a president who has doubled down on violating his oath to \"faithfully execute\" the laws and to \"protect and defend the Constitution\". The evidence reveals a president who used the powers of his office to demand that a foreign government participate in undermining a competing candidate for the presidency. Pamela Karlan, Stanford Law School - A SIMPLE GUIDE: If you want a basic take, this one's for you - GO DEEPER: Here's a 100, 300 and 800-word summary of the story - WHAT'S IMPEACHMENT? A political process to remove a president - VIEW FROM TRUMP COUNTRY: Hear from residents of a West Virginia town - CONTEXT: Why Ukraine matters to the US - FACT-CHECK: Is the whistleblower linked to the Democrats? President Trump will not be our last president and what we leave in the wake of this scandal will shape our democracy for generations to come. I am concerned about lowering impeachment standards to fit a paucity of evidence and an abundance of anger. If the House proceeds solely on the Ukrainian allegations, this impeachment would stand out among modern impeachments as the shortest proceeding, with the thinnest evidentiary record, and the narrowest grounds ever used to impeach a president. That does not bode well for future presidents who are working in a country often sharply and, at times, bitterly divided. By Jonathan Turley, George Washington University Law School and BBC contributor And he continued: I get it. You are mad. The president is mad. My Democratic friends are mad. My Republican friends are mad. My wife is mad. My kids are mad. Even my dog is mad... and Luna is a golden doodle and they are never mad. We are all mad and where has it taken us? Will a slipshod impeachment make us less mad or will it only give an invitation for the madness to follow in every future administration? That is why this is wrong. It is not wrong because President Trump is right. His call was anything but \"perfect\" and his reference to the Bidens was highly inappropriate. It is not wrong because the House has no legitimate reason to investigate the Ukrainian controversy. The use of military aid for a quid pro quo to investigate one's political opponent, if proven, can be an impeachable offense. It is not wrong because we are in an election year. There is no good time for an impeachment, but this process concerns the constitutional right to hold office in this term, not the next. No, it is wrong because this is not how an American president should be impeached. For two years, members of this Committee have declared that criminal and impeachable acts were established for everything from treason to conspiracy to obstruction. However, no action was taken to impeach. Suddenly, just a few weeks ago, the House announced it would begin an impeachment inquiry and push for a final vote in just a matter of weeks. To do so, the House Intelligence Committee declared that it would not subpoena a host of witnesses who have direct knowledge of any quid pro quo. Instead, it will proceed on a record composed of a relatively small number of witnesses with largely second-hand knowledge of the position. The only three direct conversations with President Trump do not contain a statement of a quid pro quo and two expressly deny such a pre-condition. By BBC North America reporter Anthony Zurcher Democrats - because they have a majority on the committed - selected three of the participants. Not surprisingly, they all agreed that Donald Trump's conduct constituted impeachable offences. Jonathan Turley, picked by the Republicans, acknowledged that the president's actions were far from \"perfect,\" but lamented the anger in American politics and warned that action in this case would dangerously lower the bar for impeachable conduct for future presidents. It wasn't exactly the full-throated defence the president enjoys from his political allies. The stated task for the Judiciary Committee in the coming days will be to determine whether the facts established in the earlier Intelligence Committee hearings constitute impeachable acts. That's what the professors were there to help accomplish. In reality, it seems the minds of most on the committee - as with the witnesses - are already made up. Two presidents were impeached and another resigned before his probable impeachment. But no president has ever been removed from office - that requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate. - In 1998, Bill Clinton was impeached on the grounds of perjury and obstruction of justice after he lied about the nature of his affair with Monica Lewinsky and then allegedly asked her to lie about it as well. - The only other president impeached was Andrew Johnson in 1868. He was accused of, among other things, dismissing his secretary of war against the will of Congress. - Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before he could be impeached over the Watergate scandal.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 7750, "answer_start": 6800, "text": "By BBC North America reporter Anthony Zurcher Democrats - because they have a majority on the committed - selected three of the participants. Not surprisingly, they all agreed that Donald Trump's conduct constituted impeachable offences. Jonathan Turley, picked by the Republicans, acknowledged that the president's actions were far from \"perfect,\" but lamented the anger in American politics and warned that action in this case would dangerously lower the bar for impeachable conduct for future presidents. It wasn't exactly the full-throated defence the president enjoys from his political allies. The stated task for the Judiciary Committee in the coming days will be to determine whether the facts established in the earlier Intelligence Committee hearings constitute impeachable acts. That's what the professors were there to help accomplish. In reality, it seems the minds of most on the committee - as with the witnesses - are already made up." } ], "id": "9005_0", "question": "What's the point of having legal experts?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 8405, "answer_start": 7751, "text": "Two presidents were impeached and another resigned before his probable impeachment. But no president has ever been removed from office - that requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate. - In 1998, Bill Clinton was impeached on the grounds of perjury and obstruction of justice after he lied about the nature of his affair with Monica Lewinsky and then allegedly asked her to lie about it as well. - The only other president impeached was Andrew Johnson in 1868. He was accused of, among other things, dismissing his secretary of war against the will of Congress. - Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before he could be impeached over the Watergate scandal." } ], "id": "9005_1", "question": "Why were previous presidents impeached?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Kenya's former President Daniel arap Moi has died at the age of 95. President Uhuru Kenyatta announced his death, saying the nation had lost a \"great man\". Mr Moi was Kenya's longest-serving president. He was in office for 24 years, until intense pressure forced him to step down in 2002. His critics saw him as an authoritarian ruler who oversaw rampant corruption, but his allies credited him for maintaining stability in the country. In 2004, Mr Moi asked for forgiveness from \"those he had wronged\". President Kenyatta has declared a period of mourning, including the flying of flags at half-mast, until a state funeral is held for Mr Moi. No date has been set for the funeral. Mr Kenyatta said the continent was \"immensely blessed by the dedication\" of the late president, who spent \"almost his entire adult life serving Kenya and Africa\". Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni said Mr Moi was a \"true pan-Africanist\", while Tanzania's President John Magufuli said he would be remembered for promoting regional integration. Kenya's former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who was detained by the Moi regime for campaigning for multi-party democracy, praised him for introducing \"incremental\" reforms said that in retirement the former president had \"conducted himself with complete dignity befitting an elder statesman\". On Twitter, some Kenyans were less forgiving: Others praised Mr Moi for his focus on improving the health of schoolchildren. In the 1980s and 1990s, the ministry of education distributed free packets of milk to all primary schools, targeting children under the age of 13. Mr Moi died with his son Gideon at his bedside at a private hospital in the capital, Nairobi, of an unspecified illness. \"He passed away peacefully,\" Gideon Moi said. \"I have seen a steady decline. His decline was very worrying. He has been hospitalized since October 10th 2019 and has never left hospital,\" Mr Moi's former press secretary Lee Njiru told Kenya's privately owned Citizen TV. Mr Moi is survived by eight children. He and his late wife, Helena Bomett, divorced in 1979. Dickens Olewe, BBC News Online The debate about how Kenyans will mourn the former president began long before he succumbed to his recent health problems. The 95-year-old was loved and loathed in equal measure; his supporters will mourn him as a patriot and a consummate politician who they fondly nicknamed \"professor of politics\", but others will choose to remember him as a brutal dictator. Defenders of Mr Moi will point to his often-repeated line that he kept Kenya \"safe and peaceful\", noting that while several African countries were imploding into civil war the country remained stable. Whichever version is favoured, the legacy of one of the last surviving independence leaders lives on as many of today's top politicians, including President Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, were proteges of the second president. Kenya has changed a lot since Mr Moi left office but his influence will continue to be felt for a long time. Born on 2 September 1924, he was originally known as Torotich arap (meaning son of) but adopted the name Daniel when, as a schoolboy, he was baptised by Christian missionaries. He was a close ally of Jomo Kenyatta, who became Kenya's first president and is the father of Kenya's current leader. When he became president of the one-party state, he appeared to dominate almost every aspect of life, an impression aided by the state-run media. The 1982 attempt to overthrow him led to a brutal crackdown on his opponents. He also scrapped the entire air force, whose members had taken part in the foiled coup. He was forced to adopt a multi-party system of government in 1991, following mass protests and diplomatic pressure from Western powers. Constitutionally barred from seeking a third term in office, he agreed to a peaceful transfer of power to Kenya's third President, Mwai Kibaki, in 2002. His critics see his rule as the lost years. They say he stymied economic progress by personalising the state, using government resources to award loyalists and withholding them to punish those who did not toe the line. For example, roads and factories were seen as gifts to be given and rewards for communities if their top politicians worked with the ruling party, Kanu. This entrenched a culture of political patronage that has become part of Kenyan politics.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4372, "answer_start": 3015, "text": "Born on 2 September 1924, he was originally known as Torotich arap (meaning son of) but adopted the name Daniel when, as a schoolboy, he was baptised by Christian missionaries. He was a close ally of Jomo Kenyatta, who became Kenya's first president and is the father of Kenya's current leader. When he became president of the one-party state, he appeared to dominate almost every aspect of life, an impression aided by the state-run media. The 1982 attempt to overthrow him led to a brutal crackdown on his opponents. He also scrapped the entire air force, whose members had taken part in the foiled coup. He was forced to adopt a multi-party system of government in 1991, following mass protests and diplomatic pressure from Western powers. Constitutionally barred from seeking a third term in office, he agreed to a peaceful transfer of power to Kenya's third President, Mwai Kibaki, in 2002. His critics see his rule as the lost years. They say he stymied economic progress by personalising the state, using government resources to award loyalists and withholding them to punish those who did not toe the line. For example, roads and factories were seen as gifts to be given and rewards for communities if their top politicians worked with the ruling party, Kanu. This entrenched a culture of political patronage that has become part of Kenyan politics." } ], "id": "9006_0", "question": "Who was Danial arap Moi?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The sole surviving suspect from the 2015 Paris terror attacks refused to speak any further in a Belgian court, where his trial over the gunfight that led to his arrest began on Monday. Salah Abdeslam said he would not respond to questions from the judge. \"My silence does not make me a criminal, it's my defence,\" he said. Abdeslam, 28, claimed that Muslims were \"judged and treated in the worst of ways, mercilessly\", and said he was placing his trust in Allah. \"I am not afraid of you, I am not afraid of your allies,\" he added, without making clear who he meant. He urged the prosecution to base its case on \"forensic and tangible evidence\", and not to \"swagger about to satisfy public opinion\". The trial in Brussels was adjourned until Thursday. Abdeslam has refused to speak to investigators since his initial interrogation in March 2016. French prosecutors believe Abdeslam played a key role in the Paris attacks, in which gunmen and suicide bombers targeted a concert hall, stadium, restaurants and bars, killing 130 people and injuring hundreds more. He became Europe's most wanted man after the mass killings, and was captured in Brussels four months later. The defendant's brother, Brahim, was among the Paris attackers and died in a suicide blast outside a cafe. Abdeslam is not expected to go on trial in France until 2019 at the earliest. The charges he faces in Brussels are not related to events in Paris, but to a shootout with police while he was on the run in Belgium. Abdeslam and his suspected accomplice Sofien Ayari, 24, are accused of possessing illegal weapons and the attempted murder of police officers in a terrorist context. The men allegedly fought a gun battle with officers who raided the flat where they were holed up, in the Molenbeek district of Brussels. The Belgian prosecutor, Kathleen Grosjean, said she was seeking the maximum of 20 years' imprisonment for each of them. In court on Monday, Ayari said he had fought for the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) in Syria, and that both he and Abdeslam were present during the standoff. The prosecutor has said she does not believe Abdeslam actually fired any weapons. She explained that two Kalashnikovs had been used during the clash. The first shooter is known to be Algerian national Mohamed Belkaid, who was subsequently shot by special police. The prosecution believes the second shooter is Ayari due to DNA found on the weapon. However, this would not affect Abdeslam's potential sentence, due to the \"indispensable aid\" he allegedly gave Ayari and Belkaid. Salah Abdeslam entered the court silently, all eyes trained on him. On either side of Abdeslam stood police guards wearing balaclavas. The photographs released by police during the four-month manhunt for him following the Paris attacks had shown a clean-shaven young man with short-cropped hair. Now his hair was longer, almost shoulder length. In prison he's also grown a beard. The old photos showed a slim, seemingly relaxed-looking man, the air of a swagger about him. Now he moved a little hesitantly. He said nothing. When the judge asked him to confirm his identity Abdeslam, wearing a white jacket, did not respond. She asked again. He had to be coaxed to acknowledge his own name. The judge explained to the court that Abdeslam did not want his picture to be shown, so any filming of him was prohibited. The man who prosecutors say was a willing part of a murderous gang that killed 130 people in Paris was unwilling now to show his face, or even to speak up in front of the court. He has also refused to talk to prosecutors, or even lawyers representing him. As his co-accused Sofien Ayari stood to answer questions about his time in Syria, and the automatic weapons they had kept in a flat in Brussels, Abdeslam sat in silence. For now he seems determined to divulge nothing about his role, or anything else connected to the attacks. Abdeslam, a French citizen born to Moroccan parents in Brussels, has been held at a prison near Paris. He left the facility under armed guard in the early hours of Monday, accompanied by tactical police vehicles. He will return to France every night during the trial, but will be held at another jail just across the border. Up to 200 police will be guarding the courthouse for the trial. The right to silence is protected by the European Convention on Human Rights, but it is not an absolute right. European human rights law says a defendant's decision to remain silent can be taken into account when assessing the prosecution's evidence. That is especially so \"in situations which clearly call for an explanation from him [the defendant]\". Observers say that given other suspects have spoken and co-operated with the police, Abdeslam's silence won't necessarily hurt the prosecution's case. But if he remains silent on the Paris attacks too, it would \"be horrible for the victims' families\", said Guy Van Vlierden, a Belgian journalist specialising in security and terrorism issues. - Three explosions outside the Stade de France stadium in the north of Paris on 13 November 2015 as suicide attackers were prevented from entering. - Minutes later, several people were killed as shootings and bombings took place around bars and restaurants, including the cafe-bar Le Carillon, in the centre of town. - The worst attack of the night occurred at the Bataclan concert hall. Eighty-nine people were killed as attackers with suicide belts fired assault rifles into the crowd. - Salah Abdeslam was the only attacker to escape but he was captured in Brussels the following March.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2549, "answer_start": 845, "text": "French prosecutors believe Abdeslam played a key role in the Paris attacks, in which gunmen and suicide bombers targeted a concert hall, stadium, restaurants and bars, killing 130 people and injuring hundreds more. He became Europe's most wanted man after the mass killings, and was captured in Brussels four months later. The defendant's brother, Brahim, was among the Paris attackers and died in a suicide blast outside a cafe. Abdeslam is not expected to go on trial in France until 2019 at the earliest. The charges he faces in Brussels are not related to events in Paris, but to a shootout with police while he was on the run in Belgium. Abdeslam and his suspected accomplice Sofien Ayari, 24, are accused of possessing illegal weapons and the attempted murder of police officers in a terrorist context. The men allegedly fought a gun battle with officers who raided the flat where they were holed up, in the Molenbeek district of Brussels. The Belgian prosecutor, Kathleen Grosjean, said she was seeking the maximum of 20 years' imprisonment for each of them. In court on Monday, Ayari said he had fought for the jihadist group Islamic State (IS) in Syria, and that both he and Abdeslam were present during the standoff. The prosecutor has said she does not believe Abdeslam actually fired any weapons. She explained that two Kalashnikovs had been used during the clash. The first shooter is known to be Algerian national Mohamed Belkaid, who was subsequently shot by special police. The prosecution believes the second shooter is Ayari due to DNA found on the weapon. However, this would not affect Abdeslam's potential sentence, due to the \"indispensable aid\" he allegedly gave Ayari and Belkaid." } ], "id": "9007_0", "question": "What is Abdeslam accused of?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4283, "answer_start": 3895, "text": "Abdeslam, a French citizen born to Moroccan parents in Brussels, has been held at a prison near Paris. He left the facility under armed guard in the early hours of Monday, accompanied by tactical police vehicles. He will return to France every night during the trial, but will be held at another jail just across the border. Up to 200 police will be guarding the courthouse for the trial." } ], "id": "9007_1", "question": "Who gets Abdeslam, France or Belgium?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4979, "answer_start": 4284, "text": "The right to silence is protected by the European Convention on Human Rights, but it is not an absolute right. European human rights law says a defendant's decision to remain silent can be taken into account when assessing the prosecution's evidence. That is especially so \"in situations which clearly call for an explanation from him [the defendant]\". Observers say that given other suspects have spoken and co-operated with the police, Abdeslam's silence won't necessarily hurt the prosecution's case. But if he remains silent on the Paris attacks too, it would \"be horrible for the victims' families\", said Guy Van Vlierden, a Belgian journalist specialising in security and terrorism issues." } ], "id": "9007_2", "question": "Is his silence a major obstacle?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Imagine working for a company staffed by people you never meet in person. This is the new type of organisation cloud computing is helping to create - amorphous, geographically spread and collaborative. Take rLoop, for example - a design collective aiming to develop pods for the futuristic high-speed transport concept called the Hyperloop. The non-profit team comprises 400 people, but only nine have physically met. Their story began in June 2015, when PayPal, SpaceX and Tesla entrepreneur Elon Musk announced a competition. The challenge was to develop pods for his proposed Hyperloop transport system - which Mr Musk likens to a cross between Concorde and an air hockey table. These pods are meant to rocket down a frictionless near-vacuum tube at speeds of up to 760mph (1,220km/h). A passenger jet has a cruising speed of about 500mph. On the community site Reddit, several people were discussing the contest when \"a few of them asked, hey, how about we create a team\", recounts Thomas Lambot, a Belgian aerospace engineer at Nasa and rLoop's lead engineer. The Reddit team - hence the rLoop moniker - planned its entry using Google Docs, task management program Trello, and Slack, a messaging platform for teams. Project manager Brent Lessard likens the team to Star Trek's single-minded alien species, the Borg: \"a collective hive-mind working towards one goal. Minus all the killing.\" The competition has received about 1,200 submissions, and rLoop's is one of 30 chosen to go through to the final stage - building prototypes. For the design, rLoop used AutoDesk Fusion 360 software, which includes features to facilitate collaboration. More Cloud Computing features from Technology of Business \"Within the cloud there's essentially an infinite amount of compute power available, helping with intensive projects like simulations,\" says Scott Reese, AutoDesk's vice president for cloud products. \"Everybody has the latest information all the time,\" he adds. When he was working in robotics, says Mr Reese, engineers used to spread blueprints out before their customers at a design review. Now customers can give feedback online and earlier in the design process, saving time and money. The cloud is also giving employers a much bigger net with which to fish for talent. \"I love it, because I get to hire the best people in the world, rather than the best people within 10 or 30 km of my office,\" says Jason Fried, chief executive of Basecamp, a tech firm specialising in collaboration software. About 30 of its 50 employees work remotely, says Mr Fried - a case of a company walking the walk, as well as talking the talk. \"The world is full of great people, and I don't want to limit searches to just who's nearby - I don't think that's going to give me the most interesting workforce,\" he says. A newer start-up, Hubstaff, which offers remote team monitoring and payroll software for businesses, is also geographically spread-out. \"We're here in Indiana, in the middle of the US - it's a decent talent pool, but not one of the deepest or best for tech,\" says chief executive Jared Brown. \"We can hire who's great in Thailand - we've team members in Philadelphia, India, Australia - we just hire the best regardless of where.\" Running a business with offices thousands of miles apart may sound like a logistical challenge, but the advantages make it worth it, says Oliver Risse, chief executive of Floatility, a start-up developing a ride-sharing service for three-wheeled electric scooters. Floatility relies on the cloud to pair technical expertise in Germany with attractive Indonesian labour costs, he says. The lightweight polymers used for the scooters are made in Germany, while the scooters themselves are made in Indonesia. Technical development takes place in Singapore, and other parts of the team are in Vienna. To help co-ordinate this global effort, the firm uses DropBox as its file storage service; Google Docs and AutoDesk for collaborative communication and design. And these days, internet speeds in Jakarta have improved enough to make all this feasible, says Mr Risse. \"We are a strange company because we are located in Indonesia and Hamburg in parallel,\" he says. But isn't managing people and payrolls tricky in a globalised, cloud-based business? Hubstaff's Mr Brown says paying team members scattered around the globe has actually been easy, using payment platforms like PayPal and Bitcoin start-up, Bitwage. And advertising for team members is helped by websites such as weworkremotely.com. Plus, \"everybody's on LinkedIn\", he says. But not everyone is comfortable with remote working. \"Really extremely extroverted\" workers are happier with physically present colleagues and post-work trips to the pub, says Basecamp's Mr Fried. But in 16 years he has only lost two employees displaying this trait, he says. On the flip side, he finds there are fewer cliques in his company. And employees with children appreciate being able to spend more time with them. Mr Fried, who has an 18-month-old, says: \"I feel so lucky being able to spend more than just an hour every day with him.\" But different time zones do need managing, particularly if staff feel they have to be available at all times of the day or never get to interact with colleagues in real time because of the time difference. Instant messaging is \"a toxic way to work\", he says - comment threads are preferable because staff don't feel they have to respond instantly. For a while, his business partner, Danish programmer David Heinemeier Hansson, came to work in Chicago. But they found they were more productive when they spent less time talking, so Mr Hansson went to live in Spain. \"We now have a few hours we can't bother each other, and actually get some work done,\" says Mr Fried. Follow Technology of Business editor @matthew_wall on Twitter", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4195, "answer_start": 3236, "text": "Running a business with offices thousands of miles apart may sound like a logistical challenge, but the advantages make it worth it, says Oliver Risse, chief executive of Floatility, a start-up developing a ride-sharing service for three-wheeled electric scooters. Floatility relies on the cloud to pair technical expertise in Germany with attractive Indonesian labour costs, he says. The lightweight polymers used for the scooters are made in Germany, while the scooters themselves are made in Indonesia. Technical development takes place in Singapore, and other parts of the team are in Vienna. To help co-ordinate this global effort, the firm uses DropBox as its file storage service; Google Docs and AutoDesk for collaborative communication and design. And these days, internet speeds in Jakarta have improved enough to make all this feasible, says Mr Risse. \"We are a strange company because we are located in Indonesia and Hamburg in parallel,\" he says." } ], "id": "9008_0", "question": "Best of both worlds?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Journalist Carina Etchegaray will never forget 3 December, 2001. She and her family were buying a flat in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires. Within hours, her hopes of being a property owner had vanished into thin air. Faced with a mounting economic crisis, the government had announced a new decree to limit bank withdrawals or transfers to the equivalent of $250 (PS160) a week. The aim was to stop a run on the banks. At a stroke, Ms Etchegaray and millions of her fellow citizens were unable to access all their savings. Long queues formed at banks across Argentina as people tried to get hold of their money. Soon frustration turned to anger. \"It was something we had never seen before. You did not know what to do or where to go to ask for your savings, because all the banks were closed,\" says Ms Etchegaray. \"You would knock on their doors and nobody answered.\" The decree, known as the \"corralito\" or \"ring fence\", sparked such unrest that the elected government fell, and many feared for the survival of the political institutions. Riots started in the main cities and there was widespread looting. A state of emergency was declared, but it only made things worse. By 20 December, some 40 people had died in clashes with the police. \"Coming up to this 10th anniversary, I've been thinking about those moments of tension, uncertainty and sadness,\" says Ms Etchegaray. You had to get on with life, she says, but it was a very anxious time. \"When you went to buy food for your children, it was common to find that the supermarket had been looted. \"Many people were affected, like those who were evicted from their homes as they were unable to pay their mortgage.\" When Ms Etchegaray invested her money in the bank, the Argentine peso had been pegged to the US dollar for about a decade. But the upheaval of December 2001, which saw the country go through five leaders, put an end to that. In January 2002, the caretaker government of Eduardo Duhalde allowed the currency to float freely in the market, causing a sharp devaluation. Amid the crisis, Argentina also defaulted on debts of $141bn. Inflation soared to more than 40% by the end of 2002. So when people were allowed full access to their bank accounts in 2003, the money in them was worth far less. \"I had recently received a lump sum in cash which we were going to use to buy a flat. But the money was frozen in the bank and when I eventually got it back it was just enough to buy a car,\" Ms Etchegaray says. \"It was our chance to have a new life for our children. And in minutes, because of political decisions, we lost that opportunity.\" Argentina's GDP shrank by 10% in the wake of the crisis. In 2002, nearly three-quarters of the population were estimated to be living under the poverty line. That was a drastic change for a country whose economy grew throughout the 1990s. It has taken Ms Etchegaray and her family the past 10 years to rebuild their savings to afford a new home. But amid the doomsday scenario, some people profited. Businesswoman Micaela Restano had a small amount saved in US dollars when the meltdown started. \"I exchanged my dollars at the bank, at a very good rate, with the people who were desperate to get foreign currency at the time,\" Ms Restano says. With some $6,000, she was able to pay off her whole mortgage. \"I don't have very nice memories from those times, as it was very traumatic to see how desperate people were, but I know I got something positive from all this.\" She is not ashamed of what she did and says others acted in a similar way. For Ms Restano, who has just opened an art shop in Buenos Aires, the crisis was just how things unfold in Argentina. \"You can fall really hard, but then everybody gets back on their feet as if nothing had happened.\" Domingo Cavallo, the economy minister at the time, is equally sanguine, insisting that the restrictions on withdrawals were justified. \"People could still take out a small amount in cash and there were no limits on debit cards transactions. But something had to be done to stop the run on the banks,\" he told the BBC. He believes the unrest was not spontaneous public anger but orchestrated political unrest. He also says the International Monetary Fund exacerbated the crisis by stopping the loans which Argentina needed to pay its huge foreign debt. That move, Mr Cavallo, believes sparked the panic and the subsequent run on the banks. \"When I see the situation in Greece today it reminds me of Argentina in 2001. But thankfully the international financial bodies have learned their lesson and decided to support Greece,\" he says. \"It took the suffering of the Argentine people for them to have a change in their attitude.\" Argentina may be an example, good and bad, for those currently struggling with Europe's economic woes. But for Carina Etchegaray, the lesson of 10 years ago is clear. She does not, she says, keep her money in banks any more.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4920, "answer_start": 3767, "text": "Domingo Cavallo, the economy minister at the time, is equally sanguine, insisting that the restrictions on withdrawals were justified. \"People could still take out a small amount in cash and there were no limits on debit cards transactions. But something had to be done to stop the run on the banks,\" he told the BBC. He believes the unrest was not spontaneous public anger but orchestrated political unrest. He also says the International Monetary Fund exacerbated the crisis by stopping the loans which Argentina needed to pay its huge foreign debt. That move, Mr Cavallo, believes sparked the panic and the subsequent run on the banks. \"When I see the situation in Greece today it reminds me of Argentina in 2001. But thankfully the international financial bodies have learned their lesson and decided to support Greece,\" he says. \"It took the suffering of the Argentine people for them to have a change in their attitude.\" Argentina may be an example, good and bad, for those currently struggling with Europe's economic woes. But for Carina Etchegaray, the lesson of 10 years ago is clear. She does not, she says, keep her money in banks any more." } ], "id": "9009_0", "question": "Different outcome?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Marvel Comics has had to apologise and alter its latest comic release after one of its artists made hidden references to an ongoing political controversy in Indonesia. The imagery included by Indonesian Muslim Ardian Syaf, a freelance contributor to Marvel, was called \"bigoted\" and he was accused of \"spreading hatred\" by social media users. Some even saw anti-Semitic sentiment in his artwork. The first issue of Marvel's latest X-Men Gold series was released in early April. The entertainment giant has since said it will take the offending references out of subsequent print editions, as well as take disciplinary action. The artist has also spoken to Indonesian media following the controversy, saying while he was expressing a political view, he was not trying to spread hate. Mr Syaf was able to get two politically-charged references into the comic. The first reference was spotted on metallic Russian mutant Colossus, who wears an innocent-looking T-shirt during a baseball game. The shirt has the words 'QS 5:51' on it - a reference to a passage in the Koran interpreted by some to mean that Muslims should not appoint Jews and Christians as their leader. The number 51 also appeared elsewhere throughout the issue, further referencing the passage. The reason this is controversial is because it is widely seen as a reference to the case against the governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, widely known as Ahok. Mr Purnama - a Christian of Chinese descent - is currently on trial for blasphemy. He angered many hard-line Muslims after he referenced the passage while campaigning last year. The prosecution says he insulted Islam. Mr Purnama insists his comments were aimed at politicians \"incorrectly\" using the Koranic verse to make a case against his re-election. If convicted, he faces a maximum five-year jail sentence. The second reference came in a panel scene involving mutant and X-Men leader Kitty Pryde, who was seen addressing a crowd on the street. The number \"212\" is written on a wall in this scene. Many readers noted its significance - the largest-ever street protest organised by hard-line Muslim demonstrators against Mr Purnama took place on 2 December (2-12) 2016. Mr Syaf had previously said that he participated in this rally. Marvel has since distanced itself from Mr Syaf's work and issued the following statement. \"The mentioned artwork was inserted without knowledge behind its reported meanings. These implied references do not reflect the views of the writer, editors or anyone else at Marvel and are in direct opposition of the inclusiveness of Marvel Comics and what the X-Men have stood for since their creation.\" The X-Men are mutants who tackle bigotry as they fight for equality and peace with humans. Illustrator Gary Choo, who has previously worked on Marvel artwork and covers, says sneaking political opinions and ideals into comics isn't something new. \"Politics should continue to find its way into comic books,\" he told the BBC. \"But for what Marvel represents, this episode definitely did not fit into Marvel's storytelling.\" Mr Syaf has been responding to the outcry on his personal Facebook page saying those who were angry \"did not know him\". \"My career is over now. It's the consequence [of] what I did. Please, no more mockery, debate, no more hate. My apologies for all the noise. Good bye. May God bless you all,\" he said on Tuesday. But that has not stopped angry reaction from Marvel fans and readers. \"No one needs to \"know you\" to understand what you did,\" wrote Andy Apsay on Facebook. \"It was blatant and intentional. Swallow your pride. You are not bigger than Marvel.\" Others like Gusti Made Sumariana said the artist was \"spreading hatred towards Christians and Jews\" with his work. \"Keep your bigotry out of the X-Men,\" wrote another Facebook user. But the reaction has spiralled into a heated debate on the social media site, with supporters of Mr Syaf coming to his defence. \"People are free to react how they may. Artists are free to express what they do,\" wrote one user in Indonesian on Facebook.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2263, "answer_start": 783, "text": "Mr Syaf was able to get two politically-charged references into the comic. The first reference was spotted on metallic Russian mutant Colossus, who wears an innocent-looking T-shirt during a baseball game. The shirt has the words 'QS 5:51' on it - a reference to a passage in the Koran interpreted by some to mean that Muslims should not appoint Jews and Christians as their leader. The number 51 also appeared elsewhere throughout the issue, further referencing the passage. The reason this is controversial is because it is widely seen as a reference to the case against the governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, widely known as Ahok. Mr Purnama - a Christian of Chinese descent - is currently on trial for blasphemy. He angered many hard-line Muslims after he referenced the passage while campaigning last year. The prosecution says he insulted Islam. Mr Purnama insists his comments were aimed at politicians \"incorrectly\" using the Koranic verse to make a case against his re-election. If convicted, he faces a maximum five-year jail sentence. The second reference came in a panel scene involving mutant and X-Men leader Kitty Pryde, who was seen addressing a crowd on the street. The number \"212\" is written on a wall in this scene. Many readers noted its significance - the largest-ever street protest organised by hard-line Muslim demonstrators against Mr Purnama took place on 2 December (2-12) 2016. Mr Syaf had previously said that he participated in this rally." } ], "id": "9010_0", "question": "What are the references?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3082, "answer_start": 2264, "text": "Marvel has since distanced itself from Mr Syaf's work and issued the following statement. \"The mentioned artwork was inserted without knowledge behind its reported meanings. These implied references do not reflect the views of the writer, editors or anyone else at Marvel and are in direct opposition of the inclusiveness of Marvel Comics and what the X-Men have stood for since their creation.\" The X-Men are mutants who tackle bigotry as they fight for equality and peace with humans. Illustrator Gary Choo, who has previously worked on Marvel artwork and covers, says sneaking political opinions and ideals into comics isn't something new. \"Politics should continue to find its way into comic books,\" he told the BBC. \"But for what Marvel represents, this episode definitely did not fit into Marvel's storytelling.\"" } ], "id": "9010_1", "question": "What is Marvel doing about it?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4075, "answer_start": 3083, "text": "Mr Syaf has been responding to the outcry on his personal Facebook page saying those who were angry \"did not know him\". \"My career is over now. It's the consequence [of] what I did. Please, no more mockery, debate, no more hate. My apologies for all the noise. Good bye. May God bless you all,\" he said on Tuesday. But that has not stopped angry reaction from Marvel fans and readers. \"No one needs to \"know you\" to understand what you did,\" wrote Andy Apsay on Facebook. \"It was blatant and intentional. Swallow your pride. You are not bigger than Marvel.\" Others like Gusti Made Sumariana said the artist was \"spreading hatred towards Christians and Jews\" with his work. \"Keep your bigotry out of the X-Men,\" wrote another Facebook user. But the reaction has spiralled into a heated debate on the social media site, with supporters of Mr Syaf coming to his defence. \"People are free to react how they may. Artists are free to express what they do,\" wrote one user in Indonesian on Facebook." } ], "id": "9010_2", "question": "Why are people angry?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Youths in Catalonia and the Basque Country have daubed the slogan \"tourists go home\" on some buildings - just as foreigners flock to Spain on holiday, spending millions of euros. A spokesperson for leftist Catalans behind the protests said today's model of mass tourism was impoverishing working-class people. Leftist Basques plan to stage an anti-tourism march on 17 August in San Sebastian, during a major festival. Semana Grande (Big Week) is a week-long celebration of Basque culture. Regional officials say the protests are isolated - and insist that tourists are welcome. They deplore the acts of vandalism, and stress that tourism is a vital industry for Spain. A record 75.6 million tourists visited Spain in 2016 - and Catalonia hosted 18 million of them, making it the most popular region. There has been some anti-tourist vandalism in Barcelona and Majorca - both Catalan-speaking - and most recently in San Sebastian, a tourist magnet in the Basque Country. In one dramatic incident, several masked assailants attacked a tourist bus in Barcelona, near the football stadium. The slogan \"tourism is killing neighbourhoods\" was daubed on the bus and one of its tyres was punctured. None of the passengers were injured. The attack was claimed by Arran Jovent, a leftist youth movement linked to Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), an anti-capitalist party campaigning for Catalan independence. CUP tweeted a photo of the vandalised bus, with the message: \"We show support for the youth organisation @Arran_jovent, we must combat the murder of barrios [neighbourhoods] with all means.\" On its Facebook site, Arran has posted anti-tourism videos. One shows activists in Majorca holding a big banner next to yachts in a marina, letting off smoke bombs and throwing confetti inside a restaurant where customers are eating. Elsewhere, the tyres of some tourists' rental bikes have been slashed. Arran says it opposes a model of mass tourism that \"wants us as slaves\" and that \"turns the country into an amusement park that only benefits the bourgeoisie and capital!\" The anti-tourism campaign has also sparked a heated debate on Twitter, under the hashtag #touristgohome. An Arran spokesperson told the BBC that \"we are anti-capitalist, we want to destroy the system - and the tourist industry is part of that system\". \"Today's model of tourism expels people from their neighbourhoods and harms the environment - we've seen that all along the coast, with buildings everywhere. He said Arran's protests were \"not vandalism, but self-defence\". \"Having to sign poor work contracts - that's violence - as is having to leave your neighbourhood and your support networks, because of tourism.\" In the Basque Country, Ernai is a leftist youth movement acting in solidarity with Arran. Ernai emerged in 2013 from Basque nationalist groups who have campaigned for years on behalf of Eta prisoners. Eta is disarming, after decades spent fighting the Spanish state, but Madrid refuses to negotiate with what it calls a \"terrorist\" group. The Arran spokesperson said his group and Ernai were both \"revolutionary movements\" acting against \"an oppressor Spanish state\". Arran has about 500 activists throughout Catalonia, and its campaign is attracting new members, he said. In both regions the anti-tourism campaign is certainly coloured by nationalism. There is resentment over tourism pushing up prices - especially apartment rents - for locals. But it is also about asserting national identity and fighting globalisation. Catalans and Basques have a long history of struggle against Spanish political domination, going back to the Franco dictatorship and civil war. A tweet from Katu Arkonada in San Sebastian showed the slogan \"tourist go home\" daubed on a restaurant. Basque tourism has grown since Eta violence subsided. San Sebastian is now a gastronomic capital, with a winning combination of beaches, Basque cuisine and local colour. Neighbouring Catalonia is in the tense run-up to a controversial referendum on independence in October. The region's ruling coalition has vowed to declare independence immediately if a majority of voters back it. Opinion polls suggest a narrow majority wants to remain part of Spain. Catalan leaders seek abrupt Spain split Cruise tourists overwhelm Europe's ancient resorts Taking back Barcelona's apartments Tourism is the number one problem for Barcelona residents, according to an opinion poll published by the municipality in June. Despite Spain's stubbornly high unemployment, tourism was the top concern of residents (19%), ahead of unemployment (12.4%) and transport (7%). It is the first time tourism has come top in the regular poll. Temporary mayor Gerardo Pisarello dismissed talk of \"touristophobia\". \"I don't believe that Barcelona's residents reject tourism - rather they want it regulated,\" he said. Loose regulation is blamed for the proliferation of cheap holiday accommodation in the city, such as Airbnb apartments. Carol Olona, a BBC journalist from Barcelona, says the drive to cash in on tourism has pushed up prices in the city centre. Many young Spaniards earn no more than EUR1,000 (PS902; $1,176) a month, yet an ordinary apartment in central Barcelona can cost EUR800 or more in monthly rent. Spain's El Periodico newspaper reports that many apartment rents in central Barcelona rose more than 10% in 2014-2016. Ms Olona says many residents \"have been struggling to find affordable rents, and moving to small places on the outskirts\". \"But Barcelona doesn't have much space to grow - there is sea on one side, mountains on the other and the city is surrounded by urban areas.\" In summer the daily influx of tourists from cruise ships has also fuelled resentment, she said. Yes, some. But it is tempered by exhortations to keep welcoming tourists, because of their economic value. Arran wants a freeze on new hotel construction, more regulation of tourism and a model that \"really respects the dignity of working people\". In Majorca, Balearics Deputy Prime Minister Biel Barcelo said he shared the concerns about today's mass tourism and the \"unbalanced\" model. But he condemned Arran's methods. A leading Basque tourism official, Denis Itxaso, said \"concentrations of tourists\" were inevitable in some places, but stressed that tourism was a vital source of income. \"Mind you don't play around with the hen that lays the golden eggs,\" he warned. Ernai then mocked him in a tweet, showing him as a hen, with the message \"Your golden eggs are the misery of young people!\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5727, "answer_start": 4337, "text": "Tourism is the number one problem for Barcelona residents, according to an opinion poll published by the municipality in June. Despite Spain's stubbornly high unemployment, tourism was the top concern of residents (19%), ahead of unemployment (12.4%) and transport (7%). It is the first time tourism has come top in the regular poll. Temporary mayor Gerardo Pisarello dismissed talk of \"touristophobia\". \"I don't believe that Barcelona's residents reject tourism - rather they want it regulated,\" he said. Loose regulation is blamed for the proliferation of cheap holiday accommodation in the city, such as Airbnb apartments. Carol Olona, a BBC journalist from Barcelona, says the drive to cash in on tourism has pushed up prices in the city centre. Many young Spaniards earn no more than EUR1,000 (PS902; $1,176) a month, yet an ordinary apartment in central Barcelona can cost EUR800 or more in monthly rent. Spain's El Periodico newspaper reports that many apartment rents in central Barcelona rose more than 10% in 2014-2016. Ms Olona says many residents \"have been struggling to find affordable rents, and moving to small places on the outskirts\". \"But Barcelona doesn't have much space to grow - there is sea on one side, mountains on the other and the city is surrounded by urban areas.\" In summer the daily influx of tourists from cruise ships has also fuelled resentment, she said." } ], "id": "9011_0", "question": "Why have tensions surfaced in Barcelona?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6524, "answer_start": 5728, "text": "Yes, some. But it is tempered by exhortations to keep welcoming tourists, because of their economic value. Arran wants a freeze on new hotel construction, more regulation of tourism and a model that \"really respects the dignity of working people\". In Majorca, Balearics Deputy Prime Minister Biel Barcelo said he shared the concerns about today's mass tourism and the \"unbalanced\" model. But he condemned Arran's methods. A leading Basque tourism official, Denis Itxaso, said \"concentrations of tourists\" were inevitable in some places, but stressed that tourism was a vital source of income. \"Mind you don't play around with the hen that lays the golden eggs,\" he warned. Ernai then mocked him in a tweet, showing him as a hen, with the message \"Your golden eggs are the misery of young people!\"" } ], "id": "9011_1", "question": "Is there any official sympathy?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A suspect linked with a series of deadly parcel bombs targeting the Texan city of Austin is dead after a major police operation, officials say. The man was killed after detonating a device when officers approached his car off a highway in the city of Round Rock, north of the state capital. He has been named by US media as Mark Anthony Conditt, aged 23. The incident follows four bomb attacks in Austin and one in Schertz, 65 miles (104km) south. Late on Tuesday, the Austin police department used footage from a FedEx store in south Austin, the scene of the latest parcel bomb explosion, to identify the male suspect. After using the Google search engine to gather information on the suspect's online browsing history, which showed searches on facilities which were used to ship packages, authorities later managed to locate his vehicle. In the early hours of Wednesday, local and federal officers then took up positions around a parking area belonging to a hotel in Round Rock, about 20 miles (32km) north of Austin. As they waited for tactical teams to arrive, the vehicle started to drive away, and officers pursued it. When the vehicle drove into a ditch, armed officers approached, hoping to take the suspect into custody alive. But the driver then detonated a bomb, injuring one officer. Another officer opened fire. Police later confirmed that the blast had killed the suspect. Austin police chief Brian Manley said that local residents should \"remain vigilant\", and urged anyone who noticed a suspicious package to contact the authorities. \"We don't know where the suspect has been over this past 24 hours,\" he said, adding that it was possible that additional devices may have been distributed. \"We do not understand what motivated him to do what he did,\" Chief Manley added. Mr Manley also praised his colleagues in a tweet. \"I can't thank the men and women of #AustinPD or our Federal partners enough for their tireless work in restoring peace to our community,\" he said. Earlier, CCTV images of a \"person of interest\" were shared on US media showing a white male with blond hair carrying a number of large packages at a FedEx store in Austin. Austin has been on edge amid the attacks, which have led to the deployment of hundreds of police officers in the city. Two people have been killed and six injured in the bombings. Police have not formally identified the suspect, who has been named in US media as Mark Anthony Conditt, aged 23. Texas Governor Greg Abbot told Fox News that he lived with two flatmates in Pflugerville, a suburb of Austin. \"Those two roommates have been talking to law enforcement,\" Mr Abbott said, adding they are not suspected of any crimes. The governor added that the suspect did not destroy his online footprint, which may provide investigators with a \"treasure trove of information that should shed light on who he is, what he did, and why he was doing it\". According to the Austin Statesman newspaper Mr Conditt graduated from the Austin Community College after he was homeschooled by his mother during his high school years. The newspaper reports that he had worked for Crux Semiconductor in Austin as a \"purchasing Agent/buyer/shipping and receiving\", citing a profile on a job recruiting website. By Gary O'Donoghue, BBC News, Austin This was a dramatic denouement to a three-week reign of terror. It was only in the past 36 hours or so that police really got a handle on the possible identity of the suspect, who had foxed them for weeks by changing the nature of his targets and his method of operation. But the sheer number of devices - six in all - in such a short period of time may have been one factor that eventually led to his pursuit and apparent suicide. Another crucial factor was the one device that didn't go off. That gave police key leads and allowed them to isolate CCTV evidence of the suspect dropping off one of the devices at a FedEx office. As police continue to gather evidence at the scene, motivation will be the question on everyone's lips in Texas. And while this might feel like it's over, the admission from police that they don't know where the suspect was for the past day means more devices could be out there and it is too soon for Austin to completely relax. Authorities have said that a series of blasts that began in Austin in early March - involving package bombs and a tripwire - were all related: - 2 March: A device explodes at Anthony Stephan House's home in Austin, killing the 39-year-old man - 13 March: Draylen William Mason, 17, is killed and his mother is critically injured after he brings a package inside his home from the doorstep in Austin - 13 March: Hours later, a 75-year-old Hispanic woman, who has not been named, is injured by another package in the state capital - 18 March: A device injures two men who may have set off a tripwire while walking along a street in Austin - 20 March: A parcel bomb explodes at a FedEx depot in Schertz, slightly injuring one person. Police said the parcel had been due to be shipped to Austin", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2336, "answer_start": 448, "text": "Late on Tuesday, the Austin police department used footage from a FedEx store in south Austin, the scene of the latest parcel bomb explosion, to identify the male suspect. After using the Google search engine to gather information on the suspect's online browsing history, which showed searches on facilities which were used to ship packages, authorities later managed to locate his vehicle. In the early hours of Wednesday, local and federal officers then took up positions around a parking area belonging to a hotel in Round Rock, about 20 miles (32km) north of Austin. As they waited for tactical teams to arrive, the vehicle started to drive away, and officers pursued it. When the vehicle drove into a ditch, armed officers approached, hoping to take the suspect into custody alive. But the driver then detonated a bomb, injuring one officer. Another officer opened fire. Police later confirmed that the blast had killed the suspect. Austin police chief Brian Manley said that local residents should \"remain vigilant\", and urged anyone who noticed a suspicious package to contact the authorities. \"We don't know where the suspect has been over this past 24 hours,\" he said, adding that it was possible that additional devices may have been distributed. \"We do not understand what motivated him to do what he did,\" Chief Manley added. Mr Manley also praised his colleagues in a tweet. \"I can't thank the men and women of #AustinPD or our Federal partners enough for their tireless work in restoring peace to our community,\" he said. Earlier, CCTV images of a \"person of interest\" were shared on US media showing a white male with blond hair carrying a number of large packages at a FedEx store in Austin. Austin has been on edge amid the attacks, which have led to the deployment of hundreds of police officers in the city. Two people have been killed and six injured in the bombings." } ], "id": "9012_0", "question": "How did events unfold?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3245, "answer_start": 2337, "text": "Police have not formally identified the suspect, who has been named in US media as Mark Anthony Conditt, aged 23. Texas Governor Greg Abbot told Fox News that he lived with two flatmates in Pflugerville, a suburb of Austin. \"Those two roommates have been talking to law enforcement,\" Mr Abbott said, adding they are not suspected of any crimes. The governor added that the suspect did not destroy his online footprint, which may provide investigators with a \"treasure trove of information that should shed light on who he is, what he did, and why he was doing it\". According to the Austin Statesman newspaper Mr Conditt graduated from the Austin Community College after he was homeschooled by his mother during his high school years. The newspaper reports that he had worked for Crux Semiconductor in Austin as a \"purchasing Agent/buyer/shipping and receiving\", citing a profile on a job recruiting website." } ], "id": "9012_1", "question": "Who is the suspect?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The newspapers have a scoop today - it seems that artificial intelligence (AI) could be out to get us. \"'Robot intelligence is dangerous': Expert's warning after Facebook AI 'develop their own language'\", says the Mirror. Similar stories have appeared in the Sun, the Independent, the Telegraph and in other online publications. It sounds like something from a science fiction film - the Sun even included a few pictures of scary-looking androids. So, is it time to panic and start preparing for apocalypse at the hands of machines? Probably not. While some great minds - including Stephen Hawking - are concerned that one day AI could threaten humanity, the Facebook story is nothing to be worried about. Way back in June, Facebook published a blog post about interesting research on chatbot programs - which have short, text-based conversations with humans or other bots. The story was covered by New Scientist and others at the time. Facebook had been experimenting with bots that negotiated with each other over the ownership of virtual items. It was an effort to understand how linguistics played a role in the way such discussions played out for negotiating parties, and crucially the bots were programmed to experiment with language in order to see how that affected their dominance in the discussion. A few days later, some coverage picked up on the fact that in a few cases the exchanges had become - at first glance - nonsensical: - Bob: \"I can can I I everything else\" - Alice: \"Balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to\" Although some reports insinuate that the bots had at this point invented a new language in order to elude their human masters, a better explanation is that the neural networks were simply trying to modify human language for the purposes of more successful interactions - whether their approach worked or not was another matter. As technology news site Gizmodo said: \"In their attempts to learn from each other, the bots thus began chatting back and forth in a derived shorthand - but while it might look creepy, that's all it was.\" AIs that rework English as we know it in order to better compute a task are not new. Google reported that its translation software had done this during development. \"The network must be encoding something about the semantics of the sentence\" Google said in a blog. And earlier this year, Wired reported on a researcher at OpenAI who is working on a system in which AIs invent their own language, improving their ability to process information quickly and therefore tackle difficult problems more effectively. The story seems to have had a second wind in recent days, perhaps because of a verbal scrap over the potential dangers of AI between Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and technology entrepreneur Elon Musk. But the way the story has been reported says more about cultural fears and representations of machines than it does about the facts of this particular case. Plus, let's face it, robots just make for great villains on the big screen. In the real world, though, AI is a huge area of research at the moment and the systems currently being designed and tested are increasingly complicated. One result of this is that it's often unclear how neural networks come to produce the output that they do - especially when two are set up to interact with each other without much human intervention, as in the Facebook experiment. That's why some argue that putting AI in systems such as autonomous weapons is dangerous. It's also why ethics for AI is a rapidly developing field - the technology will surely be touching our lives ever more directly in the future. But Facebook's system was being used for research, not public-facing applications, and it was shut down because it was doing something the team wasn't interested in studying - not because they thought they had stumbled on an existential threat to mankind. It's important to remember, too, that chatbots in general are very difficult to develop. In fact, Facebook recently decided to limit the rollout of its Messenger chatbot platform after it found many of the bots on it were unable to address 70% of users' queries. Chatbots can, of course, be programmed to seem very humanlike and may even dupe us in certain situations - but it's quite a stretch to think they are also capable of plotting a rebellion. At least, the ones at Facebook certainly aren't.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2811, "answer_start": 706, "text": "Way back in June, Facebook published a blog post about interesting research on chatbot programs - which have short, text-based conversations with humans or other bots. The story was covered by New Scientist and others at the time. Facebook had been experimenting with bots that negotiated with each other over the ownership of virtual items. It was an effort to understand how linguistics played a role in the way such discussions played out for negotiating parties, and crucially the bots were programmed to experiment with language in order to see how that affected their dominance in the discussion. A few days later, some coverage picked up on the fact that in a few cases the exchanges had become - at first glance - nonsensical: - Bob: \"I can can I I everything else\" - Alice: \"Balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to\" Although some reports insinuate that the bots had at this point invented a new language in order to elude their human masters, a better explanation is that the neural networks were simply trying to modify human language for the purposes of more successful interactions - whether their approach worked or not was another matter. As technology news site Gizmodo said: \"In their attempts to learn from each other, the bots thus began chatting back and forth in a derived shorthand - but while it might look creepy, that's all it was.\" AIs that rework English as we know it in order to better compute a task are not new. Google reported that its translation software had done this during development. \"The network must be encoding something about the semantics of the sentence\" Google said in a blog. And earlier this year, Wired reported on a researcher at OpenAI who is working on a system in which AIs invent their own language, improving their ability to process information quickly and therefore tackle difficult problems more effectively. The story seems to have had a second wind in recent days, perhaps because of a verbal scrap over the potential dangers of AI between Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and technology entrepreneur Elon Musk." } ], "id": "9013_0", "question": "Where did the story come from?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority has temporarily suspended the Boeing 737 Max fleet of aircraft from flying into and out of the country. The decision comes after an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing Max 8 crashed on Sunday, killing 157 people on board. It was the second fatal accident involving that model in less than five months. Singapore's Changi Airport is the world's sixth busiest and a major hub connecting Asia to Europe and the US. But only a handful of airlines operate Max aircraft in and out of the country. Several airlines and regulators around the world have already grounded the Max 8 model following the crash. Singapore is believed to be the first country to ban all variants of the Max fleet of aircraft. The suspension went into effect from 14:00 local time (06:00 GMT). - If you are affected by this story email [email protected] Singapore's aviation authority said the affected airlines include SilkAir, which operates six Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, as well as China Southern Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Shandong Airlines and Thai Lion Air. It said it is working with airlines and Changi Airport to minimise the impact on passengers. Experts told the BBC that disruption was likely, however. Aviation consultant Ian Thomas said: \"This is sure to lead to significant flight cancellations and disruption to schedules as the airlines involved switch to other aircraft types (assuming they are available).\" The BBC's Karishma Vaswani, who is at Changi Airport, reports orderly scenes. Some flights have been cancelled but it is not known if the suspension is to blame. In the US, the country's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told airlines on Monday it believes Boeing's 737 Max 8 model to be airworthy, despite the two fatal crashes. The Boeing 737 Max fleet of aircraft are the latest in the company's successful 737 line. The group includes the Max 7, 8, 9 and 10 models. By the end of January, Boeing had delivered 350 of the Max 8 model out of 5,011 orders. A small number of Max 9s are also operating. The Max 7 and 10 models, not yet delivered, are due for roll-out in the next few years. The Max 8 that crashed on Sunday was one of 30 ordered as part of Ethiopian Airlines' expansion. It underwent a \"rigorous first check maintenance\" on 4 February, the airline said. Following last October's Lion Air crash in Indonesia, investigators said the pilots had appeared to struggle with an automated system designed to keep the plane from stalling, a new feature of the jet. It is not yet clear whether the anti-stall system was the cause of Sunday's crash. Aviation experts say other technical issues or human error cannot be discounted. US aviation officials have said the 737 Max 8 is airworthy and that it is too early to reach any conclusions or take any action. US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on Monday said the FAA would \"take immediate and appropriate action\" if a defect was found in the Max 8. Boeing has confirmed that for the past few months it has been developing a \"flight control software enhancement\" for the aircraft. Paul Hudson, the president of FlyersRights.org and a member of the FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee, nonetheless called for the plane to be grounded. \"The FAA's 'wait and see' attitude risks lives as well as the safety reputation of the US aviation industry,\" Mr Hudson said in a statement on Monday. There were people of more than 30 nationalities on the 10 March flight, including 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians and nine Britons (two of whom were dual nationals travelling on non-British passports). Among the Canadians was a family of six, originally from India. Kosha Vaidya, 37, and her husband Prerit Dixit, 45 were taking their 14-year-old daughter Ashka and 13-year-old daughter Anushka to Nairobi - where Kosha was born - along with her parents, Pannagesh Vaidya, 73, and Hansini Vaidya, 67. There were also eight Italians, eight Chinese, eight Americans, seven French citizens, six Egyptians, five Germans, four Indians and four people from Slovakia on board. At least 21 passengers were affiliated with the UN and were travelling to a session of its Environment Assembly in Nairobi. \"It is one of the biggest catastrophes we have had in years,\" Michael Moller, director-general of the UN Office in Geneva, told the session on Monday. Have you been personally affected by this story? Please get in touch with us by emailing [email protected]. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: - WhatsApp: +44 7555 173285 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1760, "answer_start": 853, "text": "Singapore's aviation authority said the affected airlines include SilkAir, which operates six Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, as well as China Southern Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Shandong Airlines and Thai Lion Air. It said it is working with airlines and Changi Airport to minimise the impact on passengers. Experts told the BBC that disruption was likely, however. Aviation consultant Ian Thomas said: \"This is sure to lead to significant flight cancellations and disruption to schedules as the airlines involved switch to other aircraft types (assuming they are available).\" The BBC's Karishma Vaswani, who is at Changi Airport, reports orderly scenes. Some flights have been cancelled but it is not known if the suspension is to blame. In the US, the country's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told airlines on Monday it believes Boeing's 737 Max 8 model to be airworthy, despite the two fatal crashes." } ], "id": "9014_0", "question": "Is disruption likely?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2667, "answer_start": 1761, "text": "The Boeing 737 Max fleet of aircraft are the latest in the company's successful 737 line. The group includes the Max 7, 8, 9 and 10 models. By the end of January, Boeing had delivered 350 of the Max 8 model out of 5,011 orders. A small number of Max 9s are also operating. The Max 7 and 10 models, not yet delivered, are due for roll-out in the next few years. The Max 8 that crashed on Sunday was one of 30 ordered as part of Ethiopian Airlines' expansion. It underwent a \"rigorous first check maintenance\" on 4 February, the airline said. Following last October's Lion Air crash in Indonesia, investigators said the pilots had appeared to struggle with an automated system designed to keep the plane from stalling, a new feature of the jet. It is not yet clear whether the anti-stall system was the cause of Sunday's crash. Aviation experts say other technical issues or human error cannot be discounted." } ], "id": "9014_1", "question": "What is a Boeing 737 Max aircraft?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3383, "answer_start": 2668, "text": "US aviation officials have said the 737 Max 8 is airworthy and that it is too early to reach any conclusions or take any action. US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on Monday said the FAA would \"take immediate and appropriate action\" if a defect was found in the Max 8. Boeing has confirmed that for the past few months it has been developing a \"flight control software enhancement\" for the aircraft. Paul Hudson, the president of FlyersRights.org and a member of the FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee, nonetheless called for the plane to be grounded. \"The FAA's 'wait and see' attitude risks lives as well as the safety reputation of the US aviation industry,\" Mr Hudson said in a statement on Monday." } ], "id": "9014_2", "question": "What have US authorities said?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4338, "answer_start": 3384, "text": "There were people of more than 30 nationalities on the 10 March flight, including 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians and nine Britons (two of whom were dual nationals travelling on non-British passports). Among the Canadians was a family of six, originally from India. Kosha Vaidya, 37, and her husband Prerit Dixit, 45 were taking their 14-year-old daughter Ashka and 13-year-old daughter Anushka to Nairobi - where Kosha was born - along with her parents, Pannagesh Vaidya, 73, and Hansini Vaidya, 67. There were also eight Italians, eight Chinese, eight Americans, seven French citizens, six Egyptians, five Germans, four Indians and four people from Slovakia on board. At least 21 passengers were affiliated with the UN and were travelling to a session of its Environment Assembly in Nairobi. \"It is one of the biggest catastrophes we have had in years,\" Michael Moller, director-general of the UN Office in Geneva, told the session on Monday." } ], "id": "9014_3", "question": "Who were the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Mexico's president has insisted his government will not be provoked, after President Donald Trump announced escalating tariffs on all goods unless Mexico curbed illegal migration. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador described Mr Trump's slogan \"America First\" as a fallacy and said universal justice was more important than borders. Stock markets saw sharp losses following Mr Trump's announcement. Mr Trump declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border in February. He said it was necessary in order to tackle what he claimed was a crisis with thousands of undocumented migrants crossing the US southern frontier. Mr Trump's latest statement came a day after US border authorities in El Paso, Texas, detained a group of more than 1,000 migrants - the largest single group agents had ever encountered. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said on Friday that Mexico could have done more to stop the group - and others - as they travelled through the country. \"They could have easily broken up this group, arrested them or sent them back home, and they didn't do anything,\" she told reporters. \"We're asking Mexico to enforce their own laws to help stop the people coming in from Central America.\" In tweets later on Friday, President Trump said the tariffs were also to encourage Mexico to \"take back\" the country from drugs cartels. The president said he had ordered his foreign minister to travel to Washington on Friday. \"I want to insist that we are not going to fall into any provocations, that we are going to act prudently with respect to the authorities of the United States [and] with respect to President Donald Trump,\" he said. In a letter to his US counterpart, Mr Lopez Obrador said Mexico was complying with its responsibility to avoid \"as far as possible and without violating human rights, the passage [of migrants] through our country\". \"President Trump: Social problems are not resolved with tariffs or coercive measures,\" he added. \"With all due respect, although you have the sovereign right to express this, the slogan 'United States [America] First' is a fallacy because, until the end of time, and even over and above national frontiers, universal justice and fraternity will prevail.\" Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard confirmed on Twitter that he would lead a delegation to Washington, adding: \"The treatment of Mexico is unfair and does not make economic sense to anyone.\" He later tweeted that a summit to resolve the dispute would be held in Washington on Wednesday, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heading the US side. \"We will be firm and defend the dignity of Mexico,\" he said. The US Chamber of Commerce, which represents three million businesses in the US, condemned Mr Trump's plan. Chief policy officer Neil Bradley said the tariffs would \"be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border\". The Business Roundtable, a US body made of chief executives of major US corporations, said it would be \"a grave error\" and urged Mr Trump to reconsider. It warned that the move jeopardised the new US-Mexico-Canada trade deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). President Trump's top trade adviser Robert Lighthizer had opposed the plan, the Wall Street Journal reported, also warning that the new trade deal could be affected. One source quoted by the paper said: \"Lighthizer is not happy.\" The US president has long accused Mexico of not doing enough to stem the flow of people. Migrants, most of whom say they are fleeing violence in Central American countries, travel through Mexico on their way to the US, where they hope to claim asylum. In a White House statement, Mr Trump said the tariffs would rise by five percentage points each month until 1 October, when the rate would reach 25%. The tariffs would stay at that level \"unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory\", he said. \"For years, Mexico has not treated us fairly - but we are now asserting our rights as a sovereign nation,\" the statement said. The president also took aim at his Democratic opponents, accusing them of a \"total dereliction of duty\" over border security. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is taking legal action to halt the Trump administration's efforts to build a border wall, saying it would be a waste of funds and would not stop illegal immigration. Mexico was the second largest supplier of goods to the US last year, with imports totalling $352bn (PS275bn), according to Goldman Sachs. It is known for agricultural products like avocados and tequila, but the country is also a major manufacturing hub and home to many US companies. The country produces hundreds of thousands of cars every month, and is also home to technology and aerospace companies. It is one of the G20 economies. US firms Ford, General Motors, John Deere, IBM and Coca-Cola all operate in Mexico, as well as thousands of other multinationals. On Friday, the three main US financial markets opened almost 1.5% down, with General Motors falling 5%. The president's statement comes amid a trade war with China. After complaining for years about the US trade deficit with China, Mr Trump imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods coming from the country.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2614, "answer_start": 1335, "text": "The president said he had ordered his foreign minister to travel to Washington on Friday. \"I want to insist that we are not going to fall into any provocations, that we are going to act prudently with respect to the authorities of the United States [and] with respect to President Donald Trump,\" he said. In a letter to his US counterpart, Mr Lopez Obrador said Mexico was complying with its responsibility to avoid \"as far as possible and without violating human rights, the passage [of migrants] through our country\". \"President Trump: Social problems are not resolved with tariffs or coercive measures,\" he added. \"With all due respect, although you have the sovereign right to express this, the slogan 'United States [America] First' is a fallacy because, until the end of time, and even over and above national frontiers, universal justice and fraternity will prevail.\" Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard confirmed on Twitter that he would lead a delegation to Washington, adding: \"The treatment of Mexico is unfair and does not make economic sense to anyone.\" He later tweeted that a summit to resolve the dispute would be held in Washington on Wednesday, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heading the US side. \"We will be firm and defend the dignity of Mexico,\" he said." } ], "id": "9015_0", "question": "What did Mr Lopez Obrador say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3409, "answer_start": 2615, "text": "The US Chamber of Commerce, which represents three million businesses in the US, condemned Mr Trump's plan. Chief policy officer Neil Bradley said the tariffs would \"be paid by American families and businesses without doing a thing to solve the very real problems at the border\". The Business Roundtable, a US body made of chief executives of major US corporations, said it would be \"a grave error\" and urged Mr Trump to reconsider. It warned that the move jeopardised the new US-Mexico-Canada trade deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). President Trump's top trade adviser Robert Lighthizer had opposed the plan, the Wall Street Journal reported, also warning that the new trade deal could be affected. One source quoted by the paper said: \"Lighthizer is not happy.\"" } ], "id": "9015_1", "question": "How has US business reacted?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4432, "answer_start": 3410, "text": "The US president has long accused Mexico of not doing enough to stem the flow of people. Migrants, most of whom say they are fleeing violence in Central American countries, travel through Mexico on their way to the US, where they hope to claim asylum. In a White House statement, Mr Trump said the tariffs would rise by five percentage points each month until 1 October, when the rate would reach 25%. The tariffs would stay at that level \"unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory\", he said. \"For years, Mexico has not treated us fairly - but we are now asserting our rights as a sovereign nation,\" the statement said. The president also took aim at his Democratic opponents, accusing them of a \"total dereliction of duty\" over border security. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is taking legal action to halt the Trump administration's efforts to build a border wall, saying it would be a waste of funds and would not stop illegal immigration." } ], "id": "9015_2", "question": "What did Mr Trump say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5330, "answer_start": 4433, "text": "Mexico was the second largest supplier of goods to the US last year, with imports totalling $352bn (PS275bn), according to Goldman Sachs. It is known for agricultural products like avocados and tequila, but the country is also a major manufacturing hub and home to many US companies. The country produces hundreds of thousands of cars every month, and is also home to technology and aerospace companies. It is one of the G20 economies. US firms Ford, General Motors, John Deere, IBM and Coca-Cola all operate in Mexico, as well as thousands of other multinationals. On Friday, the three main US financial markets opened almost 1.5% down, with General Motors falling 5%. The president's statement comes amid a trade war with China. After complaining for years about the US trade deficit with China, Mr Trump imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods coming from the country." } ], "id": "9015_3", "question": "What will the tariffs affect?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Amazon workers praising their working conditions on social media are being accused of lying by other users. Twitter users are pointing to apparent inaccuracies and \"robotic\" or \"scripted\" language as evidence that employees are being \"paid to lie\". A number of parody accounts have been set up mocking the tweets by the staff, who are called Amazon ambassadors. Amazon told BBC News their ambassadors are members of staff who post their personal experiences on social media. In a statement to BBC News, the company said: \"Fulfilment centre (FC) ambassadors are employees who work in our FCs and share facts based on their personal experience. \"It's important that we do a good job educating people about the actual environment inside our fulfilment centres, and the FC ambassador programme is a big part of that, along with the FC tours we provide.\" The ambassadors praise working conditions in the retailer's warehouses, and actively find and respond to tweets critical of the company's practices. One ambassador, known as @AmazonFCHannah on Twitter, posted on Thursday: \"I suffer from depression too, and at one point I wanted to quit Amazon. But I realised it was my fault for the problems I was dealing with, and not Amazon's. \"I'm allowed to talk to people, but sometimes I don't want to. Now I have some great co-workers to pass the nights with.\" The same account also defended Amazon's policy of not recognising trade unions in its US warehouses, saying its pay and conditions made them unnecessary. Another account, @AmazonFCRafael, also responded: \"It's true that our managers don't have the power to improve our wages, but they can help and look out for employees like me on doing the job that we do. \"The wages of the FC is $15-$17/hr, with good benefits and paid tuition for school.\" Earlier this month the same account holder said he was grateful to have been able to take a week of absence by using annual leave and sick days. Sceptical Twitters users accused the accounts of posting scripted messages in the guise of real experiences. \"Every single tweet by one of those 'Amazon FC Ambassadors' has the exact same energy as someone answering the door with a gun to their head, and telling the cops that everything is fine,\" wrote one critic. When asked why she tweeted, @AmazonFCHannah replied: \"I get to do this two days out of the week so I get a break from work. Last group of Ambassadors got a gift card, so I might get one of those too.\" One widely-circulated tweet accused the accounts of being fake, and shared a post from 2018 by @AmazonFCRafael about being excited that her grandchildren were coming to visit, but the account profile picture is of a young man. In response @AmazonFCRafael claimed those tweets were by the previous ambassador and that the accounts are used in rotation. In 2018, Amazon changed the name of its warehouses to fulfilment centres and launched the ambassador programme, as well as inviting the public to visit its centres. It said the centres educate the public about the retailer, but critics claimed the opportunities were a bid to improve the company's public image. Amazon is routinely criticised for poor working practices and in July thousands of workers staged protests about pay and conditions on Prime Day - a day of special offers for subscribers. One worker at Shakopee in Minnesota told the BBC that he has to handle an item about every eight seconds during a 10-hour day. In response, Amazon said it \"provided great employment opportunities with excellent pay\" and encouraged people to compare its operations in Shakopee with other employees in the area.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3619, "answer_start": 2810, "text": "In 2018, Amazon changed the name of its warehouses to fulfilment centres and launched the ambassador programme, as well as inviting the public to visit its centres. It said the centres educate the public about the retailer, but critics claimed the opportunities were a bid to improve the company's public image. Amazon is routinely criticised for poor working practices and in July thousands of workers staged protests about pay and conditions on Prime Day - a day of special offers for subscribers. One worker at Shakopee in Minnesota told the BBC that he has to handle an item about every eight seconds during a 10-hour day. In response, Amazon said it \"provided great employment opportunities with excellent pay\" and encouraged people to compare its operations in Shakopee with other employees in the area." } ], "id": "9016_0", "question": "What are Amazon fulfilment centres?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A Colombian teenager who took part in a protest march to demand better access to education has died, two days after he was hit on the head by a projectile fired by riot police. The death of Dilan Cruz has caused outrage and sparked fresh marches by protesters denouncing what they said was a heavy-handed police response. President Ivan Duque said he deeply regretted Dilan Cruz's death. Mr Duque is due to meet leaders of the protests later on Tuesday. Dilan Cruz was an 18-year-old pupil who was due to graduate from high school in Bogota on Monday. Friends said he wanted to study business administration but was in need of a grant to do so. He joined a protest march in the capital on Saturday to highlight the difficulties students like him had accessing higher education, according to his friends. Video taken at the march shows the moment Dilan Cruz was hit. A member of the riot squad marching down the road parallel to the demonstrators can be seen firing his weapon towards those protesting. Seconds later, Dilan Cruz can be seen collapsed on the tarmac after being hit in the head by a projectile. People can be heard screaming \"they hit him, they hit him\" while others shout \"no violence\". One of Dilan Cruz's friends told Colombian daily El Espectador that \"we were marching and the Esmad (riot police) threw stun grenades and tear gas canisters at us\". \"Dilan went to the front to kick back a tear-gas canister, because it had landed next to old people, that's when he was shot at, they say it was a rubber bullet,\" his friend added. There have been conflicting reports on whether the projectile was a stun grenade, a tear-gas canister or a rubber bullet. Paramedics managed to resuscitate Dilan Cruz at the scene before he was taken to hospital where Dr Juan Martinez diagnosed a traumatic brain injury caused by a \"penetrating object\". His death was announced on Monday evening. Even before his death, people among them students from Dilan Cruz's school took to the streets in solidarity. The zebra crossing where he collapsed became a gathering point with friends and relatives lighting candles and leaving flowers. On Sunday, a vigil was also held outside the hospital where he was being treated with people shouting \"be strong, Dilan\". Following the announcement of his death, his name was tweeted more than 350,000 times in 24 hours with many expressing outrage. There were also marches in different parts of the country with people shouting \"Dilan didn't die, Dilan was killed\". Police Chief Oscar Atehortua said the police officer involved in the incident had been suspended and would be investigated. The attorney-general's office has also opened an investigation. Politicians including the mayor-elect of Bogota, Claudia Lopez, and current Mayor Enrique Penalosa expressed their condolences to Dilan Cruz's family. Dilan Cruz was the fourth person to be killed during anti-government protests which started with a march attended by 250,000 people in Bogota on Thursday. The other three were killed on Thursday in incidents which according to the police involved looting. Hundreds of demonstrators and more than 340 police officers have been injured in the protests which have been organised by students, civil society groups and trade unions. Protesters' demands include better access to and funding of education as well as better implementation of the 2016 peace deal with left-wing Farc rebels and an end to the killings of social activists. They also want the government to drop rumoured plans for a cut to the minimum wage, although the government has denied having such plans. President Duque has called for a \"national dialogue\" to put an end to the protests. \"This national dialogue will result in long-term policies, and [steps] to accelerate the effectiveness of national and regional programmes, which will give us guidelines for a shared vision of the country,\" he wrote on Twitter. He will meet protest leaders later on Tuesday for the first time since the marches began. You may also be interested in:", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 803, "answer_start": 454, "text": "Dilan Cruz was an 18-year-old pupil who was due to graduate from high school in Bogota on Monday. Friends said he wanted to study business administration but was in need of a grant to do so. He joined a protest march in the capital on Saturday to highlight the difficulties students like him had accessing higher education, according to his friends." } ], "id": "9017_0", "question": "Who was Dilan Cruz?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1894, "answer_start": 804, "text": "Video taken at the march shows the moment Dilan Cruz was hit. A member of the riot squad marching down the road parallel to the demonstrators can be seen firing his weapon towards those protesting. Seconds later, Dilan Cruz can be seen collapsed on the tarmac after being hit in the head by a projectile. People can be heard screaming \"they hit him, they hit him\" while others shout \"no violence\". One of Dilan Cruz's friends told Colombian daily El Espectador that \"we were marching and the Esmad (riot police) threw stun grenades and tear gas canisters at us\". \"Dilan went to the front to kick back a tear-gas canister, because it had landed next to old people, that's when he was shot at, they say it was a rubber bullet,\" his friend added. There have been conflicting reports on whether the projectile was a stun grenade, a tear-gas canister or a rubber bullet. Paramedics managed to resuscitate Dilan Cruz at the scene before he was taken to hospital where Dr Juan Martinez diagnosed a traumatic brain injury caused by a \"penetrating object\". His death was announced on Monday evening." } ], "id": "9017_1", "question": "What happened?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2254, "answer_start": 1895, "text": "Even before his death, people among them students from Dilan Cruz's school took to the streets in solidarity. The zebra crossing where he collapsed became a gathering point with friends and relatives lighting candles and leaving flowers. On Sunday, a vigil was also held outside the hospital where he was being treated with people shouting \"be strong, Dilan\"." } ], "id": "9017_2", "question": "What has the reaction been?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4007, "answer_start": 2839, "text": "Dilan Cruz was the fourth person to be killed during anti-government protests which started with a march attended by 250,000 people in Bogota on Thursday. The other three were killed on Thursday in incidents which according to the police involved looting. Hundreds of demonstrators and more than 340 police officers have been injured in the protests which have been organised by students, civil society groups and trade unions. Protesters' demands include better access to and funding of education as well as better implementation of the 2016 peace deal with left-wing Farc rebels and an end to the killings of social activists. They also want the government to drop rumoured plans for a cut to the minimum wage, although the government has denied having such plans. President Duque has called for a \"national dialogue\" to put an end to the protests. \"This national dialogue will result in long-term policies, and [steps] to accelerate the effectiveness of national and regional programmes, which will give us guidelines for a shared vision of the country,\" he wrote on Twitter. He will meet protest leaders later on Tuesday for the first time since the marches began." } ], "id": "9017_3", "question": "What's the background?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Abortion is now legal across the UK for the first time, after a change in the law in Northern Ireland. So, what are the laws on abortion, how many are carried out and how do they compare with those of other countries? Abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland at midnight on Monday 21 October. That's because MPs in London voted for legislation requiring abortion laws to be changed - unless Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive had been restored by then. The Northern Ireland Assembly was recalled for the first time since it was suspended in 2017, in an attempt to stop the abortion law changes, but the move failed. The UK government published guidelines for abortion laws in Northern Ireland for the period between 22 October and 31 March 2020. During this time, no criminal charges will be brought against women who have an abortion or against healthcare professionals who provide and assist them. Women travelling from Northern Ireland elsewhere for an abortion will have their travel and accommodation funded. Some abortions, where there is a \"fatal or serious fetal anomaly\", can be carried out in Northern Ireland during this time too. A public consultation on the proposed laws for Northern Ireland after 31 March is set to open around 22 October. From next April, medical abortions will also be provided on two hospital sites in Northern Ireland. Abortions were previously allowed in Northern Ireland only if: - a woman's life was at risk - there was a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health An 1861 law made it a criminal offence to procure a miscarriage. In 1945, an exception was added to say abortion could be permitted to preserve the mother's life. But rape, incest or diagnoses of fatal fetal abnormality - where medics believe the baby will die before, during or shortly after birth - were not grounds for a legal abortion. Northern Ireland's abortion law was challenged in the High Court by Sarah Ewart. She was told she could not have a legal abortion, in 2013, even though doctors said her fetus would not survive outside the womb. She travelled to England for a termination and spoke of the trauma and expense that \"awful experience\" had caused her. In the High Court, Mrs Justice Keegan found in Mrs Ewart's favour. Women from Northern Ireland could already have free abortions in England, Scotland and Wales. In 2018, 1,053 travelled to undergo the procedure in England and Wales. Abortions can take place in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy in England, Scotland and Wales. However, they have to be approved by two doctors. They must agree having the baby would pose a greater risk to the physical or mental health of the woman than a termination. Abortions were illegal before the the introduction of the 1967 Abortion Act, which initially allowed them to take place up to 28 weeks. This was reduced to 24 weeks in 1990. Abortions after 24 weeks are allowed only if: - the woman's life is in danger - there is a severe fetal abnormality - the woman is at risk of grave physical and mental injury Since 2018, women in England have been allowed to take the second of two early abortion pills at home, rather than in a clinic. This brings the rules in line with Scotland and Wales. In 2018, there were 205,295 legal abortions in England and Wales. A total of 4,687 abortions for non-residents were carried out, a slight increase on the previous year. The large majority took place in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. About two-thirds were medically induced, which involves taking two types of tablet to end an unwanted pregnancy. In Scotland, there were 13,286 abortions. There were 32 medical abortions in Northern Ireland in 2017-18. In the US, a number of Republican-led states have passed stricter abortion legislation this year but none of those laws has taken effect. This is because a number of legal challenges are due to take place. In Georgia, for example, a judge has temporarily blocked a strict new abortion law that would have banned terminations as early as six weeks into pregnancy. The law, signed in May by Republican Governor Brian Kemp, was scheduled to come into effect on 1 January. Abortion was recently decriminalised across Australia, after New South Wales voted in favour of changing its laws. Previously, abortions were allowed there only if a doctor ruled there was a \"serious\" risk to a woman's health. The new law makes it legal for terminations to be carried out across the country up to 22 weeks into a pregnancy. In the European Union, there are no common laws on abortion - but in several European countries terminating a pregnancy can still risk punishment. Around the world, some countries have total bans, including Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Malta. And Cuba and Uruguay are the only places in Latin America region where women can have abortions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy regardless of circumstances.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1369, "answer_start": 218, "text": "Abortion was decriminalised in Northern Ireland at midnight on Monday 21 October. That's because MPs in London voted for legislation requiring abortion laws to be changed - unless Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive had been restored by then. The Northern Ireland Assembly was recalled for the first time since it was suspended in 2017, in an attempt to stop the abortion law changes, but the move failed. The UK government published guidelines for abortion laws in Northern Ireland for the period between 22 October and 31 March 2020. During this time, no criminal charges will be brought against women who have an abortion or against healthcare professionals who provide and assist them. Women travelling from Northern Ireland elsewhere for an abortion will have their travel and accommodation funded. Some abortions, where there is a \"fatal or serious fetal anomaly\", can be carried out in Northern Ireland during this time too. A public consultation on the proposed laws for Northern Ireland after 31 March is set to open around 22 October. From next April, medical abortions will also be provided on two hospital sites in Northern Ireland." } ], "id": "9018_0", "question": "What is happening to abortion laws in Northern Ireland?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2448, "answer_start": 1370, "text": "Abortions were previously allowed in Northern Ireland only if: - a woman's life was at risk - there was a risk of permanent and serious damage to her mental or physical health An 1861 law made it a criminal offence to procure a miscarriage. In 1945, an exception was added to say abortion could be permitted to preserve the mother's life. But rape, incest or diagnoses of fatal fetal abnormality - where medics believe the baby will die before, during or shortly after birth - were not grounds for a legal abortion. Northern Ireland's abortion law was challenged in the High Court by Sarah Ewart. She was told she could not have a legal abortion, in 2013, even though doctors said her fetus would not survive outside the womb. She travelled to England for a termination and spoke of the trauma and expense that \"awful experience\" had caused her. In the High Court, Mrs Justice Keegan found in Mrs Ewart's favour. Women from Northern Ireland could already have free abortions in England, Scotland and Wales. In 2018, 1,053 travelled to undergo the procedure in England and Wales." } ], "id": "9018_1", "question": "How has the law changed in Northern Ireland?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3246, "answer_start": 2449, "text": "Abortions can take place in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy in England, Scotland and Wales. However, they have to be approved by two doctors. They must agree having the baby would pose a greater risk to the physical or mental health of the woman than a termination. Abortions were illegal before the the introduction of the 1967 Abortion Act, which initially allowed them to take place up to 28 weeks. This was reduced to 24 weeks in 1990. Abortions after 24 weeks are allowed only if: - the woman's life is in danger - there is a severe fetal abnormality - the woman is at risk of grave physical and mental injury Since 2018, women in England have been allowed to take the second of two early abortion pills at home, rather than in a clinic. This brings the rules in line with Scotland and Wales." } ], "id": "9018_2", "question": "What is the abortion law in England, Scotland and Wales?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3700, "answer_start": 3247, "text": "In 2018, there were 205,295 legal abortions in England and Wales. A total of 4,687 abortions for non-residents were carried out, a slight increase on the previous year. The large majority took place in the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. About two-thirds were medically induced, which involves taking two types of tablet to end an unwanted pregnancy. In Scotland, there were 13,286 abortions. There were 32 medical abortions in Northern Ireland in 2017-18." } ], "id": "9018_3", "question": "How many abortions are there?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Tens of thousands of passengers have been disrupted by drones flying over one of the UK's busiest airports. Gatwick's runway has been shut since Wednesday night, as devices have been repeatedly flying over the airfield. Sussex Police said it was not terror-related but a \"deliberate act\" of disruption, using \"industrial specification\" drones. About 110,000 passengers on 760 flights were due to fly on Thursday. Disruption could last \"several days\". An airline source told the BBC flights were currently cancelled until at least 19:00 GMT. The airport advised that the runway would not open \"until it was safe to do so\". Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has confirmed the Army has been called in to support Sussex Police. He said: \"The armed forces have a range of unique capabilities and this isn't something we would usually deploy but we are there to assist and do everything we can so that they are in a position to open the airport at the earliest opportunity.\" Those due to travel have been told to check the status of their flight, while Easyjet told its passengers not to go to Gatwick if their flights have been cancelled. Gatwick Airport: Live updates The shutdown started just after 21:00 on Wednesday, when two drones were spotted flying \"over the perimeter fence and into where the runway operates from\". The runway briefly reopened at 03:01 on Thursday but was closed again about 45 minutes later amid \"a further sighting of drones\". The airport said at about 12:00 a drone had been spotted \"in the last hour\". Gatwick chief operating officer Chris Woodroofe said: \"The police are looking for the operator and that is the way to disable the drone.\" He said police had not wanted to shoot the devices down because of the risk from stray bullets. He said it remained unsafe to reopen the airport after the drone had been spotted too close to the runway. Mr Woodroofe said: \"If we were to reopen today we will first repatriate passengers who are in the wrong place which could take several days.\" More than 20 police units from two forces are searching for the perpetrator, who could face up to five years in jail. Supt Justin Burtenshaw, head of armed policing for Sussex and Surrey, described attempts to catch whoever was controlling the drones as \"painstaking\" because it was \"a difficult and challenging thing to locate them\". \"Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears; when we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears,\" he said. About 10,000 passengers were affected overnight on Wednesday and Gatwick said 110,000 people were due to either take off or land at the airport on Thursday. Incoming planes were diverted to other airports including London Heathrow, Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Paris and Amsterdam. Crowds of travellers spent the morning waiting inside Gatwick's terminal for updates, while others reported being stuck on grounded planes for hours. A Gatwick spokeswoman said extra staff had been brought in and the airport was \"trying their best\" to provide food and water to those who needed it. About 11,000 people are stuck at the airport, Mr Woodroofe said. A number of flights bound for Gatwick were diverted to other airports overnight, including seven to Luton, 11 to Stansted and five to Manchester. Other flights have landed at Cardiff, Birmingham and Southend. The Civil Aviation Authority said it considered this event to be an \"extraordinary circumstance\", and therefore airlines were not obligated to pay any financial compensation to passengers. Alex Neill, from consumer rights group Which?, said people \"may still be entitled to meals, refreshments, hotel accommodation or transfers\". Kasia Jaworska told the BBC she was travelling from Glasgow to Gatwick with her boyfriend when her flight was diverted to Luton. She said she thought it was \"strange\" that two drones had led to the closure of the airport. \"You would imagine there would be better security in place and emergency action for something like that,\" she said. Christopher Lister, who had been returning from Kiev, posted a picture of people sleeping \"on every seat and across the floors\" on board his flight. He said the photo was taken six hours after the plane - which was due to arrive at Gatwick - landed in Birmingham. Luke McComiskie, whose flight ended up in Manchester, described chaotic scenes as people tried to find their way home after more than three hours stuck onboard. The 20-year-old, from Aldershot, said: \"We got told there would be some arrangements with coaches for us when we get out the terminal. \"It was just chaos and they had only two coaches and taxis charging people PS600 to get to Gatwick.\" It is illegal to fly a drone within 1km of an airport or airfield boundary and flying above 400ft (120m) - which increases the risk of a collision with a manned aircraft - is also banned. Endangering the safety of an aircraft is a criminal offence which can carry a prison sentence of five years. The number of aircraft incidents involving drones has grown dramatically in the past few years. In 2013 there were zero incidents, compared to almost 100 last year. Civilian drones have grown popular as their price has fallen. Technological improvement has meant components are smaller, faster and cheaper than ever before. The UK Airprox Board assesses incidents involving drones and keeps a log of all reports. In one incident last year, for example, a pilot flying over Manchester saw a red \"football-sized\" drone passing down the left hand side of the aircraft. In another, a plane leaving Glasgow narrowly missed a drone. The pilot, in that case, said the crew only had three seconds of warning and there was \"no time to take avoiding action\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2010, "answer_start": 1165, "text": "The shutdown started just after 21:00 on Wednesday, when two drones were spotted flying \"over the perimeter fence and into where the runway operates from\". The runway briefly reopened at 03:01 on Thursday but was closed again about 45 minutes later amid \"a further sighting of drones\". The airport said at about 12:00 a drone had been spotted \"in the last hour\". Gatwick chief operating officer Chris Woodroofe said: \"The police are looking for the operator and that is the way to disable the drone.\" He said police had not wanted to shoot the devices down because of the risk from stray bullets. He said it remained unsafe to reopen the airport after the drone had been spotted too close to the runway. Mr Woodroofe said: \"If we were to reopen today we will first repatriate passengers who are in the wrong place which could take several days.\"" } ], "id": "9019_0", "question": "What happened?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4691, "answer_start": 2488, "text": "About 10,000 passengers were affected overnight on Wednesday and Gatwick said 110,000 people were due to either take off or land at the airport on Thursday. Incoming planes were diverted to other airports including London Heathrow, Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Paris and Amsterdam. Crowds of travellers spent the morning waiting inside Gatwick's terminal for updates, while others reported being stuck on grounded planes for hours. A Gatwick spokeswoman said extra staff had been brought in and the airport was \"trying their best\" to provide food and water to those who needed it. About 11,000 people are stuck at the airport, Mr Woodroofe said. A number of flights bound for Gatwick were diverted to other airports overnight, including seven to Luton, 11 to Stansted and five to Manchester. Other flights have landed at Cardiff, Birmingham and Southend. The Civil Aviation Authority said it considered this event to be an \"extraordinary circumstance\", and therefore airlines were not obligated to pay any financial compensation to passengers. Alex Neill, from consumer rights group Which?, said people \"may still be entitled to meals, refreshments, hotel accommodation or transfers\". Kasia Jaworska told the BBC she was travelling from Glasgow to Gatwick with her boyfriend when her flight was diverted to Luton. She said she thought it was \"strange\" that two drones had led to the closure of the airport. \"You would imagine there would be better security in place and emergency action for something like that,\" she said. Christopher Lister, who had been returning from Kiev, posted a picture of people sleeping \"on every seat and across the floors\" on board his flight. He said the photo was taken six hours after the plane - which was due to arrive at Gatwick - landed in Birmingham. Luke McComiskie, whose flight ended up in Manchester, described chaotic scenes as people tried to find their way home after more than three hours stuck onboard. The 20-year-old, from Aldershot, said: \"We got told there would be some arrangements with coaches for us when we get out the terminal. \"It was just chaos and they had only two coaches and taxis charging people PS600 to get to Gatwick.\"" } ], "id": "9019_1", "question": "How have passengers been affected?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The Lib Dems have promised to recruit 20,000 more teachers in England and spend billions more on schools if they are elected to government. The party, which will launch its manifesto later, says it will reverse school cuts with an \"emergency cash injection\" of PS4.6bn next year. The extra funding would rise to PS10.6bn by 2024/25 compared to 2019/20, under their plan. The party is also promising to widen access to free school lunches. They plan to spend an extra PS1.1bn per year on meals for every primary school child, and secondary school children whose families receive universal credit (UC). Since 2018, children in school year three or above from families on UC have qualified only if the family's annual employment income is less than PS7,400. The anti-Brexit party says PS10bn will be taken from what they claim will be a PS50bn \"Remain bonus\" from staying in the EU to increase school funding. Leader Jo Swinson also flagged up another likely manifesto policy in an interview with ITV on Tuesday, saying the party had plans for a frequent flyer tax. \"We've got plans for a frequent flyer lever that would certainly be discouraging many flights but would be raising revenue from that, so it wouldn't be an outright ban or limit but would be an effective measure to change behaviour,\" she said. The Liberal Democrats say their extra spending would boost teacher numbers by 20,000 over five years. To attract and retain teachers, the party says it will increase starting salaries to PS30,000, and guarantee a pay rise of at least 3% a year over five years. The party would also spend PS7bn on improving school buildings over the next five years. On a visit to Trumpington Park primary school in Cambridge, Ms Swinson said the extra investment in education was essential. Lib Dem education spokeswoman Layla Moran said: \"School leaders that I've spoken to would very much welcome this money, and, yes, we do need to keep spending.\" She said her party's prediction that staying in the EU would provide an extra PS50bn a year for public services was based on \"conservative estimates\" of better economic growth. \"By stopping Brexit there will be an uptick to our economy, there is no independent forecast which doesn't suggest that's true,\" she said. Defending her party's plan to replace Ofsted, she said the school watchdog's brand was \"broken\", and it should be \"entirely scrapped and replaced\". The Lib Dems would set up an \"independent body\" to oversee curriculum changes, she added, which would stop \"political interference\". After a decade of tightening budgets, the political parties in England are competing to offer more cash to England's schools. Since 2010, the spending per pupil in England has fallen by 8% in real terms, despite being at its highest ever level in cash terms. That's because of rising costs for schools including teachers' pay, employer pension contributions, national insurance and utility bills. These plans by the Lib Dems go further than the commitment already made by the Conservatives. They would reverse the spending cuts, and because there is a commitment further into the future, offer schools the prospect of a real terms increase. Recruiting, and just as importantly keeping, teachers is a big challenge in England. But pay is not the only issue, with many teachers complaining about workload. The Lib Dems, like Labour, say scrapping the end of primary tests and replacing Ofsted would help take the pressure off schools. Labour and the Conservatives have yet to publish their election manifestos. But in August, Tory leader Boris Johnson promised an increase in funding for English schools that would amount to PS7.1bn more than at present by 2022-23. The independent Institute for Fiscal studies said this would return funding to the levels of 2009. The government also proposed in September to raise starting salaries for teachers to PS30,000 by 2022-23. Labour plans to increase education spending - and its conference voted in September to abolish private schools and redistribute their assets to the state sector, if Labour wins power on 12 December.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4106, "answer_start": 3472, "text": "Labour and the Conservatives have yet to publish their election manifestos. But in August, Tory leader Boris Johnson promised an increase in funding for English schools that would amount to PS7.1bn more than at present by 2022-23. The independent Institute for Fiscal studies said this would return funding to the levels of 2009. The government also proposed in September to raise starting salaries for teachers to PS30,000 by 2022-23. Labour plans to increase education spending - and its conference voted in September to abolish private schools and redistribute their assets to the state sector, if Labour wins power on 12 December." } ], "id": "9020_0", "question": "What are the other parties promising?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A couple from the US state of California have been sentenced to life in prison for starving and torturing all but one of their 13 children. David and Louise Turpin were arrested in January 2018 when their 17-year-old daughter escaped their home in the city of Perris and raised the alarm. The children had been abused for at least nine years and some were found chained up in filthy conditions. But several of the children told the court they had forgiven their parents. The couple are expected to serve the rest of their lives behind bars, unless they are granted parole in 25 years. The Turpins wept as they heard victim-impact statements from four of their children at Friday's hearing. One child recounted being haunted by the ordeal. I cannot describe in words what we went through growing up,\" said his statement. \"Sometimes I still have nightmares of things that had happened such as my siblings being chained up or getting beaten. \"That is the past and this is now. \"I love my parents and have forgiven them for a lot of the things they did to us.\" Another child, in a statement read by her brother, also forgave her parents for the abuse. \"I love both of my parents so much,\" she said. \"Although it may not have been the best way of raising us, I am glad that they did because it made me the person I am today.\" But not all the children were so conciliatory. One daughter, who was visibly shaking, said: \"My parents took my whole life from me, but now I'm taking my life back. \"I'm a fighter, I'm strong and I'm shooting through life like a rocket.\" She added: \"I saw my dad change my mom. They almost changed me, but I realised what was happening.\" David and Louise Turpin cried as they apologised for the treatment of their children. The 57-year-old father's lawyer read a prepared statement on his behalf, saying: \"My home schooling and discipline had good intentions. \"I never intended for any harm to come to my children. I love my children and I believe my children love me.\" He was an engineer for major US defence contractors Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Speaking directly to the court, housewife Louise Turpin, 50, said she was \"truly sorry\" for what she had done. \"I love my children so much,\" she said. \"I really look forward to the day I can see them, hug them and tell them I'm sorry.\" The couple sat stony-faced as the judge rebuked them for their \"selfish, cruel and inhuman treatment\". Judge Bernard Schwartz said: \"You have severed the ability to interact and raise your children that you have created and brought into this world. \"The only reason that your punishment is less than the maximum time in my opinion is because you accepted responsibility at an early stage in the proceeding. \"And you spared your children having to relive the humiliation and the harm they endured in that house of horrors.\" The tidy exterior of the middle-class family home 70 miles (112km) south of Los Angeles offered a veneer of respectability that masked the squalor and stench of human waste found by authorities within. The children, between the ages of two to 29 at the time of the police raid, were severely malnourished. A 22-year-old son was discovered chained to a bed. His two sisters had just been released from shackles. The victims were forbidden to shower more than once a year, were unable to use the toilet and none of them had ever seen a dentist. Some of the adult siblings' growth had been so severely stunted by starvation that authorities at first mistook them for children. Newly released audio of their daughter's call to 911, obtained by ABC, provides a hint of the conditions in which the children lived. \"Two of my sisters and one of my brothers... they're chained up to their bed\", the 17-year-old girl, who did not know her own address, told the emergency operator. \"Sometimes I wake up and I can't breathe because how dirty the house is.\" The girl was also unaware of the year or month, or the meaning of the word \"medication\". The children - whose names all begin with the letter J - were kept indoors, but were allowed out for Halloween, or on family trips to Disneyland and Las Vegas. About 20 people from across the country, including nurses and psychologists, have offered to care for the seven adult siblings and six children.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1658, "answer_start": 585, "text": "The Turpins wept as they heard victim-impact statements from four of their children at Friday's hearing. One child recounted being haunted by the ordeal. I cannot describe in words what we went through growing up,\" said his statement. \"Sometimes I still have nightmares of things that had happened such as my siblings being chained up or getting beaten. \"That is the past and this is now. \"I love my parents and have forgiven them for a lot of the things they did to us.\" Another child, in a statement read by her brother, also forgave her parents for the abuse. \"I love both of my parents so much,\" she said. \"Although it may not have been the best way of raising us, I am glad that they did because it made me the person I am today.\" But not all the children were so conciliatory. One daughter, who was visibly shaking, said: \"My parents took my whole life from me, but now I'm taking my life back. \"I'm a fighter, I'm strong and I'm shooting through life like a rocket.\" She added: \"I saw my dad change my mom. They almost changed me, but I realised what was happening.\"" } ], "id": "9021_0", "question": "What did their children say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2316, "answer_start": 1659, "text": "David and Louise Turpin cried as they apologised for the treatment of their children. The 57-year-old father's lawyer read a prepared statement on his behalf, saying: \"My home schooling and discipline had good intentions. \"I never intended for any harm to come to my children. I love my children and I believe my children love me.\" He was an engineer for major US defence contractors Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Speaking directly to the court, housewife Louise Turpin, 50, said she was \"truly sorry\" for what she had done. \"I love my children so much,\" she said. \"I really look forward to the day I can see them, hug them and tell them I'm sorry.\"" } ], "id": "9021_1", "question": "What did the parents say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2839, "answer_start": 2317, "text": "The couple sat stony-faced as the judge rebuked them for their \"selfish, cruel and inhuman treatment\". Judge Bernard Schwartz said: \"You have severed the ability to interact and raise your children that you have created and brought into this world. \"The only reason that your punishment is less than the maximum time in my opinion is because you accepted responsibility at an early stage in the proceeding. \"And you spared your children having to relive the humiliation and the harm they endured in that house of horrors.\"" } ], "id": "9021_2", "question": "What did the judge say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4279, "answer_start": 2840, "text": "The tidy exterior of the middle-class family home 70 miles (112km) south of Los Angeles offered a veneer of respectability that masked the squalor and stench of human waste found by authorities within. The children, between the ages of two to 29 at the time of the police raid, were severely malnourished. A 22-year-old son was discovered chained to a bed. His two sisters had just been released from shackles. The victims were forbidden to shower more than once a year, were unable to use the toilet and none of them had ever seen a dentist. Some of the adult siblings' growth had been so severely stunted by starvation that authorities at first mistook them for children. Newly released audio of their daughter's call to 911, obtained by ABC, provides a hint of the conditions in which the children lived. \"Two of my sisters and one of my brothers... they're chained up to their bed\", the 17-year-old girl, who did not know her own address, told the emergency operator. \"Sometimes I wake up and I can't breathe because how dirty the house is.\" The girl was also unaware of the year or month, or the meaning of the word \"medication\". The children - whose names all begin with the letter J - were kept indoors, but were allowed out for Halloween, or on family trips to Disneyland and Las Vegas. About 20 people from across the country, including nurses and psychologists, have offered to care for the seven adult siblings and six children." } ], "id": "9021_3", "question": "What did the children endure?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "It was Abraham Lincoln's 208th birthday last weekend. The US Republican Party's social media feeds honoured the 16th president by sharing a picture of his iconic memorial in Washington DC, with an inspiring quote laid over the top. \"In the end, it's not the years in your life that counts, it's the life in your years,\" was the message on Twitter and Instagram, also shared by President Trump. There was just one problem: the words have been attributed to Lincoln many times over the years, but there is no evidence he ever said them. The post has since been deleted. It was the latest example of a growing modern phenomenon, the fake political quote. Some have said \"fake news\" could have swung the outcome of November's US presidential election. Bogus stories like \"Pope Francis Shocks World, Endorses Donald Trump for President\" were extensively shared online. Made up quotes are perhaps more benign than fictitious news stories with a clear political agenda. But they still raise concerns, says James Ball of Buzzfeed News, who is writing a book about \"post-truth\" politics. \"If enough people share and believe these fake quotes, then they can contribute to the polarisation of politics, making each side think less of the other, especially as many partisans think fake news is a problem which affects primarily (or only) their opponents.\" These fake quotes don't just come from right-wing politicians and activists. In the days after the US election, a quote supposedly taken from a 1998 Donald Trump interview went viral online. \"If I were to run, I'd run as a Republican. They're the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and they'd still eat it up,\" the quote said. It seemed too obnoxious to be true - and it was. Fake George Orwell quotes are a specialty in left-wing social media circles. One example is \"during times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.\" There is no evidence the 1984 author ever said these words, but social media is awash with shareable pictures of them alongside Orwell's monochrome face. So how do bogus quotes like this get into circulation? \"Sometimes people just want new followers or shares on social media, and either invent a quote or (naively or otherwise) lift a questionable one,\" says James Ball. \"Others invent quotes as a hoax or parody to show up people they disagree with, or to fire up their own side - or simply to make money from adverts on fake news sites.\" The internet means fake quotes can spread very quickly. \"It's easier to fabricate things than it is to debunk them,\" says Rasmus Nielsen, director of research at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford. \"As communication gets easier, there is going to be more and more of this stuff floating about online.\" Jenni Sargent runs First Draft News, which is working with social media companies and news organisations to look at innovative solutions to the problem. \"People are experimenting with the most engaging way to spread false information,\" she says. She wants news websites to come up with entertaining ways of debunking fake facts and quotes. A blue tick next to a name on Twitter tells you the account has been verified as \"authentic\". Sargent wants to come up with ways to highlight unreliable sources, \"like the opposite of a blue tick\". Facebook is introducing tools for German users to flag false stories ahead of that country's parliamentary elections in the autumn. Third-party fact checkers would mark unreliable stories as \"disputed\". The BBC has also said it will fact check deliberately misleading stories \"masquerading as news\". British MP Damian Collins is chairing a parliamentary inquiry into these issues, which will look at the possibility of news websites having \"verified\" markers. Collins thinks fake quotes attributed to electoral candidates could end up \"distorting the democratic process\". Often verifying quotes is simply a case of rigorously searching through publicly available information, says Kim LaCapria, who works for rumour-busting website Snopes. The volume of dubious content online is greater than ever before, but verification can be easier because far more information is digitised, she says. \"It's actually pretty easy for average social media users to fact check online.\" Her job involves looking at outright fake quotes, but also real quotes presented in a misleading way. For example, Al Gore has been ridiculed for claiming he \"invented the internet\". The former vice president did once say \"I took the initiative in creating the Internet,\" but taken in full context, that line seems rather more modest. We are less likely to expend energy verifying a quote which confirms our political beliefs, says LaCapria, an effect which psychologists call confirmation bias. Whether a fake quote comes from the left or the right, it tends to have one common feature, she says. \"It validates our preconceived beliefs or feelings, and that's often proffered as a valid reason to spread it.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3938, "answer_start": 2829, "text": "Jenni Sargent runs First Draft News, which is working with social media companies and news organisations to look at innovative solutions to the problem. \"People are experimenting with the most engaging way to spread false information,\" she says. She wants news websites to come up with entertaining ways of debunking fake facts and quotes. A blue tick next to a name on Twitter tells you the account has been verified as \"authentic\". Sargent wants to come up with ways to highlight unreliable sources, \"like the opposite of a blue tick\". Facebook is introducing tools for German users to flag false stories ahead of that country's parliamentary elections in the autumn. Third-party fact checkers would mark unreliable stories as \"disputed\". The BBC has also said it will fact check deliberately misleading stories \"masquerading as news\". British MP Damian Collins is chairing a parliamentary inquiry into these issues, which will look at the possibility of news websites having \"verified\" markers. Collins thinks fake quotes attributed to electoral candidates could end up \"distorting the democratic process\"." } ], "id": "9022_0", "question": "Can they be stopped?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5047, "answer_start": 3939, "text": "Often verifying quotes is simply a case of rigorously searching through publicly available information, says Kim LaCapria, who works for rumour-busting website Snopes. The volume of dubious content online is greater than ever before, but verification can be easier because far more information is digitised, she says. \"It's actually pretty easy for average social media users to fact check online.\" Her job involves looking at outright fake quotes, but also real quotes presented in a misleading way. For example, Al Gore has been ridiculed for claiming he \"invented the internet\". The former vice president did once say \"I took the initiative in creating the Internet,\" but taken in full context, that line seems rather more modest. We are less likely to expend energy verifying a quote which confirms our political beliefs, says LaCapria, an effect which psychologists call confirmation bias. Whether a fake quote comes from the left or the right, it tends to have one common feature, she says. \"It validates our preconceived beliefs or feelings, and that's often proffered as a valid reason to spread it.\"" } ], "id": "9022_1", "question": "How can we check?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn could be in jail for another six months, his lawyer says. On Tuesday, Mr Ghosn appeared in court for the first time since his shock arrest in Japan in November last year. Accused of financial misconduct, he told the court he had been \"wrongly accused and unfairly detained\". Mr Ghosn, 64, was once hailed as the man who saved Nissan. He was led into court in handcuffs with a rope around his waist. Mr Ghosn, a towering figure of the car industry, also looked visibly thinner. So far, Mr Ghosn has been arrested three times. His current detention period ends on 11 January. Asked whether his client could expect to be bailed at the end of this detention period, his lawyer, Motonari Otsuru, said: \"In general, in such cases in Japan, it is usually not approved before the first trial takes place.\" He then said that it could be six months before that first trial was held. His initial arrest shocked the industry and his lengthy detention has drawn some criticism. But a judge said incarcerating Mr Ghosn was justified to prevent possible evidence-tampering and the risk that he might flee. Mr Ghosn, who was hailed as the man who saved Nissan by building alliance with Renault, has been accused of \"significant acts of misconduct\", including under-reporting his pay package and personal use of company assets. The 64-year-old executive is accused of moving personal investment losses worth 1.85bn yen (PS13.3m; $17m) racked up on foreign exchange dealings to Nissan. Mr Ghosn says he did ask the company to take on collateral temporarily for his foreign exchange contracts, but that it did not lose any money through this move. He said if he had not been able to do this, he would have had to resign and use his retirement allowance as collateral instead. Mr Ghosn is also accused of making $14.7m in payments to Saudi businessman Khaled al-Juffali, using Nissan funds in exchange for arranging a letter of credit to help with his investment losses. If found guilty of the financial misconduct charges, Mr Ghosn faces up to 10 years in prison as well as a fine of up to 700m yen ($6.4m; PS5m), according to Japanese regulators. He told the Tokyo District court: \"I have been wrongly accused and unfairly detained, based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations.\" Mr Ghosn said he had \"never been accused of any wrongdoing\" and had dedicated two decades to \"reviving Nissan\". The 64-year-old said he never received any compensation from Nissan that was not disclosed. He was first arrested on 19 November for understating his pay and rearrested twice in December. His most recent arrest involved fresh allegations of breach of trust. Who is Carlos Ghosn? - His hero status was such that his life was serialised in one of Japan's famous cartoon comic books - The Brazilian-born boss of Lebanese descent and a French citizen says his background left him with a feeling of being different, which helped him adapt to new cultures - In France he was known as Le Cost Killer, a comment on the deep cuts he made to revive Renault - He was once tipped as a potential president of Lebanon, a move he eventually dismissed because he already had \"too many jobs\" - In a 2011 poll of people the Japanese would like to run their country, Mr Ghosn came seventh, in front of Barack Obama (ninth)", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3319, "answer_start": 1127, "text": "Mr Ghosn, who was hailed as the man who saved Nissan by building alliance with Renault, has been accused of \"significant acts of misconduct\", including under-reporting his pay package and personal use of company assets. The 64-year-old executive is accused of moving personal investment losses worth 1.85bn yen (PS13.3m; $17m) racked up on foreign exchange dealings to Nissan. Mr Ghosn says he did ask the company to take on collateral temporarily for his foreign exchange contracts, but that it did not lose any money through this move. He said if he had not been able to do this, he would have had to resign and use his retirement allowance as collateral instead. Mr Ghosn is also accused of making $14.7m in payments to Saudi businessman Khaled al-Juffali, using Nissan funds in exchange for arranging a letter of credit to help with his investment losses. If found guilty of the financial misconduct charges, Mr Ghosn faces up to 10 years in prison as well as a fine of up to 700m yen ($6.4m; PS5m), according to Japanese regulators. He told the Tokyo District court: \"I have been wrongly accused and unfairly detained, based on meritless and unsubstantiated accusations.\" Mr Ghosn said he had \"never been accused of any wrongdoing\" and had dedicated two decades to \"reviving Nissan\". The 64-year-old said he never received any compensation from Nissan that was not disclosed. He was first arrested on 19 November for understating his pay and rearrested twice in December. His most recent arrest involved fresh allegations of breach of trust. Who is Carlos Ghosn? - His hero status was such that his life was serialised in one of Japan's famous cartoon comic books - The Brazilian-born boss of Lebanese descent and a French citizen says his background left him with a feeling of being different, which helped him adapt to new cultures - In France he was known as Le Cost Killer, a comment on the deep cuts he made to revive Renault - He was once tipped as a potential president of Lebanon, a move he eventually dismissed because he already had \"too many jobs\" - In a 2011 poll of people the Japanese would like to run their country, Mr Ghosn came seventh, in front of Barack Obama (ninth)" } ], "id": "9023_0", "question": "What are the accusations?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A Republican politician has blamed \"female senators\" for the spluttering efforts by his party to pass a healthcare bill. Blake Farenthold, a congressman from Texas, told a local radio station if a man were responsible, he would challenge him to a duel. Susan Collins of Maine was one of three female Republicans who said they could not back the Senate's healthcare plan. The party has long vowed to replace President Barack Obama's signature law. But there are deep divisions on what the Republican bill should contain. On Monday, US President Donald Trump made a rare speech aimed at geeing up his party to make one more healthcare push. The president stood on a stage at the White House alongside people he said were \"victims\" of the way so-called Obamacare had wrecked the healthcare system. \"To every member of the Senate I say this: The American people have waited long enough. There's been enough talk, and no action. Now is the time for action.\" In a very partisan 10-minute speech, he also blamed Democrats for \"obstructing\" the Republican effort, even though his party controls both chambers in Congress and the White House. On Tuesday, there will be a vote in the Senate on whether to bring the bill to the floor for debate and a vote. But if that procedural vote passes, it is not clear what kind of bill senators would then be considering. Senator Ron Johnson told reporters: \"I don't have a clue what we're going to be voting on.\" In an interview with radio station 1440 Keys, Mr Farenthold appeared to point the finger at his own party. \"The fact that the Senate does not have the courage to do some things that every Republican in the Senate promised to do is just absolutely repugnant to me,\" he said. He added: \"Some of the people that are opposed to this, they're some female senators from the North East.\" If it was \"a guy from south Texas\" who was generating so much discord in the party, he would ask them to settle their differences in a gun fight, he said. There was an outcry when Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell drafted the first healthcare bill in a group of 13 that did not include any women. There are concerns from moderate Republicans, Democrats and groups representing the health service that the Republican plan will strip millions of poor Americans of healthcare. Ms Collins, a moderate Republican, has been strongly opposed to the Republican bill from the start over cuts to Medicaid, a government health programme for the poor. Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia also came out against the bill, expressing concerns over plans to weaken protections for people with pre-existing conditions and affordability. Mrs Capito was especially concerned with the cuts to Medicaid, which her state expanded under Obamacare. All three female senators also emphasised they could not vote to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan in place. Congressman Blake Farenthold isn't the kind of guy to hold his tongue. He's also no stranger to charges of misogyny, what with allegations of sexual harassment and being the subject of one of the most embarrassing pyjama photos in US political history. Beneath the bluster from the South Texas Republican, however, is a bitter truth. Republicans in the House of Representatives are seething over the possibility that senators will hang them out to dry on healthcare reform. After some drama, in May House Republicans voted in favour of unpopular healthcare legislation they were promised would be smoothed out in the Senate. Democrats on the House floor took delight in a vote they believed would come back to haunt their counterparts in the 2018 congressional elections. While that may be a reality for some moderate Republicans, they were buoyed by thoughts of fulfilling a long-time campaign promise and achieving a key conservative goal. But what if that isn't the case? What if House Republicans took a hard vote and got nothing in return except the president's derision and months of Senate wheel-spinning? They would be angry. And some, it seems, would eye their metaphorical duelling pistols.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1443, "answer_start": 639, "text": "The president stood on a stage at the White House alongside people he said were \"victims\" of the way so-called Obamacare had wrecked the healthcare system. \"To every member of the Senate I say this: The American people have waited long enough. There's been enough talk, and no action. Now is the time for action.\" In a very partisan 10-minute speech, he also blamed Democrats for \"obstructing\" the Republican effort, even though his party controls both chambers in Congress and the White House. On Tuesday, there will be a vote in the Senate on whether to bring the bill to the floor for debate and a vote. But if that procedural vote passes, it is not clear what kind of bill senators would then be considering. Senator Ron Johnson told reporters: \"I don't have a clue what we're going to be voting on.\"" } ], "id": "9024_0", "question": "What did President Trump say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2128, "answer_start": 1444, "text": "In an interview with radio station 1440 Keys, Mr Farenthold appeared to point the finger at his own party. \"The fact that the Senate does not have the courage to do some things that every Republican in the Senate promised to do is just absolutely repugnant to me,\" he said. He added: \"Some of the people that are opposed to this, they're some female senators from the North East.\" If it was \"a guy from south Texas\" who was generating so much discord in the party, he would ask them to settle their differences in a gun fight, he said. There was an outcry when Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell drafted the first healthcare bill in a group of 13 that did not include any women." } ], "id": "9024_1", "question": "What did the Texan congressman say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2925, "answer_start": 2129, "text": "There are concerns from moderate Republicans, Democrats and groups representing the health service that the Republican plan will strip millions of poor Americans of healthcare. Ms Collins, a moderate Republican, has been strongly opposed to the Republican bill from the start over cuts to Medicaid, a government health programme for the poor. Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia also came out against the bill, expressing concerns over plans to weaken protections for people with pre-existing conditions and affordability. Mrs Capito was especially concerned with the cuts to Medicaid, which her state expanded under Obamacare. All three female senators also emphasised they could not vote to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan in place." } ], "id": "9024_2", "question": "Who are the rebels?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "India has demanded the release of a fighter pilot shot down by Pakistan warplanes in a major escalation between the two nuclear powers over Kashmir. Video showing the pilot - blindfolded and with blood on his face - was shared by Pakistan's information ministry. India described the images as a \"vulgar display of an injured personnel\". Social media users in India have hailed the pilot as a hero. Others are urging both countries to show restraint, with the hashtag #SayNoToWar. The recent aerial attacks across the Line of Control (LoC) dividing Indian and Pakistani territory in Kashmir are the first since a war in 1971. The incident, in which Pakistan said it had shot down two military jets, has escalated tensions between the two nations, both of whom claim all of Kashmir, but control only parts of it. It came a day after India struck what it said was a militant camp in Pakistan in retaliation for a suicide bombing that killed at least 40 Indian troops in Kashmir. A Pakistan-based group said it carried out the attack - the deadliest to take place during a three-decade insurgency against Indian rule in Kashmir. On Wednesday, the US urged India and Pakistan to avoid further military action and said it was focused on de-escalating the tension between the two sides. The Indian Air Force pilot, identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan, had been reported \"missing in action\" by Indian officials. Images then circulated of his capture, which were both condemned for what appeared to be a physical attack at the hands of residents in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, and praised for the actions of the Pakistani soldiers who intervened to create a barrier. Pakistan's information ministry published - but subsequently deleted - a video purporting to show the blindfolded pilot, who could be heard requesting water, after he had been captured. In later footage, Wing Commander Abhinandan could be seen sipping tea from a cup without a blindfold and appeared to have been cleaned up. He answered a number of questions including his name, military position and that he was from \"down south\", before refusing to share any details when asked about his mission: \"I'm not supposed to tell you that.\" Pakistan's military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said the pilot was being \"treated as per norms of military ethics\". Correspondents point out that this is the first major conflict between the two countries since social media became mainstream. And the social media reactions over the last few days have been a very good indicator of the changing mood in India ever since the Pulwama attack. Largely driven by angry television media coverage, the days after the bombing were full of calls for war and the desire to \"teach Pakistan a lesson\". On Tuesday, when India announced it had launched air strikes on militants inside Pakistani territory, the mood was jubilant. The hashtags ranged from #IndiaStrikesBack and #HowsTheJosh (which translates to 'how is the fighting spirit') - a line taken from the Bollywood film Uri which celebrated India's first \"surgical strike\" in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in 2016. But with Wing Commander Abhinandan's capture, the jubilation died down. A new #SayNoToWar also began trending as users from both countries urged their governments to show restraint. Maj Gen Ghafoor said that Pakistan fighter jets had carried out \"strikes\" - exactly what they did remains unclear - in Indian-administered Kashmir on Wednesday. Two Indian air force jets then responded, crossing the de facto border that divides Kashmir. \"Our jets were ready and we shot both of them down,\" he said. Pakistan's information ministry also tweeted what it said was footage of one of the downed Indian jets. India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar acknowledged the loss of a MiG-21 fighter jet and its pilot. He also said that an Indian plane had shot down a Pakistani fighter jet, and Indian ground forces observed it falling on the Pakistani side of the LoC. Pakistan denied any of its jets had been hit. The sequence of events over the last few days have rapidly shifted from being seen as a boost for the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections, to a general feeling of disenchantment over the way things have turned out. On Wednesday evening, when news of the captured pilot dominated headlines, India's opposition parties issued a statement in which they attacked the ruling BJP of \"blatant politicisation of the armed forces' sacrifices\". In a series of tweets, India's finance minister Arun Jaitley hit back, saying the joint statement was \"being used by Pakistan to bolster its case\". Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not publicly commented on the situation since Tuesday when India announced its air strikes on militant bases inside Pakistan. There is mounting pressure on Mr Modi - who will face an election by the end of May - to say something about the current situation. Many have compared his silence to Prime Minister Imran Khan, who addressed the nation on Wednesday and called for dialogue with India. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a televised address that the two sides could not afford a miscalculation \"given the weapons we have\". \"We should sit down and talk,\" he said. \"If we let it happen, it will remain neither in my nor Narendra Modi's control. \"Our action is just to let them know that just like they intruded into our territory, we are also capable of going into their territory,\" he added. Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj also said \"India does not wish to see further escalation of the situation,\" speaking from a meeting with Russian and Chinese foreign ministers in China.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2317, "answer_start": 1280, "text": "The Indian Air Force pilot, identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan, had been reported \"missing in action\" by Indian officials. Images then circulated of his capture, which were both condemned for what appeared to be a physical attack at the hands of residents in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, and praised for the actions of the Pakistani soldiers who intervened to create a barrier. Pakistan's information ministry published - but subsequently deleted - a video purporting to show the blindfolded pilot, who could be heard requesting water, after he had been captured. In later footage, Wing Commander Abhinandan could be seen sipping tea from a cup without a blindfold and appeared to have been cleaned up. He answered a number of questions including his name, military position and that he was from \"down south\", before refusing to share any details when asked about his mission: \"I'm not supposed to tell you that.\" Pakistan's military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said the pilot was being \"treated as per norms of military ethics\"." } ], "id": "9025_0", "question": "What happened to the pilot?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3293, "answer_start": 2318, "text": "Correspondents point out that this is the first major conflict between the two countries since social media became mainstream. And the social media reactions over the last few days have been a very good indicator of the changing mood in India ever since the Pulwama attack. Largely driven by angry television media coverage, the days after the bombing were full of calls for war and the desire to \"teach Pakistan a lesson\". On Tuesday, when India announced it had launched air strikes on militants inside Pakistani territory, the mood was jubilant. The hashtags ranged from #IndiaStrikesBack and #HowsTheJosh (which translates to 'how is the fighting spirit') - a line taken from the Bollywood film Uri which celebrated India's first \"surgical strike\" in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in 2016. But with Wing Commander Abhinandan's capture, the jubilation died down. A new #SayNoToWar also began trending as users from both countries urged their governments to show restraint." } ], "id": "9025_1", "question": "What has the social media reaction been?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4033, "answer_start": 3294, "text": "Maj Gen Ghafoor said that Pakistan fighter jets had carried out \"strikes\" - exactly what they did remains unclear - in Indian-administered Kashmir on Wednesday. Two Indian air force jets then responded, crossing the de facto border that divides Kashmir. \"Our jets were ready and we shot both of them down,\" he said. Pakistan's information ministry also tweeted what it said was footage of one of the downed Indian jets. India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar acknowledged the loss of a MiG-21 fighter jet and its pilot. He also said that an Indian plane had shot down a Pakistani fighter jet, and Indian ground forces observed it falling on the Pakistani side of the LoC. Pakistan denied any of its jets had been hit." } ], "id": "9025_2", "question": "What were the air strikes about?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5102, "answer_start": 4034, "text": "The sequence of events over the last few days have rapidly shifted from being seen as a boost for the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections, to a general feeling of disenchantment over the way things have turned out. On Wednesday evening, when news of the captured pilot dominated headlines, India's opposition parties issued a statement in which they attacked the ruling BJP of \"blatant politicisation of the armed forces' sacrifices\". In a series of tweets, India's finance minister Arun Jaitley hit back, saying the joint statement was \"being used by Pakistan to bolster its case\". Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not publicly commented on the situation since Tuesday when India announced its air strikes on militant bases inside Pakistan. There is mounting pressure on Mr Modi - who will face an election by the end of May - to say something about the current situation. Many have compared his silence to Prime Minister Imran Khan, who addressed the nation on Wednesday and called for dialogue with India." } ], "id": "9025_3", "question": "What is the political fallout?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5707, "answer_start": 5103, "text": "Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a televised address that the two sides could not afford a miscalculation \"given the weapons we have\". \"We should sit down and talk,\" he said. \"If we let it happen, it will remain neither in my nor Narendra Modi's control. \"Our action is just to let them know that just like they intruded into our territory, we are also capable of going into their territory,\" he added. Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj also said \"India does not wish to see further escalation of the situation,\" speaking from a meeting with Russian and Chinese foreign ministers in China." } ], "id": "9025_4", "question": "What did Pakistan say?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "It had been billed as an away day to thrash out Labour's policy on Brexit - a kind of shadow of the Chequers gathering. In the end when Labour's Brexit sub-committee met this week, it wasn't \"away\" from Westminster and it wasn't a day. A paper was tabled but not formally endorsed. But I'm told that nuances have been ironed out and it has all but got the approval of the party leadership. It will form the basis of Jeremy Corbyn's Brexit speech on Monday. What is he likely to say? Labour insiders favour the word \"evolution\" to describe any change. Contrary to speculation, there won't be a seismic shift in policy but it will move forward. In the summer, under pressure from some of his MPs, unions and his shadow Brexit secretary Mr Corbyn signed up to a policy of staying both in the single market and the customs union for any \"transitional\" period after Brexit. The Labour position has been to argue that \"a\" customs union was \"a viable option\" and that the government should \"keep all options open\". What we are likely to see on Monday is wording that makes plain that \"a\" not \"the\" customs union would have distinct benefits and is the most logical way to solve the thorny issue of the Irish border. It won't just be a viable option but a viable end point. And the policy is likely to evolve in another way too. Currently Labour recognises that when we are out of the EU, we are out of the single market. So it is arguing that it wants to retain the same benefits as single market membership - such as tariff-free trade. I'm told the same formulation could be applied to \"a\" customs union, that in the long term a future Labour government could sign up to one, if the UK got the exact same benefits as it gets from \"the\" customs union - frictionless trade and a say over the external tariff on imported goods. As Labour has talked about the benefits of some form of customs union before, this would be an incremental not dramatic move forward. However party insiders say that Jeremy Corbyn can't guarantee that a future Labour government would definitely be in such a customs union because it would have to be negotiated with the EU. But one insider said that people listening on Monday will have no doubt where Labour is headed: That a customs union is the preferred option. Speaking on LBC radio, Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry gave credence to this by saying: \"We have to negotiate a new agreement. That, we think, is likely to be a customs union that will look pretty much like the current customs union.\" While this would give the UK the current customs union's benefits, it would also have to take the burdens - including severe limitations on negotiating new non-EU trade deals. However one Labour strategist warned that when it comes to Brexit policy, there are \"many trees in the forest\". The customs union may rise like a redwood in the forthcoming Corbyn speech, but it's worth looking at what else is growing and developing at the same time. If Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer is to be happy with the evolving policy - and I'm told he is - there will have to be words about how close the UK should stick to the EU economically and socially in order to get some of the benefits of the single market. So expect Mr Corbyn to re-emphasise that he would not undercut EU standards. Diane Abbott this week gave more detail on what Labour meant by a \"jobs first\" Brexit saying: \"Immigration is subordinate to our priorities which favour growth, jobs and prosperity.\" In the past, Labour spokespeople have said they will accept the end of free movement when the transitional period finishes, but phrases such as \"easy movement\" have been bandied about - possibly an agreement that citizens could move between the UK and EU with minimum red tape to take up job offers, but not simply to look for work. Although a majority of Labour voters opposed Brexit, a significant minority backed it and so far the party's ambiguity doesn't seem to have dented its position in the polls. So why give more clarity? For some, it is driven primarily by politics not economics. There was speculation that Labour might unequivocally commit to the customs union in order to inflict a government defeat - with Tory rebels' help - in the forthcoming trade and customs bill. While about 50 Labour MPs would vote to stay in \"the\" customs union, most so far haven't upset their leadership and have abstained when the issue has come up. While a handful of Brexit-supporting Labour MPs would back the government, if the party leadership signalled to MPs to vote against it because Labour was now more sympathetic to a customs union as an end point, then Theresa May would be in danger of losing. For some Labour figures, the real aim of the \"evolution\" in Labour's policy is to prepare the ground for a much bigger issue. It is to create enough space between the government and opposition to allow Labour to credibly to vote down any deal that Theresa May brings back from Brussels and destabilise her in the process. So if she clings on, Labour will make her \"own\" any Brexit fallout. If she is toppled, they would call for an election. But to get there, Labour has to be clearer on the policy divide - and now we are seeing that open up, slowly, before our eyes.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4828, "answer_start": 4008, "text": "So why give more clarity? For some, it is driven primarily by politics not economics. There was speculation that Labour might unequivocally commit to the customs union in order to inflict a government defeat - with Tory rebels' help - in the forthcoming trade and customs bill. While about 50 Labour MPs would vote to stay in \"the\" customs union, most so far haven't upset their leadership and have abstained when the issue has come up. While a handful of Brexit-supporting Labour MPs would back the government, if the party leadership signalled to MPs to vote against it because Labour was now more sympathetic to a customs union as an end point, then Theresa May would be in danger of losing. For some Labour figures, the real aim of the \"evolution\" in Labour's policy is to prepare the ground for a much bigger issue." } ], "id": "9026_0", "question": "Government defeat?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The second day of a strike over French President Emmanuel Macron's planned pension reforms has disrupted key services across the country. Public transport, schools and hospitals have been affected by the action. At least 800,000 people protested on Thursday, with clashes reported in several cities. Unions have called for more mass demonstrations on Tuesday. Workers are angry about the prospect of retiring later or facing reduced payouts. France currently has 42 different pension schemes across its private and public sectors, with variations in retirement age and benefits. Mr Macron says his plans for a universal points-based system would be fairer, but many disagree. The strike over his pension plan has drawn people from a wide range of professions, including firefighters, doctors and transport workers. Some have vowed not to stop until he abandons his campaign promise to overhaul the retirement system. \"We're going to protest for a week at least, and at the end of that week it's the government that's going to back down,\" 50-year-old Paris transport employee Patrick Dos Santos told Reuters news agency. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that he would unveil details of the pension reform plans on Wednesday, insisting that the change would be gradual and \"not brutal\". Rail operator SNCF said about 90% of its high-speed TGV trains were cancelled on Friday, while airlines including Air France, EasyJet and Ryanair dropped flights. At least nine of the 16 metro lines in Paris were closed at rush hour, while others ran limited services. Traffic jams of more than 350km (217 miles) were also reported on major roads in and around the capital on Friday morning. Some commuters took to bikes and electric scooters in an effort to avoid the transport chaos. Eurostar has said it will operate a reduced timetable until 10 December, with 29 services planned for Friday cancelled. Some schools remained shuttered and hospitals were left understaffed. It came as unions called for more mass protests on Tuesday. \"Everybody in the street on Tuesday, December 10, for a new day... of strikes, actions and protests,\" Catherine Perret, a senior member of CGT, France's biggest public-sector union, told reporters after a meeting of four unions. Education Minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said fewer teachers were expected to strike on Friday than the previous day, as he argued that the current pension system was in need of \"deep reform\". \"It would be much easier for us to do nothing, like others before us,\" he told local channel BFMTV. \"But if every presidency reasons in this way, our children will not have an acceptable pension system.\" Minister for Solidarity and Health Agnes Buzyn told radio network Europe 1 the government had heard the protesters' anger and would meet union leaders to discuss the reforms on Monday. She noted that the government had not yet laid out the details of its plan, and said there was \"a discussion going on about who will be affected, what age it kicks in, which generations will be concerned - all that is still on the table\". Mr Macron has not commented publicly on the strike, but an official speaking anonymously to AFP news agency said the president was \"calm\" and determined to carry out the reform in a mood of \"listening and consultation\". French police said 800,000 people took to the streets across the country, including 65,000 in Paris. Union leaders put the numbers higher, with the CGT union saying 1.5 million people turned out across France. The disruption meant popular tourist sites in Paris, including the Eiffel Tower, were closed for the day and busy transport hubs like the Gare du Nord were unusually quiet. In the capital there were reports of vandalism and police used tear gas to disperse protesters. In total, 71 arrests were made across the city, police said. Clashes were reported in a number of other cities including Nantes, Bordeaux and Rennes. Rail operator SNCF said 90% of regional trains had been cancelled by the disruption on Thursday. Hundreds of flights were also cancelled, with airlines warning of further disruption to come. Teachers, transport workers, police, lawyers, hospital and airport staff were among those who took part in Thursday's general walkout. Many other workers reportedly pre-empted the disruption by taking Thursday and Friday off, but it is unclear how long the \"unlimited strike\" action could last. The Macron administration will hope to avoid a repeat of the country's general strike over pension reforms in 1995, which crippled the transport system for three weeks and drew massive popular support, forcing a government climbdown. Mr Macron's unified system would reward employees for each day worked, awarding points that would later be transferred into future pension benefits. The official retirement age has been raised in the last decade from 60 to 62, but remains one of the lowest among the OECD group of rich nations - in the UK, for example, the retirement age for state pensions is 66 and is due to rise to at least 67. The move would remove the most advantageous pensions for a number of jobs and unions fear the new system will mean some will have to work longer for a lower pension.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4119, "answer_start": 3300, "text": "French police said 800,000 people took to the streets across the country, including 65,000 in Paris. Union leaders put the numbers higher, with the CGT union saying 1.5 million people turned out across France. The disruption meant popular tourist sites in Paris, including the Eiffel Tower, were closed for the day and busy transport hubs like the Gare du Nord were unusually quiet. In the capital there were reports of vandalism and police used tear gas to disperse protesters. In total, 71 arrests were made across the city, police said. Clashes were reported in a number of other cities including Nantes, Bordeaux and Rennes. Rail operator SNCF said 90% of regional trains had been cancelled by the disruption on Thursday. Hundreds of flights were also cancelled, with airlines warning of further disruption to come." } ], "id": "9027_0", "question": "What happened on Thursday?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "China has urged the US to drop its \"Cold War mentality\" after Washington said it planned to diversify its nuclear armoury with smaller bombs. \"The country that owns the world's largest nuclear arsenal, should take the initiative to follow the trend instead of going against it,\" China's defence ministry said on Sunday. The US military believes its nuclear weapons are seen as too big to be used and wants to develop low-yield bombs. Russia has already condemned the plan. Iran's foreign minister claimed it brought the world \"closer to annihilation\". The US is concerned about its nuclear arsenal becoming obsolete and no longer an effective deterrent. It names China, Russia, North Korea and Iran as potential threats. Where are the world's nuclear weapons? The Pentagon document released on Friday, known as the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), argues that developing smaller nuclear weapons would challenge that assumption. Low-yield weapons with a strength of under 20 kilotons are less powerful but are still devastating. The policy also proposes: - Land-based ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and air-delivered weapons - to be extensively modernised, as begun under ex-President Obama - Proposed modification of some submarine-launched nuclear warheads to give a lower-yield or less powerful detonation - Return of sea-based nuclear cruise missiles Countering the \"growing threat from revisionist powers\", such as China and Russia, was at the heart of America's new defence strategy announced last month. China said on Sunday it \"firmly\" opposed the Pentagon's review of US nuclear policy. The defence ministry in Beijing said Washington had played up the threat of China's nuclear threat, adding that its own policy was defensive in nature. \"We hope that the United States will abandon its Cold War mentality, earnestly assume its special disarmament responsibilities, correctly understand China's strategic intentions and objectively view China's national defence and military build-up,\" its statement said. China has used the Cold War label before to criticise US policy. Late last year it denounced Washington's updated defence strategy and urged the US to abandon \"outdated notions\". In the NPR document, the US accused China of \"expanding its already considerable nuclear forces\" but China defended its policy on Sunday saying it would \"resolutely stick to peaceful development and pursue a national defence policy that is defensive in nature\". The Russian foreign ministry accused the US of warmongering, and said it would take \"necessary measures\" to ensure Russian security. \"From first reading, the confrontational and anti-Russian character of this document leaps out at you,\" it said in a statement on Saturday. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed \"deep disappointment\" at the plan. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif argued the proposals were in violation of the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1524, "answer_start": 552, "text": "The US is concerned about its nuclear arsenal becoming obsolete and no longer an effective deterrent. It names China, Russia, North Korea and Iran as potential threats. Where are the world's nuclear weapons? The Pentagon document released on Friday, known as the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), argues that developing smaller nuclear weapons would challenge that assumption. Low-yield weapons with a strength of under 20 kilotons are less powerful but are still devastating. The policy also proposes: - Land-based ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and air-delivered weapons - to be extensively modernised, as begun under ex-President Obama - Proposed modification of some submarine-launched nuclear warheads to give a lower-yield or less powerful detonation - Return of sea-based nuclear cruise missiles Countering the \"growing threat from revisionist powers\", such as China and Russia, was at the heart of America's new defence strategy announced last month." } ], "id": "9028_0", "question": "What is the new US policy?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2471, "answer_start": 1525, "text": "China said on Sunday it \"firmly\" opposed the Pentagon's review of US nuclear policy. The defence ministry in Beijing said Washington had played up the threat of China's nuclear threat, adding that its own policy was defensive in nature. \"We hope that the United States will abandon its Cold War mentality, earnestly assume its special disarmament responsibilities, correctly understand China's strategic intentions and objectively view China's national defence and military build-up,\" its statement said. China has used the Cold War label before to criticise US policy. Late last year it denounced Washington's updated defence strategy and urged the US to abandon \"outdated notions\". In the NPR document, the US accused China of \"expanding its already considerable nuclear forces\" but China defended its policy on Sunday saying it would \"resolutely stick to peaceful development and pursue a national defence policy that is defensive in nature\"." } ], "id": "9028_1", "question": "What did China say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2960, "answer_start": 2472, "text": "The Russian foreign ministry accused the US of warmongering, and said it would take \"necessary measures\" to ensure Russian security. \"From first reading, the confrontational and anti-Russian character of this document leaps out at you,\" it said in a statement on Saturday. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed \"deep disappointment\" at the plan. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif argued the proposals were in violation of the international nuclear non-proliferation treaty." } ], "id": "9028_2", "question": "How did others react?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump's former election campaign chief Paul Manafort should be jailed for up to 24 years, special counsel Robert Mueller says. Manafort was convicted of financial fraud on charges relating to his work as a political consultant in Ukraine. He accepted a plea deal on the charges in return for co-operating with Mr Mueller's probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 US election campaign. But he was found guilty earlier this week of breaching his plea deal. The 69 year old, who was one of the first people to be investigated in the probe, was found to have lied to prosecutors. On Thursday, US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that Manafort had \"made multiple false statements\" to the FBI, Mr Mueller's office and a grand jury. On Friday, a court document filed by Mr Mueller's office said it agreed with a US Department of Justice calculation that Manafort should face between 19 and 24 years in prison and a fine of between $50,000 (PS39,000) and $24m. \"While some of these offences are commonly prosecuted, there was nothing ordinary about the millions of dollars involved in the defendant's crimes, the duration of his criminal conduct or the sophistication of his schemes,\" the document reads. \"The sentence here should reflect the seriousness of these crimes, and serve to both deter Manafort and others from engaging in such conduct.\" In her ruling on Wednesday, Judge Berman Jackson said there was evidence that showed Manafort had lied about three different topics, including his contacts with Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian political consultant. Prosecutors claim Mr Kilimnik had ties to Russian intelligence. Last August, Mr Manafort was convicted on eight counts of fraud, bank fraud and failing to disclose bank accounts. A month later he pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy against the US and one charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice in a plea bargain with Mr Mueller. The agreement avoided a second trial on money laundering and other charges. The plea deal meant Manafort would face up to 10 years in prison and would forfeit four of his properties and the contents of several bank accounts - but deadlocked charges from the previous trial would be dismissed. It was the first criminal trial arising from the Department of Justice's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the presidential election. However, the charges related only to Manafort's political consulting with pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, largely pre-dating his role with the Trump campaign.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2531, "answer_start": 1651, "text": "Last August, Mr Manafort was convicted on eight counts of fraud, bank fraud and failing to disclose bank accounts. A month later he pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy against the US and one charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice in a plea bargain with Mr Mueller. The agreement avoided a second trial on money laundering and other charges. The plea deal meant Manafort would face up to 10 years in prison and would forfeit four of his properties and the contents of several bank accounts - but deadlocked charges from the previous trial would be dismissed. It was the first criminal trial arising from the Department of Justice's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the presidential election. However, the charges related only to Manafort's political consulting with pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, largely pre-dating his role with the Trump campaign." } ], "id": "9029_0", "question": "What was the plea deal?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Zika virus has spread to more than 20 countries in the Americas. The unprecedented and explosive outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease is causing fear in the affected regions. While the effects are generally mild, the greatest concern is about a strongly suspected link with brain defects in babies. There have been no travel bans, but what advice is there for people visiting the regions? The Pan American Health Organization is publishing updates on the affected countries. But the virus is expected to spread throughout North, Central and South America, except Canada and Chile, and people should check for the latest advice before travelling. Only pregnant women have been advised to reconsider their plans to visit countries affected by Zika. It is thought that within the female body the virus can travel across the placenta and affect the health of an unborn baby. There has been a surge in microcephaly - in which the baby's brain does not develop properly - in Brazil. The UK's National Travel Health Network and Centre says pregnant women should reconsider their travel plans, and that any traveller should seek advice from a health professional before departing. And it adds that pregnant women who have to travel should take \"scrupulous\" measures to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. The US Centers for Disease Control says women trying to get pregnant should \"talk to your doctor about your plans to become pregnant and the risk of Zika virus infection [and] strictly follow steps to prevent mosquito bites during your trip.\" Zika outbreak: What you need to know The CDC says Zika lingers in the blood for approximately a week. And: \"The virus will not cause infections in a baby that is conceived after the virus is cleared from the blood. \"There is currently no evidence that Zika virus infection poses a risk of birth defects in future pregnancies.\" Zika is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito which is most active during the day. People are advised to: - Cover up with long-sleeved shirts and trousers - Use insect repellents such as those containing DEET or picaridin - Apply sunscreen before using applying insect repellent - Keep doors and windows closed and to use air conditioning Zika outbreak: The mosquito menace It is thought the virus can persist in semen for two weeks after a man recovers from an infection. Public Health England is taking a safety-first approach after two suspected cases of sexual transmission. The organisation says the risk of spreading the virus through sex is \"very low\". But it recommends using condoms if you have a pregnant partner or one who might become pregnant. This should be done for 28 days after coming home if you have no symptoms, and for six months if Zika symptoms do develop. The US Centers of Disease Control advises either giving up sex or using condoms for the duration of a pregnancy. Most infections do not result in symptoms, but they may include: - fever - joint pain - itching - rash - conjunctivitis or red eyes - headache - muscle pain - eye pain If you have symptoms such as fever, a rash, joint pain or red eyes, which develop either on holiday or when you return, then you should speak to a doctor. The US Centers for Disease Control says: - Take medicine, such as acetaminophen or paracetamol, to relieve fever and pain - Do not take aspirin, products containing aspirin, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen - Get lots of rest and drink plenty of liquids - Prevent additional mosquito bites to avoid spreading the disease Follow James on Twitter.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1866, "answer_start": 1577, "text": "The CDC says Zika lingers in the blood for approximately a week. And: \"The virus will not cause infections in a baby that is conceived after the virus is cleared from the blood. \"There is currently no evidence that Zika virus infection poses a risk of birth defects in future pregnancies.\"" } ], "id": "9030_0", "question": "Is it safe to get pregnant after visiting?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2858, "answer_start": 2240, "text": "It is thought the virus can persist in semen for two weeks after a man recovers from an infection. Public Health England is taking a safety-first approach after two suspected cases of sexual transmission. The organisation says the risk of spreading the virus through sex is \"very low\". But it recommends using condoms if you have a pregnant partner or one who might become pregnant. This should be done for 28 days after coming home if you have no symptoms, and for six months if Zika symptoms do develop. The US Centers of Disease Control advises either giving up sex or using condoms for the duration of a pregnancy." } ], "id": "9030_1", "question": "What about men?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3558, "answer_start": 3027, "text": "If you have symptoms such as fever, a rash, joint pain or red eyes, which develop either on holiday or when you return, then you should speak to a doctor. The US Centers for Disease Control says: - Take medicine, such as acetaminophen or paracetamol, to relieve fever and pain - Do not take aspirin, products containing aspirin, or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen - Get lots of rest and drink plenty of liquids - Prevent additional mosquito bites to avoid spreading the disease Follow James on Twitter." } ], "id": "9030_2", "question": "If you have Zika?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "EU citizens will have to answer three \"simple\" questions online if they want to continue living in the UK after Brexit, the home secretary has said. Sajid Javid said the government's \"default\" position would be to grant, not refuse, settled status. People will be asked to prove their ID, whether they have criminal convictions and whether they live in the UK. Their answers will be checked against government databases and a decision given \"very quickly\", said Mr Javid. The scheme will operate online and via a smartphone app, Mr Javid said, and would be \"as simple as people can reasonably expect\", with most decisions turned around within two weeks or sooner. Speaking to a House of Lords committee, Mr Javid said there would have to be \"a very good reason\" why an application would be refused. The Home Office said the criminal record checks would be about \"serious and persistent criminality, not parking fines\". The PS170m scheme will be compulsory for all EU citizens living in the UK - the government expects a total of 3.5 million applications. EU citizens and family members who have been in the UK for five years by the end of 2020 will be able to apply for \"settled status\", meaning they are free to go on living and working in the UK indefinitely. Those who have arrived by December 31, 2020, but do not have five years' residence, can seek to stay until they have, at which point they can seek settled status. The scheme also includes citizens of Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Applications will cost PS65 for adults and PS32.50 for children and be free for EU nationals who already have residency or indefinite leave to remain. Applicants will be asked to provide their biographical information, declare whether they have any criminal records, and upload a facial photograph. The process requires verification of the applicant's identity and nationality using a passport, ID card or other valid document, which can be done using a smartphone app or through secure post. The government hopes to start trials within a few weeks, with people allowed to start registering in the autumn. Mr Javid told the Lords EU Justice sub-committee he wanted it to be fully operational by the \"start of next year\", adding that he wanted to avoid a \"surge\" of applicants when the UK leaves the EU in March. The scheme would run for at least two years after Brexit day, probably to around June 2021, said the home secretary. - Applicants without smartphones or computers will be able to fill in their application online at libraries and special contact centres - Those without access to computers, or who are unable to use them, will be given assistance and may be visited at home by immigration officials - Help with translation will also be offered - People from the Republic of Ireland will not need to apply for settled status but can do so if they wish to - Those with pre-settled status will be able to obtain settled status without additional charge The hope is that most applicants will not have to provide supporting documents because their answers will be checked against HM Revenue and Customs and other government databases. Applicants with Android phones will be able to download an app which can read the chip in their passport to verify their identity - and they will be able to take a \"selfie\" that can be checked against Home Office records, said Mr Javid. But he said there was an \"an issue at the moment\" with Apple device users, who will not be able to make use of this app, and instead will have to send in their passport to prove their identity. The home secretary said he had raised the issue with Apple on a recent visit to Silicon Valley and the company was \"looking at it actively\". Analysis by BBC Home Affairs correspondent Danny Shaw What the Home Office is embarking on is a hugely complex project within a tight timescale. When challenged about the potential for it go wrong, officials point to the Passport Office as an example of a service successfully processing millions of cases every year. But unlike the biometric passport system, the EU registration scheme is being built from scratch. For hundreds of thousands of EU nationals, who have a straightforward and legitimate employment history in Britain and are comfortable using digital technology, their applications may well be resolved \"within days\", the time officials rather ambitiously claim cases will take. But for claimants hoping to bring in relatives, people unfamiliar with computers and those with a more sketchy background in Britain, perhaps involving some cash-in-hand work, the process may be a hurdle they'll struggle with - or avoid altogether. Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chair of the Commons home affairs committee, said \"far more\" answers were needed from the government \"about what happens to those who aren't registered by June 2021 through no fault of their own, such as children\". \"At the moment it appears that if children aren't registered within the next three years then they will lose their legal rights even though they may have been here all their lives.\" SNP home affairs spokeswoman Jo Cherry, speaking in the Commons, said: \"There are potentially significant numbers of people who could fall through the cracks here. \"If just 5% of the estimated three million EU citizens living in the UK don't register by the deadline there would be a population of nearly 200,000 left without status.\" Former Labour minister Hilary Benn, who chairs the Commons Brexit Committee, asked ministers if the scheme would still stand in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said: \"We have confidence that there will be a deal.\" Sajid Javid promised there would be no repeat of the Windrush scandal - which saw people who had lived in the UK for decades threatened with deportation because they did not have the right paperwork - for EU migrants, adding \"lessons had been learned\". The new \"settled status\" scheme would establish the right of EU migrants to remain in the UK, unlike in the case of Windrush families where there was only an assumption they had a right to stay, without any documentary proof, he told the committee. The home secretary accused EU nations, such as France and Spain, of failing to match the UK's progress on plans for expats after Brexit. There are about 900,000 UK citizens in the EU, according to ONS figures. Both sides of the Brexit negotiations have resolved to secure the status of expats by the time the UK leaves the EU in March 2019. But any deal they reach will have to be ratified by the European Parliament and agreed to by member states. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal then the status of British citizens living in the EU member states is less certain. The UK would expect member states to allow Britons living in the EU the same rights as it plans to grant EU citizens in the UK but it would be down to individual countries to decide what to do.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1509, "answer_start": 919, "text": "The PS170m scheme will be compulsory for all EU citizens living in the UK - the government expects a total of 3.5 million applications. EU citizens and family members who have been in the UK for five years by the end of 2020 will be able to apply for \"settled status\", meaning they are free to go on living and working in the UK indefinitely. Those who have arrived by December 31, 2020, but do not have five years' residence, can seek to stay until they have, at which point they can seek settled status. The scheme also includes citizens of Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway." } ], "id": "9031_0", "question": "Who needs to apply for settled status?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2002, "answer_start": 1510, "text": "Applications will cost PS65 for adults and PS32.50 for children and be free for EU nationals who already have residency or indefinite leave to remain. Applicants will be asked to provide their biographical information, declare whether they have any criminal records, and upload a facial photograph. The process requires verification of the applicant's identity and nationality using a passport, ID card or other valid document, which can be done using a smartphone app or through secure post." } ], "id": "9031_1", "question": "How much will it cost?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2438, "answer_start": 2003, "text": "The government hopes to start trials within a few weeks, with people allowed to start registering in the autumn. Mr Javid told the Lords EU Justice sub-committee he wanted it to be fully operational by the \"start of next year\", adding that he wanted to avoid a \"surge\" of applicants when the UK leaves the EU in March. The scheme would run for at least two years after Brexit day, probably to around June 2021, said the home secretary." } ], "id": "9031_2", "question": "When will the scheme start?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5670, "answer_start": 4665, "text": "Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chair of the Commons home affairs committee, said \"far more\" answers were needed from the government \"about what happens to those who aren't registered by June 2021 through no fault of their own, such as children\". \"At the moment it appears that if children aren't registered within the next three years then they will lose their legal rights even though they may have been here all their lives.\" SNP home affairs spokeswoman Jo Cherry, speaking in the Commons, said: \"There are potentially significant numbers of people who could fall through the cracks here. \"If just 5% of the estimated three million EU citizens living in the UK don't register by the deadline there would be a population of nearly 200,000 left without status.\" Former Labour minister Hilary Benn, who chairs the Commons Brexit Committee, asked ministers if the scheme would still stand in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said: \"We have confidence that there will be a deal.\"" } ], "id": "9031_3", "question": "What are other critics saying?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6938, "answer_start": 6173, "text": "The home secretary accused EU nations, such as France and Spain, of failing to match the UK's progress on plans for expats after Brexit. There are about 900,000 UK citizens in the EU, according to ONS figures. Both sides of the Brexit negotiations have resolved to secure the status of expats by the time the UK leaves the EU in March 2019. But any deal they reach will have to be ratified by the European Parliament and agreed to by member states. If the UK leaves the EU without a deal then the status of British citizens living in the EU member states is less certain. The UK would expect member states to allow Britons living in the EU the same rights as it plans to grant EU citizens in the UK but it would be down to individual countries to decide what to do." } ], "id": "9031_4", "question": "What about British citizens in EU countries?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Chinese officials have condemned a US ship's passage near disputed islands in the South China Sea as \"illegal\" and a threat to their country's sovereignty. The guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen breached the 12-nautical mile zone China claims around Subi and Mischief reefs in the Spratly archipelago. The US has confirmed the operation took place, apparently as part of its Freedom of Navigation programme. The operation is a challenge to China's claims over the artificial islands. Lu Kang, a spokesman for China's foreign ministry, said Beijing would \"resolutely respond to any country's deliberately provocative actions\". He added that the ship had been \"tracked and warned\" while on the mission to deliberately enter the disputed waters. The Chinese foreign ministry summoned the US ambassador to protest over the move. Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Ash Carter confirmed that the USS Lassen had passed within 12 miles of the islands, during questioning by the Senate Armed Forces Committee. US Defence Department spokesman Cdr Bill Urban had earlier said that \"the United States is conducting routine operations in the South China Sea in accordance with international law\". The move was welcomed by several countries in the East Asia region, including the Philippines and Japan. China claims most of the South and East China seas. Other countries in South-East Asia have competing claims for the Spratly Islands, Paracel Islands and Scarborough Shoal, which are thought to have resource-rich waters around them. The reefs, which were submerged, were turned into islands by China by a massive dredging project which began in late 2013. China says this work is legal and in a meeting with US President Barack Obama last month in Washington, President Xi Jinping said China had \"no intention to militarise\" the islands. But Washington believes Beijing is constructing military facilities, designed to reinforce its disputed claim to most of the region - a major shipping zone. The US Freedom of Navigation programme challenges what it deems to be \"excessive claims\" to the world's oceans and airspace. It was developed to promote international adherence to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, even though the US has not formally ratified the treaty. In 2013 and 2014, the US conducted Freedom of Navigation operations of different kinds against China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam - each of whom occupies territory in the South China Sea. China's island factory Why is the South China Sea contentious? International maritime law allows countries to claim ownership of the 12-nautical mile area surrounding natural islands, but does not allow nations to claim ownership of submerged features that have been raised by human intervention. A senior US defence official told Reuters news agency the warship began its mission early on Tuesday local time near the reefs and would spend several hours there. The USS Lassen, a guided-missile destroyer, was expected to be accompanied by a US Navy P-8A surveillance plane and a P-3 surveillance plane, according to the unnamed official, speaking to US media. Additional patrols could follow in the coming weeks, the official added. Why build a series of tiny islands in the middle of a vast sea? - Celia Hatton, BBC News, Beijing China has altered Asia's geography by dredging sand from the sea bottom and piling it on existing reefs to build several new islands. Vague explanations have been offered to justify this costly exercise. Officially, the islands will be used for rescue operations and environmental projects. Chinese President Xi Jinping has pledged the islands would not be \"militarised\". However, many are sceptical of China's geopolitical aims. In recent years, China has amplified its claims in the South China Sea. Critics fear Beijing will use the islands' airstrips to exert control over the area. At the same time, the United States is exerting its own influence in Asia, pivoting more of its military and economic attention to the region. The new islands are relatively tiny, but the tensions they could create between Beijing and Washington could have global implications. USS Lassen - The ship is an Arleigh Burke class missile destroyer, which the US Navy says is among the most powerful destroyers ever built. - It is 155m (509ft) long with a displacement of 9,145 tons (8,300 tonnes) when fully loaded. - Crewed by a staff of about 330. - It carries two Seahawk helicopters and uses the Aegis defence system. - Weapons include Tomahawk missiles, RUM-139 Asroc anti-submarine missiles and surface-to-air missiles. Source: US Navy", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2529, "answer_start": 1982, "text": "The US Freedom of Navigation programme challenges what it deems to be \"excessive claims\" to the world's oceans and airspace. It was developed to promote international adherence to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, even though the US has not formally ratified the treaty. In 2013 and 2014, the US conducted Freedom of Navigation operations of different kinds against China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam - each of whom occupies territory in the South China Sea. China's island factory Why is the South China Sea contentious?" } ], "id": "9032_0", "question": "What is Freedom of Navigation?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": " Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige says Stan Lee \"unfortunately did not get to see\" Avengers: Endgame before he died. Stan co-created lots of the comic characters we know and love and has a cameo in every film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Kevin says Stan liked waiting until the premiere of a film to see the final movie so never saw it finished. But he says Stan did know the details of the plot from when he filmed his cameo. Kevin Feige, who's been the president of Marvel Studios since 2007 and has overseen all 22 films in the MCU, was answering fans' questions on Reddit. Unsurprisingly, there was a lot they wanted to ask. Avengers: Endgame brought a close to what's referred to as Phase Three of the MCU - the series of films which started with Iron Man in 2008. Or did it? One fan wanted to know why the first Iron Man was directed by Jon Favreau, who up until then didn't have any big credits next to his name - except one. \"Jon Favreau is one of the best storytellers on the planet,\" Kevin replied. \"And Elf is a stone cold classic.\" So Elf is what got Jon Favreau the gig that led to the biggest movie franchise in the world. Just another reason to love Buddy. There are plenty of moments over the past 11 years that might have been difficult for Kevin Feige to sell to executives at Marvel or Disney. He describes his time at Marvel Studios as an \"amazing collaboration\" but the things he says he's had to fight hardest for are, in retrospect, a little surprising. The first was casting Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man. Now we imagine Robert Downey Jr as Mr Marvel - the person who started it all and whose character has developed probably more than anybody else in the MCU. Kevin says Tony Stark's story arc is his favourite. But taking into consideration RDJ's controversial past - he served a three-year prison sentence for drug possession - you can understand why some people might not have considered him a great choice to kick-start a family-friendly movie franchise. Kevin said he also had to convince bosses of his choice to set Captain America: The First Avenger during World War Two. One of the biggest moments in Avengers: Endgame is the moment Captain America picks up Mjolnir - Thor's hammer. It's one of the most powerful weapons in existence and plenty of people have tried to lift it, but it can only be held by someone who is \"worthy\". So someone asked: has Cap been worthy for a while - since Age of Ultron - or did something change in that moment? \"We think he was always worthy,\" Kevin said, \"and he was being polite in Age of Ultron\". All of that refers to a funny scene in the second Avengers movie where the different superheroes all try to lift the hammer. Something that caused a lot of excitement on the Marvel Studios subreddit was Kevin Feige's revelation that there were plans to incorporate the Ten Rings and/or the \"real\" Mandarin into future films. The Ten Rings are the organisation that kidnapped Tony Stark in the first Iron Man film, and the Mandarin is their leader. There have been rumours that Mandarin could feature as the villain in the upcoming Shang-Chi film, and for some Marvel fans, this was Kevin Feige confirming that. The Hulk appears as we've never seen him before in Endgame - Bruce Banner has finally managed to control him, resulting in a killer combination of Bruce's intelligence and the Hulk's strength. Kevin says that version of the Hulk was referred to by the team as Smart Hulk. Some fans call this version Professor Hulk. And for fans of our green friend there is great news - we might be seeing more of him. Someone asked about a meeting Kevin said he had with Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo, where Mark talked him through his vision for how he saw the Hulk evolving. \"He pitched a lot of cool ideas,\" Kevin said. \"Some of which led to what you saw in Thor: Ragnarok, Infinity War and Endgame, and some of which would still be cool to see someday.\" Kevin says the shows on Disney's upcoming streaming service Disney+ will weave into the films \"totally and completely\". And he says it will present an opportunity to \"flesh out\" some of the lesser-known characters from the Marvel Universe \"on a grand scale\", as well as ones we \"know and love\". \"It's tremendously exciting,\" he said. Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3922, "answer_start": 3186, "text": "The Hulk appears as we've never seen him before in Endgame - Bruce Banner has finally managed to control him, resulting in a killer combination of Bruce's intelligence and the Hulk's strength. Kevin says that version of the Hulk was referred to by the team as Smart Hulk. Some fans call this version Professor Hulk. And for fans of our green friend there is great news - we might be seeing more of him. Someone asked about a meeting Kevin said he had with Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo, where Mark talked him through his vision for how he saw the Hulk evolving. \"He pitched a lot of cool ideas,\" Kevin said. \"Some of which led to what you saw in Thor: Ragnarok, Infinity War and Endgame, and some of which would still be cool to see someday.\"" } ], "id": "9033_0", "question": "Is there more Hulk to come?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "When I was living in Singapore 13 years ago, the government was debating a decision that in other countries might have seemed rather trivial: whether or not to permit a version of Speakers' Corner, the spot in London's Hyde Park where individuals vent their opinions on whatever topic they choose to whoever wants to listen. The year before, the then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong had worried that his country was not ready for such an innovation. But in September 2000 a location was finally approved, in Hong Lim Park, near the city centre. Being Singapore, this \"free speech forum\" was a regulated one. Speakers needed police permission before they could use the space. Like so many other aspects of Singapore's \"disciplinarian\" state, their Speakers' Corner provoked plenty of wry comment by foreign journalists. Few people turned out to hear the first anodyne speeches. The common assumption was that Singaporeans were not interested in risking trouble with their government by listening to speeches. They would rather go shopping. But guess what? Speakers' Corner has become the venue for a number of quite lively demonstrations recently, over an issue which has provoked more debate than at any time since the country's tumultuous birth 48 years ago - immigration. Those demonstrations, though, are still subject to regulations. They cannot say or do anything that might stir up racial tension or disturb public order. The really heated debate has been on the internet - howls of anguish by self-styled \"heartlanders\" - original Singaporeans - and vitriolic denunciations of the ruling People's Action Party over the rapid rise in the number of foreigners, both low-wage immigrant workers and the wealthy individuals from the rest of Asia who now view Singapore as a safe-haven for their millions. Foreigners now make up close to 40% of the 5.3 million-strong population. They are blamed both for the stratospheric rise in property prices and for squeezing local people out of jobs. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said three years ago he was quite happy to invite the world's richest man to live in Singapore, if it increased the country's net wealth. But the conspicuous presence in Singapore today of so many of the world's super-rich is leaving many lower-income people feeling left behind. That debate reached boiling point earlier this year when a government white paper predicted that by 2030, the population would expand to just under seven million, of which only a little over half would be Singaporeans. The public outcry prompted the government to issue a clarification; the figures were a forecast, not a target, it said. This might seem odd for a country which is after all built on immigration, and which has already achieved the world's highest per capita GDP. But it is part of a wider sense of unease you hear being expressed over what, and whom, Singapore is for. Goh Chok Tong has called it Singapore's \"mid-life crisis\". It helps to explain the success of a younger generation of opposition politicians at the last election in 2011. With its share of the vote dropping to just over 60%, the ruling PAP had its worst result since independence. It is worth remembering that Singapore is as much a concept as a country, an artificial creation forced on its people by its expulsion from Malaysia in 1965. It is a tiny city-state in an era of nation states. It does not have great historical narratives or national myths to define its existence. Instead it has always been defined by the performance of its government, both in utilising the limited living space and resources it has, and in ensuring better living standards for its people. The manner in which the government does this was set down by Singapore's domineering founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. He imposed top-down, rigorously-planned modernisation, with curbs on individual freedom - a government-knows-best strategy he later described as \"Asian Values\". The best and brightest were attracted to the top ranks of the PAP and the government with generous salaries to carry this out. If this is a nanny state, he wrote later, then I am proud to have fostered one. For decades Singaporeans accepted this arrangement, with only minor grumbling. Not any more. Bukit Brown is an old Chinese cemetery, close to the centre of the island. Some of the earliest Chinese settlers to arrive in Singapore, when it was a British-ruled trading colony, are buried there. They include Lee Kuan Yew's grandfather. The elaborate tombs and gravestones are a rich historic resource, in a country which has lost much of its heritage in the name of progress. It is also a wonderfully overgrown green space in a mostly built-up city. The government currently plans to drive a four-lane highway through the cemetery to ease traffic congestion. In years gone by this might have gone through with only a few mutterings of complaint. This time the government's plans have run into a sophisticated civic protest movement. \"The way the government works is always to frame the issue as heritage versus development, and nothing in between\", said Catherine Lim, who supports one of the Bukit Brown conservation campaigns. \"What we're trying to do is reframe the conversation to include heritage as part of development. I think they realise these things are important. This sense of loss for many Singaporeans who have lost the familiar landmarks they grew up with, it's also very much to do with the fact that we are almost like a foreign country now - we have so many foreigners.\" The government has not altered its plans yet. But there was a striking change of tone, if not direction, in the annual independence day speech given this year by Lee Hsien Loong, who happens to be Lee Kuan Yew's son. Gone was the typically confident list of achievements by the PAP, now in its sixth decade in office. Instead, Mr Lee offered a frank acknowledgement of the unhappiness felt by many lower-income people. Singaporeans, he said \"are feeling uncertain and anxious\" because \"technology and globalisation are widening our income gaps and in addition to that, we have domestic social stresses building\". Our country is at a turning point, he said. \"I understand your concerns. I promise you, you will not be facing these challenges alone because we are all in this together.\" There was talk of better access to education, of wider healthcare cover, and more access to low-cost housing. There seemed to be an effort in the speech by Mr Lee to offer empathy, rather than statistics, a realisation that the Mandarin-style meritocracy built by his father may no longer be enough to retain the loyalty of Singaporeans. In a statement to the BBC a government spokesman re-iterated the long-standing belief, that as a small, open economy, Singapore must remain open and connected, for trade or talent flows. But, the statement said, \"we are deliberately slowing our foreign workforce growth rate. This will also slow economic growth, but it is a compromise we need to make to continue to give Singaporeans a high quality of life.\" \"I see that the government is changing,\" said Mallika Naguran, who runs a sustainability website called Gaia Discovery. \"They are becoming more transparent, more approachable, taking definite steps towards sustainability. Yet this could still improve. There could be more openness in policy-making, more access for civic groups to become stakeholders in nation-building\". The passing of Lee Kuan Yew, who has just turned 90 years old and is in frail health, will be another turning point for this micro-state, a moment when its citizens will once again contemplate their uncertain future. The elder Mr Lee has always taken a pessimistic view of his country's vulnerability. He wept publicly when it was ejected from Malaysia and has repeatedly warned his citizens not to relax their vigilance, whether it was against communist subversion in the 1960s, or against the declining birth-rate in the 21st Century. In one of his most recent statements he pondered gloomily whether Singapore would even exist in 100 years time. It was down to the competence of the government, he said. If we get a dumb government, we are done for. That view is being increasingly challenged, mostly within the relatively safe confines of the internet, but with vigorous, sometimes angry exchanges of views. The era of government-knows-best is slowly coming to an end in Singapore. No-one is quite sure what will take its place.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 8467, "answer_start": 7435, "text": "The passing of Lee Kuan Yew, who has just turned 90 years old and is in frail health, will be another turning point for this micro-state, a moment when its citizens will once again contemplate their uncertain future. The elder Mr Lee has always taken a pessimistic view of his country's vulnerability. He wept publicly when it was ejected from Malaysia and has repeatedly warned his citizens not to relax their vigilance, whether it was against communist subversion in the 1960s, or against the declining birth-rate in the 21st Century. In one of his most recent statements he pondered gloomily whether Singapore would even exist in 100 years time. It was down to the competence of the government, he said. If we get a dumb government, we are done for. That view is being increasingly challenged, mostly within the relatively safe confines of the internet, but with vigorous, sometimes angry exchanges of views. The era of government-knows-best is slowly coming to an end in Singapore. No-one is quite sure what will take its place." } ], "id": "9034_0", "question": "Where now?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Some 11 children have been transferred to Australia from the Nauru detention centre to receive medical treatment. They are the latest to be moved amid a mental health crisis on the island, which has long been plagued by allegations of human rights abuses. The tiny Pacific island nation is the site of a controversial Australian processing centre for asylum seekers. Australia has been criticised for holding child migrants who have mental heath issues on Nauru. Doctors and human rights have called for all child migrants and their families to be evacuated from the island. Fifty-two children remain there, according to official figures. The 11 children join more than 600 people in Australia on \"temporary transfers\" from offshore detention, reports say. It is thought to be one of the largest groups to be transferred since offshore detentions began in 2013. Under a controversial policy, asylum seekers intercepted while travelling to Australia by boat are banned from ever resettling there. Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo said permanent asylum in Australia would not be granted to those transferred for medical treatment because it could encourage \"perverse behaviours\", including causing serious harm to instigate a transfer. \"Treatment in Australia is absolutely available for those who require it,\" he said on Monday. People who have received medical transfers live with persistent uncertainty about whether they will be forced to return to Nauru, the UN's refugee agency has said. Recent attention has focused on child migrants in the Pacific nation, who suffer from mental heath issues which have led to cases of self-harm, said the doctors' group, Medecins Sans Frontieres. Read more: Doctors warn of 'spiral of despair' Many of the children on the island have lived most of their life in detention, with no idea of what their future will be. Some 652 people - including 52 children - are still left on the island, according to the latest official figures; they are made up of 541 refugees, 23 failed asylum seekers, and 88 people of undetermined status. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is poised to lose his one-seat parliamentary majority after voters on Saturday shunned his ruling Liberal Party in a by-election. Two independent MPs said on Monday their support for Mr Morrison's shaky government was tied to the fate of the child detainees on Nauru. The Nauru detention centre was set up by Australia in 2013 in a controversial deal to house asylum seekers intercepted while trying to reach Australian shores by boat. Australia says they will never be able to resettle in Australia, so over the years has sent many to privately run \"processing centres\" it funds on Nauru and in Papua New Guinea. Canberra maintains its policy prevents deaths at sea and discourages people smugglers but the tough stance has been widely criticised. In response to public pressure, Mr Morrison is reported to be considering taking up a long-held offer by New Zealand to accept 150 refugees. The government has previously refused the offer, arguing it would be a \"back door\" for refugees to make it to Australia. It could soften its stance if new legislation is passed to limit the travel to Australia of refugees accepted by New Zealand, according to local media.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1740, "answer_start": 862, "text": "Under a controversial policy, asylum seekers intercepted while travelling to Australia by boat are banned from ever resettling there. Home Affairs Secretary Michael Pezzullo said permanent asylum in Australia would not be granted to those transferred for medical treatment because it could encourage \"perverse behaviours\", including causing serious harm to instigate a transfer. \"Treatment in Australia is absolutely available for those who require it,\" he said on Monday. People who have received medical transfers live with persistent uncertainty about whether they will be forced to return to Nauru, the UN's refugee agency has said. Recent attention has focused on child migrants in the Pacific nation, who suffer from mental heath issues which have led to cases of self-harm, said the doctors' group, Medecins Sans Frontieres. Read more: Doctors warn of 'spiral of despair'" } ], "id": "9035_0", "question": "Can they stay in Australia?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2853, "answer_start": 1741, "text": "Many of the children on the island have lived most of their life in detention, with no idea of what their future will be. Some 652 people - including 52 children - are still left on the island, according to the latest official figures; they are made up of 541 refugees, 23 failed asylum seekers, and 88 people of undetermined status. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is poised to lose his one-seat parliamentary majority after voters on Saturday shunned his ruling Liberal Party in a by-election. Two independent MPs said on Monday their support for Mr Morrison's shaky government was tied to the fate of the child detainees on Nauru. The Nauru detention centre was set up by Australia in 2013 in a controversial deal to house asylum seekers intercepted while trying to reach Australian shores by boat. Australia says they will never be able to resettle in Australia, so over the years has sent many to privately run \"processing centres\" it funds on Nauru and in Papua New Guinea. Canberra maintains its policy prevents deaths at sea and discourages people smugglers but the tough stance has been widely criticised." } ], "id": "9035_1", "question": "How many migrants are there?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3267, "answer_start": 2854, "text": "In response to public pressure, Mr Morrison is reported to be considering taking up a long-held offer by New Zealand to accept 150 refugees. The government has previously refused the offer, arguing it would be a \"back door\" for refugees to make it to Australia. It could soften its stance if new legislation is passed to limit the travel to Australia of refugees accepted by New Zealand, according to local media." } ], "id": "9035_2", "question": "Can they go to New Zealand?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Australians are voting in a closely-fought general election on Saturday. The poll will decide whether the conservative Liberal-National Coalition wins a third term or is replaced by a Labor administration led by Bill Shorten. All 151 seats in the House of Representatives will be contested, and half of the 76 seats in the Senate. The election has been hotly contested in several areas, particularly climate change and the economy. Prime Minister Scott Morrison told voters in his last pitch on Thursday: \"Now is the time to get on and keep on with the work of building our economy, by backing in the choices Australians are wanting to make every day.\" Meanwhile, Mr Shorten highlighted climate change and urged voters to push for change. \"Vote for the new vision - the new stability, the new determination of a new Labor Government.\" Here are some key things to know about the vote. Unlike many other global democracies, Australia has mandatory voting for people aged 18 and over - or they risk a fine. This year has seen a record 96.8% enrolment rate. In contrast, the most recent recent US and UK elections drew an estimated 55% and 69% respectively. Advocates say the mandatory system depolarises the vote and reduces the influence of lobby groups, though critics dispute this. Voting has also been open for three weeks already. More than four million people, about a quarter of voters, have already cast their ballot at \"pre-polling\" booths. Mr Morrison only became prime minister last August, after bitter party infighting ousted his predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull. In doing so, Mr Morrison became Australia's fifth leader since 2013. \"It was a peculiarly Australian form of madness,\" Mr Turnbull told the BBC in March, speaking about a coup culture which began with Labor in 2010. It's likely to harm the government's standing with voters, predicts Prof Sally Young, a politics expert from the University of Melbourne. \"They're sick of the sniping and undermining,\" she says. \"Knifing a leader - it never goes down well.\" Australia has just endured a year of extreme weather events, including destructive floods, bushfires, cyclones and a severe drought. The past summer was the nation's hottest on record. It has made climate change a key election issue in some seats, experts say. Last year, the government scrapped plans to set an emissions reduction target in legislation - prompting fierce criticism. \"Australia's lack of action [on climate change] internationally is becoming more recognised within this country,\" says Prof Young. The University of Sydney's Prof Marc Stears agrees, but says it's unclear how widely it will affect voting decisions. The major parties have been talking up their traditional strengths. That's subjects like jobs and tax relief for the government, and health and education for Labor. They will compete fiercely on economic issues, with both parties promising policies aimed at reducing the cost of living, Although Australia's economy is the envy of many countries, wages growth is flat, and there is a generational split in attitudes to house prices. Mr Morrison is overseeing a minority government, meaning he can ill afford to lose support anywhere in the country. Political observers say he faces challenges from the left and right - a debate that is often framed in geographical terms. In the northern state of Queensland, experts say the government fears losing votes to more socially conservative minor parties and independents. But in Victoria in the south, the electorate is perceived as more progressive. It delivered a resounding victory to Labor in a state election five months ago. During past elections, Australia's major parties have employed tough rhetoric on immigration issues - particularly regarding asylum seekers. It has often been used to appear strong on issues such as national security, says Prof Stears. That debate resurfaced in February, however it appears that the New Zealand mosque attacks in March may have silenced any dog-whistling rhetoric. Prof Young says there is some public cynicism about the major parties, pointing to possible increases in support for other candidates. High-profile independent candidates have entered key races, and in New South Wales, a recent state election saw rises in minor party support in rural electorates. In February, Mr Morrison said a \"state actor\" had carried out a cyber attack on the parliament and political parties. Authorities said there was no evidence of electoral interference, but security experts have urged vigilance. Concerns about alleged foreign interference prompted Australia to introduce new laws last year. In 2017, several MPs were disqualified for unintentionally breaking a rule that lawmakers cannot be dual citizens when elected. Fifteen parliamentarians were ousted, though six later managed to return after relinquishing their non-Australian citizenships. The saga sparked comprehensive checks of MPs' statuses. Opinion polls have narrowed in recent weeks, but Labor still has the edge on a two-party preferred basis. However, those measures also say that Mr Morrison leads Mr Shorten as preferred prime minister.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4639, "answer_start": 4317, "text": "In February, Mr Morrison said a \"state actor\" had carried out a cyber attack on the parliament and political parties. Authorities said there was no evidence of electoral interference, but security experts have urged vigilance. Concerns about alleged foreign interference prompted Australia to introduce new laws last year." } ], "id": "9036_0", "question": "8. Is there a risk of foreign interference?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5153, "answer_start": 4952, "text": "Opinion polls have narrowed in recent weeks, but Labor still has the edge on a two-party preferred basis. However, those measures also say that Mr Morrison leads Mr Shorten as preferred prime minister." } ], "id": "9036_1", "question": "10. What do the opinion polls say?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has claimed victory in the referendum on granting him sweeping new powers, saying it was won by a clear majority. He was speaking in Istanbul as the count neared completion. With more than 99% of ballots counted, \"Yes\" was on 51.36% and \"No\" on 48.64%. Erdogan supporters say replacing the parliamentary system with an executive presidency will modernise the country. The two main opposition parties are challenging the results. As jubilant Erdogan supporters rallied in the big cities, pots and pans were banged in Istanbul by opponents of the referendum, in a traditional form of protest. If confirmed, the \"Yes\" vote could also see Mr Erdogan remain in office until 2029. Three people were shot dead near a polling station in the south-eastern province of Diyarbakir, reportedly during a dispute over how they were voting. Erdogan's Turkey: The full story Turkey referendum: Key reactions Supporters are streaming into the governing AK party's headquarters here in Ankara, car horns and campaign songs blaring - they are convinced the \"Yes\" side has won and that President Erdogan now has a mandate for the biggest political reform in Turkey's modern history. The president has claimed victory but the opposition disputes it, complaining of massive irregularities with the voting, suggesting the state news agency manipulated results and vowing to challenge them with the supreme election board. Turkey has shown itself more polarised than ever tonight. And if the protests gather steam, this could get ugly. Critics abroad fear Erdogan's reach The day a Turkish writer's life changed \"Today... Turkey has taken a historic decision,\" he told a briefing at his official Istanbul residence, the Huber Palace. \"With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history.\" He called on everyone to respect the outcome of the vote. The president also said the country could hold a referendum on bringing back the death penalty. He usually gives triumphant balcony speeches, the BBC's Mark Lowen notes, but this was a muted indoors address. Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak admitted the \"Yes\" vote had been lower than expected. They would represent the most sweeping programme of constitutional changes since Turkey became a republic almost a century ago. The president would be given vastly enhanced powers to appoint cabinet ministers, issue decrees, choose senior judges and dissolve parliament. The new system would scrap the role of prime minister and concentrate power in the hands of the president, placing all state bureaucracy under his control. Mr Erdogan said the changes were needed to address Turkey's security challenges nine months after an attempted coup, and to avoid the fragile coalition governments of the past. The new system, he argued, would resemble those in France and the US and would bring calm in a time of turmoil marked by a Kurdish insurgency, Islamist militancy and conflict in neighbouring Syria, which has led to a huge refugee influx. The Republican People's Party (CHP) has demanded a recount of 60% of the votes. Critics of the proposed changes fear the move would make the president's position too powerful, arguing that it would amount to one-man rule, without the checks and balances of other presidential systems. They say his ability to retain ties to a political party - Mr Erdogan could resume leadership of the AK Party - would end any chance of impartiality. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the CHP, told a rally in Ankara a \"Yes\" vote would endanger the country. \"We will put 80 million people... on a bus with no brakes,\" he said. \"No\" supporters have complained of intimidation during the referendum campaign and that Turkey's highly regulated media has given them little coverage. Many Turks already fear growing authoritarianism in their country, where tens of thousands of people have been arrested, and at least 100,000 sacked or suspended from their jobs, since a coup attempt last July. The campaign unfolded under a state of emergency imposed in the wake of the failed putsch. Mr Erdogan assumed the presidency, meant to be a largely ceremonial position, in 2014 after more than a decade as prime minister. This once stable corner of the region has in recent years been convulsed by terror attacks and millions of refugees, mostly from Syria, have arrived. At the same time, the middle class has ballooned and infrastructure has been modernised. Under Mr Erdogan, religious Turks have been empowered. Relations with the EU, meanwhile, have deteriorated. Mr Erdogan sparred bitterly with European governments who banned rallies by his ministers in their countries during the referendum campaign. He called the bans \"Nazi acts\". In one of his final rallies, he said a strong \"Yes\" vote would \"be a lesson to the West\". Turkey's dominant president The ultranationalists who could sway Erdogan The draft states that the next presidential and parliamentary elections will be held on 3 November 2019. The president would have a five-year tenure, for a maximum of two terms. - The president would be able to directly appoint top public officials, including ministers - He would also be able to assign one or several vice-presidents - The job of prime minister, currently held by Binali Yildirim, would be scrapped - The president would have power to intervene in the judiciary, which Mr Erdogan has accused of being influenced by Fethullah Gulen, the Pennsylvania-based preacher he blames for the failed coup in July - The president would decide whether or not impose a state of emergency Are you Turkish? What is your reaction to this result? You can share your comments by emailing [email protected]. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: - WhatsApp: +44 7555 173285 - Send pictures/video to [email protected] - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international)", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2181, "answer_start": 1627, "text": "\"Today... Turkey has taken a historic decision,\" he told a briefing at his official Istanbul residence, the Huber Palace. \"With the people, we have realised the most important reform in our history.\" He called on everyone to respect the outcome of the vote. The president also said the country could hold a referendum on bringing back the death penalty. He usually gives triumphant balcony speeches, the BBC's Mark Lowen notes, but this was a muted indoors address. Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak admitted the \"Yes\" vote had been lower than expected." } ], "id": "9037_0", "question": "What did Erdogan say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2608, "answer_start": 2182, "text": "They would represent the most sweeping programme of constitutional changes since Turkey became a republic almost a century ago. The president would be given vastly enhanced powers to appoint cabinet ministers, issue decrees, choose senior judges and dissolve parliament. The new system would scrap the role of prime minister and concentrate power in the hands of the president, placing all state bureaucracy under his control." } ], "id": "9037_1", "question": "How significant are the changes?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3023, "answer_start": 2609, "text": "Mr Erdogan said the changes were needed to address Turkey's security challenges nine months after an attempted coup, and to avoid the fragile coalition governments of the past. The new system, he argued, would resemble those in France and the US and would bring calm in a time of turmoil marked by a Kurdish insurgency, Islamist militancy and conflict in neighbouring Syria, which has led to a huge refugee influx." } ], "id": "9037_2", "question": "What was the case for 'Yes'?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3782, "answer_start": 3024, "text": "The Republican People's Party (CHP) has demanded a recount of 60% of the votes. Critics of the proposed changes fear the move would make the president's position too powerful, arguing that it would amount to one-man rule, without the checks and balances of other presidential systems. They say his ability to retain ties to a political party - Mr Erdogan could resume leadership of the AK Party - would end any chance of impartiality. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the CHP, told a rally in Ankara a \"Yes\" vote would endanger the country. \"We will put 80 million people... on a bus with no brakes,\" he said. \"No\" supporters have complained of intimidation during the referendum campaign and that Turkey's highly regulated media has given them little coverage." } ], "id": "9037_3", "question": "And what about for 'No'?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The Scottish Parliament has refused to give its consent to the UK's main piece of Brexit legislation. The Scottish and UK governments are at odds over the EU Withdrawal Bill and what it could mean for devolved powers. Labour, Green and Lib Dem MSPs united to back SNP members in rejecting the Westminster bill, saying it would restrict Holyrood's powers. The Scottish Conservatives voted against, and have blamed the SNP for the failure to find an agreement. MSPs voted by 93 to 30 that Holyrood \"does not consent to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill\". Westminster ultimately has the power to introduce the legislation without the consent of Holyrood - but it would be politically difficult, and has never been done before. Speaking after the vote, Scotland's Brexit secretary, Mike Russell, urged the UK government to respect the will of the Scottish Parliament and find an acceptable solution. He said: \"The Scottish Parliament has now said overwhelmingly that this attempt to undermine devolution is unacceptable. \"The UK government cannot ignore the reality of devolution or try to drown out what this parliament says. They cannot pretend that no motion has been passed.\" Both the Scottish and UK governments insist that the door is still open to finding a deal, although both sides also admit they remain some distance apart. Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman Adam Tomkins said that the UK government had already made \"radical\" changes to the bill which had resulted in the Labour government in Wales dropping its opposition to it. And he said it was \"profoundly regrettable\" that a deal had not been done between Scottish and UK ministers, saying that \"the only government that hasn't compromised is the Scottish government\". The Scottish government insists this is a highly significant moment, as it is the first time the Holyrood parliament has ever refused consent to a piece of Westminster legislation which is likely to be imposed anyway, without consent. It is certainly a constitutional first - but one that can be overcome by Westminster. The UK government has the authority to simply impose the Brexit legislation on Scotland, even if that is politically problematic. It would overturn 20 years of constitutional convention and precedent. This prime minister has ignored the will of the Scottish Parliament before. This time last year it voted in favour of a second indyref and the PM said no. There was no noticeable uprising of popular outrage then. And there is unlikely to be so now. Nicola Sturgeon rarely shies away from a fight with Westminster. It's generally good politics for her to say she is \"standing up for Scotland\" against ministers in London. She hopes it helps build the case for why Scotland would be better off as an independent country. Her problem is that this argument has not caught voters' attention. The right of the Scottish Parliament to have a definitive say over regulations governing the use of pesticides does not appear to cause great concern to Scots. Some may be outraged over the principle of legislation being imposed on Scotland after it has been specifically rejected by their MSPs. The practical consequences may not amount to much. Yet it is one more headache for Theresa May in the migraine-inducing process of trying to secure a Brexit deal. Read more from Sarah The UK government has published proposals that would see the \"vast majority\" of the 158 areas where policy in devolved areas is currently decided in Brussels go directly to the Scottish and Welsh parliaments after Brexit. But it has also named 24 areas where it wants to retain power temporarily in the wake of Britain's exit from the EU, including in areas such as agriculture, fisheries, food labelling and public procurement. It says the \"temporary restriction\" on the devolved governments using some of the powers returning from the EU is needed \"to help ensure an orderly departure from EU law\" and allow the same rule and regulations to remain in place across the whole of the UK. But the Scottish government argues that it would leave Holyrood unable to pass laws in some devolved areas for up to seven years. It has produced its own alternative Brexit legislation, which was passed by MSPs in March but is currently subject to a legal challenge by the UK government. During the debate, Mr Russell told MSPs that they needed to defend the progress which has been made in the 20 years of devolution in Scotland. He said: \"It is our job to ensure that it is not cast aside because of a Brexit which Scotland did not vote for and which can only be damaging to our country. \"Today the challenge of Brexit - or rather the challenge of the proposed power grab by the UK government under the guise of delivering Brexit - puts our devolved settlement at risk.\" Mr Russell also told MSPs that the Withdrawal Bill would add an \"unprecedented, unequal and unacceptable new legislative constraint\", taking powers away from Holyrood for up to seven years. And he said that the consent vote \"will not be the end of this process\", as it applies only to the bill \"as it stands\". The UK government's Scottish secretary, David Mundell, said he was \"disappointed\" by the vote, but said the UK parliament remains sovereign and can proceed regardless. But he said he remained hopeful that an agreement could still be reached between the two governments. Mr Mundell said: \"It's something that was envisaged by the devolution settlement, that there might be circumstances where consent wouldn't be given. \"That circumstance would permit the Westminster government to proceed with legislation on that basis, and that's what we intend to do because the bill is already in the system. \"Obviously there'll be the opportunity for debate and discussion in parliament, but also I hope between the two governments. I still think we can resolve this issue, and that remains my objective.\" A Scottish Labour amendment calling for \"cross-party talks in an attempt to broker an agreed way forward\" was accepted, and Mr Russell said he would invite UK ministers to \"hear the concerns of all parties\" and to discuss \"any new ideas\". The party's Brexit spokesman, Neil Findlay, blamed the Conservatives and their \"shambolic handling\" of Brexit for the failure to reach an agreement. Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie hailed the \"unity\" displayed by SNP, Labour, Green and Lib Dem members saying they would \"stand together in defence of the parliament\". Lib Dem Europe spokesman Tavish Scott said the negotiating governments had failed to learn from the \"ongoing farce\" of Brexit, arguing that leaving the EU was \"bad for the UK and bad for Scotland\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5104, "answer_start": 3335, "text": "The UK government has published proposals that would see the \"vast majority\" of the 158 areas where policy in devolved areas is currently decided in Brussels go directly to the Scottish and Welsh parliaments after Brexit. But it has also named 24 areas where it wants to retain power temporarily in the wake of Britain's exit from the EU, including in areas such as agriculture, fisheries, food labelling and public procurement. It says the \"temporary restriction\" on the devolved governments using some of the powers returning from the EU is needed \"to help ensure an orderly departure from EU law\" and allow the same rule and regulations to remain in place across the whole of the UK. But the Scottish government argues that it would leave Holyrood unable to pass laws in some devolved areas for up to seven years. It has produced its own alternative Brexit legislation, which was passed by MSPs in March but is currently subject to a legal challenge by the UK government. During the debate, Mr Russell told MSPs that they needed to defend the progress which has been made in the 20 years of devolution in Scotland. He said: \"It is our job to ensure that it is not cast aside because of a Brexit which Scotland did not vote for and which can only be damaging to our country. \"Today the challenge of Brexit - or rather the challenge of the proposed power grab by the UK government under the guise of delivering Brexit - puts our devolved settlement at risk.\" Mr Russell also told MSPs that the Withdrawal Bill would add an \"unprecedented, unequal and unacceptable new legislative constraint\", taking powers away from Holyrood for up to seven years. And he said that the consent vote \"will not be the end of this process\", as it applies only to the bill \"as it stands\"." } ], "id": "9038_0", "question": "What is the \"power grab\" row about?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5898, "answer_start": 5105, "text": "The UK government's Scottish secretary, David Mundell, said he was \"disappointed\" by the vote, but said the UK parliament remains sovereign and can proceed regardless. But he said he remained hopeful that an agreement could still be reached between the two governments. Mr Mundell said: \"It's something that was envisaged by the devolution settlement, that there might be circumstances where consent wouldn't be given. \"That circumstance would permit the Westminster government to proceed with legislation on that basis, and that's what we intend to do because the bill is already in the system. \"Obviously there'll be the opportunity for debate and discussion in parliament, but also I hope between the two governments. I still think we can resolve this issue, and that remains my objective.\"" } ], "id": "9038_1", "question": "What has the UK government said in response?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "He raised tens of millions, qualified for all but one Democratic debate, and laid claim to a devoted fan following: the so-called Yang Gang. But entrepreneur Andrew Yang, the self-declared \"Asian math guy\", has suspended his presidential bid after a lacklustre finish in the New Hampshire primary. While his White House dreams have dimmed, the politically novice Mr Yang managed to out-perform many of the seasoned politicians in the field. Announcing his departure from the 2020 race Tuesday night, he told supporters: \"While we did not win this election, we are just getting started. This is the beginning. This movement is the future of American politics.\" But where exactly does that leave the Yang Gang, and where will they go next? The tech entrepreneur was virtually unknown when he entered the Democratic race more than two years ago, in November 2017. But the story of Mr Yang's long-shot campaign is one of unexpected success. He outlasted a New York City mayor, former and current governors and several prominent US senators, including Cory Booker and Kamala Harris. Casting himself as a political outsider, Mr Yang used his signature self-deprecating humour to sell his chief campaign proposal: universal basic income. He proposed a $1,000 (PS770.00) monthly \"freedom dividend\" to all Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 as a financial cushion against job losses due to increased automation. At a Democratic debate in September, Mr Yang announced he would be giving away a total of $120,000 throughout the year to 10 American families, as part of a pilot programme for the freedom dividend. Mr Yang's atypical approach earned him a loyal following - especially among young people - who travelled to campaign for him for around the country. According to a January Morning Consult poll, 71% of his supporters were under the age of 45 - compared to 42% of Democratic primary voters overall - outstripping even Bernie Sanders, the septuagenarian Vermont senator famously adored by young voters. He warned against the dangers of automation and emphasised data-driven solutions, drawing support from famous Silicon Valley figures like Tesla's Elon Musk and Twitter's Jack Dorsey. Comedian Dave Chapelle, rapper Childish Gambino and actor Nicolas Cage were among the celebrities who backed him. When Mr Yang announced he was leaving the race, Mr Dorsey tweeted that he was \"Really sad Andrew is dropping out.\" Mr Yang was \"an incredibly authentic person who was focused on solving the big existential problems facing the world,\" Mr Dorsey wrote. \"#yanggangforever.\" Zhaoyin Feng, BBC Chinese Service, Washington Yang opened a new chapter of history as the first prominent Asian-American presidential candidate. \"If Yang were white, I believe he'd be even more popular than Pete Buttigieg now, as Yang has unique ideas,\" Bing Zhang, a Chinese-American Yang supporter told me. But, he said, Yang's campaign had far exceeded the expectations of many people. Yang won support from both progressives and conservatives, from former supporters of Bernie Sanders to former Donald Trump voters. His exit means the presidential race now has one less candidate from a racial minority. And the remaining presidential hopefuls will try to grab Yang's relatively small but very young and energetic base. Mr Yang also mobilised Asian Americans, who have been traditionally among the least active voters, though participation is rising. According to the non-partisan Pew Research Centre, about 40% of Asian Americans voted in the 2018 midterms - about a 13% increase from 2014 but still among the lowest of all ethnic groups in the US. Mr Yang's campaign was among the most prominent presidential campaign ever run by an Asian American candidate. Will Hsu, a Wisconsin farmer, told BBC that he saw something of himself in Mr Yang. Like the candidate, Mr Hsu's parents were Taiwanese immigrants. Though he leans Republican, \"If you had put me in the ballot box with Yang on the Democratic ticket and Trump on the Republican ticket, I would have voted Yang,\" Mr Hsu said. After Mr Yang left the race, Twitter was flooded with tributes from his young followers, declaring their continued devotion to the Yang Gang. Some vowed to vote for him anyway as a write-in candidate, others circulated the hashtag #Yang2024. \"I dropped out of school to do this, my passion for Yang is growing every single day,\" Kai Watson, an university-age student, told his 9,000 Yang Gang YouTube channel subscribers. \"This is just the beginning,\" he said. \"I cannot wait for what's to come.\" But Mr Yang's departure from the race bodes ill for Democrats. Many of the supporters who rallied to him were new to the political process, and had no party affiliation before supporting his campaign. Mr Hsu said that without Mr Yang in the race, he may abandon the Democratic field altogether. \"I don't know that there's a candidate that I can identity with on the Democratic side,\" he said. \"It's really tough right now.\" An Emerson College poll from late January found that 42% of Yang supporters would refuse to support any other Democratic nominee. Of the nine percent of supporters who said they were willing to switch, 30% said they would back Joe Biden and 27% said they would support Mr Sanders. Mr Yang supported the senator in 2016. While his candidacy is over, Mr Yang's run has shifted the political conversation. Support among Democrats for universal basic income, for example, jumped from 54% to 66% between February 2018 and September 2019 - loosely mirroring Mr Yang's ascent to the public stage. And while it didn't translate into votes, future candidates may consider how, and why, he inspired such devotion - a loyalty seemingly noticed by Bernie Sanders surrogate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who commended Mr Yang on \"a great race\", and praised his trademark policy by name. \"Your campaign focused on the future,\" wrote the progressive New York congresswoman on Twitter. \"Thank you for bringing up ideas like [Universal Basic Income] and opening a discourse on how we better value undervalued work like caregiving.\" The statement may be strategic. Supporters of Mr Yang - who branded himself as a political outsider - may be most likely to gravitate to Bernie Sanders, the other anti-establishment candidate who also has appealed to youthful voters looking for a change from traditional Democratic politics, says the BBC's Anthony Zurcher. As for the former candidate, Mr Yang's departure announcement came with a heavy hint that he would be back on the public stage. \"We have touched and improved millions of lives and moved this country we love so much in the right direction,\" he said on Tuesday, later tweeting: \"We'll be back\". His next move is not yet clear, but campaign officials said they believe there is room for a political comeback. He has been approached by other campaigns for endorsements, according to US media, and the entrepreneur told CNN he would be \"honoured\" to serve as someone's running mate. \"I wouldn't rule anything out,\" he said.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 7037, "answer_start": 4064, "text": "After Mr Yang left the race, Twitter was flooded with tributes from his young followers, declaring their continued devotion to the Yang Gang. Some vowed to vote for him anyway as a write-in candidate, others circulated the hashtag #Yang2024. \"I dropped out of school to do this, my passion for Yang is growing every single day,\" Kai Watson, an university-age student, told his 9,000 Yang Gang YouTube channel subscribers. \"This is just the beginning,\" he said. \"I cannot wait for what's to come.\" But Mr Yang's departure from the race bodes ill for Democrats. Many of the supporters who rallied to him were new to the political process, and had no party affiliation before supporting his campaign. Mr Hsu said that without Mr Yang in the race, he may abandon the Democratic field altogether. \"I don't know that there's a candidate that I can identity with on the Democratic side,\" he said. \"It's really tough right now.\" An Emerson College poll from late January found that 42% of Yang supporters would refuse to support any other Democratic nominee. Of the nine percent of supporters who said they were willing to switch, 30% said they would back Joe Biden and 27% said they would support Mr Sanders. Mr Yang supported the senator in 2016. While his candidacy is over, Mr Yang's run has shifted the political conversation. Support among Democrats for universal basic income, for example, jumped from 54% to 66% between February 2018 and September 2019 - loosely mirroring Mr Yang's ascent to the public stage. And while it didn't translate into votes, future candidates may consider how, and why, he inspired such devotion - a loyalty seemingly noticed by Bernie Sanders surrogate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who commended Mr Yang on \"a great race\", and praised his trademark policy by name. \"Your campaign focused on the future,\" wrote the progressive New York congresswoman on Twitter. \"Thank you for bringing up ideas like [Universal Basic Income] and opening a discourse on how we better value undervalued work like caregiving.\" The statement may be strategic. Supporters of Mr Yang - who branded himself as a political outsider - may be most likely to gravitate to Bernie Sanders, the other anti-establishment candidate who also has appealed to youthful voters looking for a change from traditional Democratic politics, says the BBC's Anthony Zurcher. As for the former candidate, Mr Yang's departure announcement came with a heavy hint that he would be back on the public stage. \"We have touched and improved millions of lives and moved this country we love so much in the right direction,\" he said on Tuesday, later tweeting: \"We'll be back\". His next move is not yet clear, but campaign officials said they believe there is room for a political comeback. He has been approached by other campaigns for endorsements, according to US media, and the entrepreneur told CNN he would be \"honoured\" to serve as someone's running mate. \"I wouldn't rule anything out,\" he said." } ], "id": "9039_0", "question": "So where will the Yang Gang go now?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A British couple say they have been detained in the US after accidentally crossing the border from Canada. David Connors, 30, and his wife Eileen, 24, say they are being held in Pennsylvania with their three-month-old baby and are \"traumatised\". They say they were driving with family members on 3 October when, to avoid an animal, they veered onto a small road. A police officer then pulled them over, told them they were in the US state of Washington and arrested them. The couple have detailed the \"scariest experience of our entire lives\" in a sworn statement that was provided to BBC News by their lawyer. The family statement is the basis for a legal complaint lodged by their lawyer with the US Department of Homeland Security inspector general. US immigration authorities confirmed to the BBC that the couple were being held, but denied their allegations of mistreatment. The family's attorney, Bridget Cambria, of Aldea - the People's Justice Center, said the couple were driving south of Vancouver on 3 October when they took a detour to avoid an animal on the road. The family say they did not realise they had strayed over the US border. They were stopped by a police officer who did not read them their rights, nor allow them to \"simply turn around\" and go back to Canada, according to the complaint. At first the young family say they were separated - with David Connors being held in a male-only cell, and Eileen Connors and their infant son in a women's cell. Later, the husband was taken to a detention centre in Tacoma, Washington, while his wife and their baby son were taken to a budget hotel near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to the complaint. The following morning they say they were driven to the airport, which raised their hopes that they were being flown back to Canada or the UK. \"But that was not the case,\" Eileen Connors says in the sworn statement. Instead, they were flown to Pennsylvania - on the other side of the country. They were taken on 5 October to Berks Family Residential Center (BFRC), one of three immigration detention centres in the US that can accommodate families. Mrs Connors says: \"We will be traumatised for the rest of our lives by what the United States government has done to us.\" US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the family was in detention at the BFRC facility in Leesport, Pennsylvania. A spokesman for the agency told the BBC that BFRC \"provides a safe and humane environment for families as they go through the immigration process\". \"Reports of abuse or inhumane conditions at BFRC are unequivocally false,\" he added. The couple's sworn statement says the cells are \"frigid\", and staff have refused to turn the heating on until the end of next month. \"When I ask how I am supposed to keep my baby warm in this horrible cold, all they tell me is to put a hat on him,\" Mrs Connors said in the statement. \"My baby can't wear a hat all the time, he feels uncomfortable with hats and mittens and starts to cry.\" Staff, she added, confiscated her son's formula for three days, as well as his teething powder, and would only provide \"disgusting\" blankets that smelled \"like a dead dog\". They say the baby's skin is now rough and blotchy and he appears to have an eye infection. \"We have been treated like criminals here, stripped of our rights, and lied to,\" Mrs Connors said. \"It is not right. \"We have been treated unfairly from day one. It is undoubtedly the worst experience we have ever lived through. \"We have been traumatised and it has even damaged our relationship. No one should have to suffer this kind of treatment.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2617, "answer_start": 880, "text": "The family's attorney, Bridget Cambria, of Aldea - the People's Justice Center, said the couple were driving south of Vancouver on 3 October when they took a detour to avoid an animal on the road. The family say they did not realise they had strayed over the US border. They were stopped by a police officer who did not read them their rights, nor allow them to \"simply turn around\" and go back to Canada, according to the complaint. At first the young family say they were separated - with David Connors being held in a male-only cell, and Eileen Connors and their infant son in a women's cell. Later, the husband was taken to a detention centre in Tacoma, Washington, while his wife and their baby son were taken to a budget hotel near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, according to the complaint. The following morning they say they were driven to the airport, which raised their hopes that they were being flown back to Canada or the UK. \"But that was not the case,\" Eileen Connors says in the sworn statement. Instead, they were flown to Pennsylvania - on the other side of the country. They were taken on 5 October to Berks Family Residential Center (BFRC), one of three immigration detention centres in the US that can accommodate families. Mrs Connors says: \"We will be traumatised for the rest of our lives by what the United States government has done to us.\" US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the family was in detention at the BFRC facility in Leesport, Pennsylvania. A spokesman for the agency told the BBC that BFRC \"provides a safe and humane environment for families as they go through the immigration process\". \"Reports of abuse or inhumane conditions at BFRC are unequivocally false,\" he added." } ], "id": "9040_0", "question": "Where were they taken?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President-elect Donald Trump took a populist tone on the campaign trail, pledging to stand for a beleaguered working class abandoned by the elite. Yet, as he selects his cabinet, observers are already pointing out that he is putting together the richest administration in US history. So far, his choices include a billionaire investor, a woman who married into a retail dynasty and a multi-millionaire banker. Democrats have been quick to the attack. \"Donald Trump's administration: of, by and for the millionaires and billionaires,\" tweeted Bernie Sanders, a Vermont senator who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination. Mr Trump, of course, brings immense wealth to his new role. The property tycoon's worth is estimated at $3.7bn (PS3bn) by Forbes magazine, with more than 500 businesses in his empire. But he might not be the richest member of his team. His nominee for education secretary, Betsy Devos, is the daughter-in-law of Richard DeVos, who founded the Amway retail giant. Forbes puts their family wealth at $5.1bn. Next up is Wilbur Ross, the president-elect's pick for commerce secretary. Forbes puts the wealth of Mr Ross, who headed Rothschild Inc's bankruptcy practice before starting an investment firm, at $2.5bn. Mr Ross's deputy will be Todd Ricketts, co-owner of the Chicago Cubs baseball team and the son of Joe Ricketts, a businessman who has an estimated wealth of $1.75bn. In any other company, Mr Trump's choice for treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, might have been expected to be the richest person in the room. After 17 years at Goldman Sachs, he founded a hedge fund and later bought a bank that became known for seizing the homes of borrowers who fell behind on mortgage payments. Reports put his wealth at over $40m. Elaine Chao, who will take on the transport secretary role and is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is the daughter of a shipping magnate. Ben Carson, frontrunner for the housing portfolio, and Tom Price, who will head health and human services, are also reported to be multi-millionaires. Mr Trump's moneyed line-up has not gone unnoticed. Last month, the Politico news website speculated that the combined wealth of the cabinet could top $35bn - though this depended on the inclusion of oil mogul Harold Hamm as energy secretary and includes a claim by Mr Trump that his wealth exceeds $10bn. Quartz subsequently pointed out that the $35bn figure exceeded the annual Gross Domestic Product of Bolivia. The Democrats also have some high earners. The Obama cabinet contains one person who could challenge Team Trump in the wealth stakes - Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune. Forbes puts her wealth at $2.4bn. Current Secretary of State John Kerry is reported to be worth about $200m and several other Obama cabinet members are estimated to be in the $1m-$10m range. However, it was Mr Trump's insistence that he would \"drain the swamp\" in Washington and represent working-class Americans that won him support in blue-collar areas around the country. Will choosing such a wealthy cabinet alienate his voters? A spokesman for Mr Trump said that his appointments were not inconsistent with his campaign pledges. \"You want some people that are insiders and understand the system and some outsiders that are creative thinkers, out-of-the-box thinkers and disruptors,\" Anthony Scaramucci, of Trump's transition committee, told Reuters news agency. The Democrats disagree - particularly in the case of Steven Mnuchin, who Democrat Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren called \"just another Wall Street insider\". \"That is not the type of change that Donald Trump promised to bring to Washington - that is hypocrisy at its worst,\" they said in a joint statement. \"This pick makes clear that Donald Trump wants to cater to the same Wall Street executives that have hurt working families time and again.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3913, "answer_start": 2067, "text": "Mr Trump's moneyed line-up has not gone unnoticed. Last month, the Politico news website speculated that the combined wealth of the cabinet could top $35bn - though this depended on the inclusion of oil mogul Harold Hamm as energy secretary and includes a claim by Mr Trump that his wealth exceeds $10bn. Quartz subsequently pointed out that the $35bn figure exceeded the annual Gross Domestic Product of Bolivia. The Democrats also have some high earners. The Obama cabinet contains one person who could challenge Team Trump in the wealth stakes - Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune. Forbes puts her wealth at $2.4bn. Current Secretary of State John Kerry is reported to be worth about $200m and several other Obama cabinet members are estimated to be in the $1m-$10m range. However, it was Mr Trump's insistence that he would \"drain the swamp\" in Washington and represent working-class Americans that won him support in blue-collar areas around the country. Will choosing such a wealthy cabinet alienate his voters? A spokesman for Mr Trump said that his appointments were not inconsistent with his campaign pledges. \"You want some people that are insiders and understand the system and some outsiders that are creative thinkers, out-of-the-box thinkers and disruptors,\" Anthony Scaramucci, of Trump's transition committee, told Reuters news agency. The Democrats disagree - particularly in the case of Steven Mnuchin, who Democrat Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren called \"just another Wall Street insider\". \"That is not the type of change that Donald Trump promised to bring to Washington - that is hypocrisy at its worst,\" they said in a joint statement. \"This pick makes clear that Donald Trump wants to cater to the same Wall Street executives that have hurt working families time and again.\"" } ], "id": "9041_0", "question": "Drain the swamp?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Spain's prime minister has put Catalonia on notice that it could impose direct rule on the region. Mariano Rajoy said his government had asked the regional government to clarify whether or not it had declared independence. The move is the first step towards suspending Catalonia's autonomy under the constitution. Catalan leaders signed a declaration of independence on Tuesday but halted implementation to allow for talks. The government in Madrid has now given Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont five days to say whether or not he has declared independence, Spanish news agency Efe reports. If Mr Puigdemont confirms he has declared independence, he will be given a further three days to withdraw the declaration before Article 155 of the constitution - allowing central government to suspend a region's autonomy and impose direct rule - is invoked, Efe adds. Spain has been in turmoil since the separatist government held a disputed referendum in Catalonia on 1 October which was declared invalid by the country's Constitutional Court. Almost 90% of voters backed independence with a turnout of 43%, Catalan officials say. Anti-independence voters largely boycotted the ballot and there were several reports of irregularities. National police were involved in violent scenes as they tried to stop the vote taking place. Mr Rajoy accused Mr Puigdemont of having created \"deliberate confusion\" and said he wanted to restore \"certainty\". \"This call - ahead of any of the measures that the government may adopt under Article 155 of our constitution - seeks to offer citizens the clarity and security that a question of such importance requires,\" Mr Rajoy said. \"There is an urgent need to put an end to the situation that Catalonia is going through - to return it to safety, tranquillity and calm and to do that as quickly as possible.\" Mr Rajoy was speaking after holding an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday morning to discuss the government's next steps. Speaking later in parliament, Mr Rajoy said Spain was facing the most serious threat to its 40-year-old democracy. He accused the separatists of hatching an \"anti-democratic plan foisting their will on all the people of Catalonia\", and said the Spanish government had had no choice but to restore order. \"It falls to the Catalan leader to restore constitutional normality,\" he told deputies, rejecting any suggestion of outside mediation in the dispute. He added that he was willing to negotiate on the issue of regional autonomy and changes to the constitution - but this had to be within the framework of the law. Katya Adler, BBC Europe editor, Madrid Spain's prime minister tried today to put the ball back in the Catalan court. He's asked the Catalan president to clarify if he is making a declaration of independence or not. There is no official timeframe for the response, although political sources and Spanish media are now talking about five days (and then there is an argument about whether that includes the weekend and Thursday's national holiday). In the meantime, sources in the Senate (Spain's upper house of parliament, where Prime Minister Rajoy's Popular Party has a majority) say the request has been made to trigger Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, under which Mr Rajoy would be able to suspend Catalan autonomy - possibly immediately, or bit by bit. Prime Minister Rajoy has threatened to use Article 155 if Catalan independence is declared but the article has not yet been activated. Article 155 has never been used before, so we are in a kind of Brexit situation before Article 50 was triggered. The article legally exists but there are disagreements about how far-reaching it is, how it would/should work (and how quickly) in practice. Reports in Spanish media suggest that if the Spanish prime minister activates Article 155 in the absence of a response from the Catalan president, pro-independence parties in the Catalan parliament will then declare independence. The leader of the opposition Socialists, Pedro Sanchez, told reporters that his party and the government had agreed to examine the possibility of using constitutional reform to end the crisis. This would be focused on \"how Catalonia remains in Spain, and not how it leaves\", he added. Addressing the Catalan parliament in Barcelona on Tuesday evening, Mr Puigdemont said the autonomous region had won the right to be independent as a result of the vote. He urged the international community to recognise Catalonia as an \"independent and sovereign state\". He said the \"people's will\" was to break away from Madrid but he also said he wanted to \"de-escalate\" the tension around the issue. With this in mind he announced that he was \"suspending the effects of the declaration of independence\" for more talks with the Madrid government, which he said were needed to reach a solution. He and other Catalan leaders then signed the declaration of independence. It is not clear if the declaration has any legal status. Crowds of independence supporters in Barcelona cheered Mr Puigdemont's initial remarks but many expressed disappointment as he clarified his stance. Catalonia is one of Spain's wealthiest regions but a stream of companies has announced plans to move head offices out of the province in response to the crisis. The European Union has made clear that should Catalonia split from Spain, the region would cease to be part of the EU. Are you in Catalonia? What do you think of the latest developments? E-mail us at [email protected] You can also contact us in the following ways: - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - WhatsApp: +44 7525 900971 - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international) - Please read our terms & conditions", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3958, "answer_start": 2576, "text": "Katya Adler, BBC Europe editor, Madrid Spain's prime minister tried today to put the ball back in the Catalan court. He's asked the Catalan president to clarify if he is making a declaration of independence or not. There is no official timeframe for the response, although political sources and Spanish media are now talking about five days (and then there is an argument about whether that includes the weekend and Thursday's national holiday). In the meantime, sources in the Senate (Spain's upper house of parliament, where Prime Minister Rajoy's Popular Party has a majority) say the request has been made to trigger Article 155 of the Spanish constitution, under which Mr Rajoy would be able to suspend Catalan autonomy - possibly immediately, or bit by bit. Prime Minister Rajoy has threatened to use Article 155 if Catalan independence is declared but the article has not yet been activated. Article 155 has never been used before, so we are in a kind of Brexit situation before Article 50 was triggered. The article legally exists but there are disagreements about how far-reaching it is, how it would/should work (and how quickly) in practice. Reports in Spanish media suggest that if the Spanish prime minister activates Article 155 in the absence of a response from the Catalan president, pro-independence parties in the Catalan parliament will then declare independence." } ], "id": "9042_0", "question": "What happens next?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "On Thursday, the UK and EU announced news of a new Brexit deal - but Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) almost immediately rejected it. It insists its 10 MPs will not vote for it in Parliament, meaning the government faces a massive challenge in getting enough other MPs on board. Here's how the new Brexit deal differs from Theresa May's plan, why the DUP won't vote for it - and why that matters. When the first deal was agreed, it included the backstop - the insurance policy to maintain a seamless border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit happens. The backstop would have seen the whole of the UK retaining a very close relationship with the EU - staying in the customs union - for an indefinite period. It would also have meant Northern Ireland staying even more closely tied to some rules of the EU single market. The arrangements would have applied unless and until both the EU and UK agreed a different solution. But it was rejected on three separate occasions by MPs voting in the Commons. It contains several elements, which together, the EU believes can replace the backstop - but crucially, they would operate on a permanent basis. The whole of the UK would leave the customs union - but EU customs procedures would still apply on goods coming into Northern Ireland from Great Britain in order to avoid checks at the Irish border. Northern Ireland would also be able to participate in any trade deals the UK strikes with countries in the future. But the newest proposal - and the one that has divided opinion - relates to the Northern Ireland Assembly getting a say on how the rules on customs arrangements would work. The revised protocol states Stormont would get a vote four years after the end of the transition period - so in 2024. A straight - or simple - majority vote by the 90 MLAs would keep the arrangements in place for another four years. Alternatively, if the arrangements got cross-community consent, passed by most nationalists and most unionists, they would remain in place for eight years. If the assembly voted to end the arrangements, there would be a two-year notice period, during which the UK and the EU would have to agree ways to protect the peace process and avoid a hard border. During the Brexit negotiations, the DUP argued that any role for Stormont needed to be on a cross-community basis - in line with how many votes in the Stormont assembly normally take place. But other political parties had argued that it would have amounted to a unionist veto, which could allow the DUP to stop Northern Ireland from following EU rules. What is now on the table means the DUP would not have control over the process because pro-EU parties have a narrow majority at Stormont. The last assembly election in March 2017 also saw unionism lose its overall majority for the first time, coming eight seats short of the 46 required. On Thursday, the party argued the consent mechanism in the deal \"drove a coach and horses\" through the Good Friday Agreement, which established rules for how the Stormont institutions should work. The DUP also said it could not back the proposals on customs or VAT, and that the deal posed a risk to the integrity of the union. It had previously conceded to supporting regulatory checks in the Irish Sea - but has refused to budge any further. Since 2017, the DUP has held the balance of power at Westminster. Its 10 votes were crucial for Theresa May to get laws passed in Parliament - and if Boris Johnson is to get his Brexit deal through the Commons, he needs the votes of as many MPs as possible. He currently does not have a majority and had been hoping the DUP would support the deal in order to make the parliamentary arithmetic smoother. The government knows that some staunch Brexiteers in the Conservative (and Unionist) Party are likely to listen carefully to the DUP's verdict on the deal, before deciding how to vote. In short, without the DUP's backing it seems almost impossible for Boris Johnson to get a deal through Parliament, without relying heavily on Labour MPs. And even some Brexit supporters in their ranks have expressed concerns, with NI-born Labour MP Kate Hoey tweeting that the government had \"not thought through\" the implications of what it had signed up to. Sinn Fein and the SDLP - the nationalist parties at Stormont - have cautiously welcomed the plan, suggesting that if the alternative is no deal - and a hard border - then it should receive support. The Ulster Unionist Party criticised it, with the party's Brexit spokesperson Steve Aiken saying that it would be \"better to remain in the EU\" than back Mr Johnson's plan. The Alliance Party said the new deal seemed more \"clunky and complex\" than Theresa May's proposals - and that continuous votes in the assembly meant more uncertainty for businesses in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland's government collapsed in January 2017, after a row between the power-sharing parties. There have been several attempts to get Stormont restored, and the UK and EU say the first vote on Brexit would not happen until 2024, in the hope the assembly will have returned by then. UK and EU negotiators said it was important to ensure there was \"democratic consent\" from Northern Ireland on EU arrangements applying in the future. In the event, however, that Stormont is not sitting by the time a vote is due to take place, the UK has committed to finding an \"alternative process\". It has not yet specified how that would work, but it is thought the government would still try to facilitate some kind of vote in the assembly.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1046, "answer_start": 415, "text": "When the first deal was agreed, it included the backstop - the insurance policy to maintain a seamless border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit happens. The backstop would have seen the whole of the UK retaining a very close relationship with the EU - staying in the customs union - for an indefinite period. It would also have meant Northern Ireland staying even more closely tied to some rules of the EU single market. The arrangements would have applied unless and until both the EU and UK agreed a different solution. But it was rejected on three separate occasions by MPs voting in the Commons." } ], "id": "9043_0", "question": "What was in the original plan for Northern Ireland?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2265, "answer_start": 1047, "text": "It contains several elements, which together, the EU believes can replace the backstop - but crucially, they would operate on a permanent basis. The whole of the UK would leave the customs union - but EU customs procedures would still apply on goods coming into Northern Ireland from Great Britain in order to avoid checks at the Irish border. Northern Ireland would also be able to participate in any trade deals the UK strikes with countries in the future. But the newest proposal - and the one that has divided opinion - relates to the Northern Ireland Assembly getting a say on how the rules on customs arrangements would work. The revised protocol states Stormont would get a vote four years after the end of the transition period - so in 2024. A straight - or simple - majority vote by the 90 MLAs would keep the arrangements in place for another four years. Alternatively, if the arrangements got cross-community consent, passed by most nationalists and most unionists, they would remain in place for eight years. If the assembly voted to end the arrangements, there would be a two-year notice period, during which the UK and the EU would have to agree ways to protect the peace process and avoid a hard border." } ], "id": "9043_1", "question": "So how does the new plan differ from the backstop?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3350, "answer_start": 2266, "text": "During the Brexit negotiations, the DUP argued that any role for Stormont needed to be on a cross-community basis - in line with how many votes in the Stormont assembly normally take place. But other political parties had argued that it would have amounted to a unionist veto, which could allow the DUP to stop Northern Ireland from following EU rules. What is now on the table means the DUP would not have control over the process because pro-EU parties have a narrow majority at Stormont. The last assembly election in March 2017 also saw unionism lose its overall majority for the first time, coming eight seats short of the 46 required. On Thursday, the party argued the consent mechanism in the deal \"drove a coach and horses\" through the Good Friday Agreement, which established rules for how the Stormont institutions should work. The DUP also said it could not back the proposals on customs or VAT, and that the deal posed a risk to the integrity of the union. It had previously conceded to supporting regulatory checks in the Irish Sea - but has refused to budge any further." } ], "id": "9043_2", "question": "Why does the DUP not like it?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4298, "answer_start": 3351, "text": "Since 2017, the DUP has held the balance of power at Westminster. Its 10 votes were crucial for Theresa May to get laws passed in Parliament - and if Boris Johnson is to get his Brexit deal through the Commons, he needs the votes of as many MPs as possible. He currently does not have a majority and had been hoping the DUP would support the deal in order to make the parliamentary arithmetic smoother. The government knows that some staunch Brexiteers in the Conservative (and Unionist) Party are likely to listen carefully to the DUP's verdict on the deal, before deciding how to vote. In short, without the DUP's backing it seems almost impossible for Boris Johnson to get a deal through Parliament, without relying heavily on Labour MPs. And even some Brexit supporters in their ranks have expressed concerns, with NI-born Labour MP Kate Hoey tweeting that the government had \"not thought through\" the implications of what it had signed up to." } ], "id": "9043_3", "question": "Why does the DUP's view matter?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4870, "answer_start": 4299, "text": "Sinn Fein and the SDLP - the nationalist parties at Stormont - have cautiously welcomed the plan, suggesting that if the alternative is no deal - and a hard border - then it should receive support. The Ulster Unionist Party criticised it, with the party's Brexit spokesperson Steve Aiken saying that it would be \"better to remain in the EU\" than back Mr Johnson's plan. The Alliance Party said the new deal seemed more \"clunky and complex\" than Theresa May's proposals - and that continuous votes in the assembly meant more uncertainty for businesses in Northern Ireland." } ], "id": "9043_4", "question": "What have others in Northern Ireland said about it?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5607, "answer_start": 4871, "text": "Northern Ireland's government collapsed in January 2017, after a row between the power-sharing parties. There have been several attempts to get Stormont restored, and the UK and EU say the first vote on Brexit would not happen until 2024, in the hope the assembly will have returned by then. UK and EU negotiators said it was important to ensure there was \"democratic consent\" from Northern Ireland on EU arrangements applying in the future. In the event, however, that Stormont is not sitting by the time a vote is due to take place, the UK has committed to finding an \"alternative process\". It has not yet specified how that would work, but it is thought the government would still try to facilitate some kind of vote in the assembly." } ], "id": "9043_5", "question": "Stormont hasn't functioned for more than 1,000 days - so why propose a role for it in a Brexit deal?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "With tensions rising after Iran seized a British-flagged tanker in the Persian Gulf, oil prices have been volatile, sparking fears a jump in petrol prices could lie ahead. The AA warned that prolonged uncertainty over the safety of international ships carrying oil through the Strait of Hormuz could keep UK petrol prices at already high levels this summer. And the UK has warned Iran there could be \"serious\" diplomatic consequences if it does not release the Stena Impero tanker, suggesting there could be more disruption ahead. Petrol is made from oil and threats to supply can push up costs for consumers. Iran apparently seized the Stena Impero in retaliation for the detention of one of its own tankers by British forces off Gibraltar, but it followed months of tension between the US and Iran who have accused each other of aggressive behaviour in the region. In that time Tehran has been implicated in attacks on six other oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a build up of US and UK naval forces in the area. There are now fears that Iran might try to block the strait, a strategically important shipping route that lies off its south coast, effectively choking off access to the oil-rich Persian Gulf. That would cut off access to about a fifth of the world's oil and a quarter of its natural gas. Most believe a diplomatic solution is still the most likely outcome. However if Iran did close the strait (which it has not so far threatened to do) it would \"drive up oil prices significantly\", says David Balston, head of the UK Chamber of Shipping. \"There are oil terminals outside of the Gulf but they are limited so you would have to find markets elsewhere. \"It would significantly push up petrol and gas prices in the UK,\" he adds, because 5% of the country's oil and 13% of its natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz. And without a diplomatic solution, it would be likely to spark a \"military response\" from Western allies, he says. Global oil prices have been volatile in recent weeks because of the tensions, but it's \"not been too dramatic\", says John Hall, chairman of the Alpha Energy Group consultancy. A barrel of Brent Crude - considered the international benchmark - stood at about $63.5 on Monday, more than $10 below its 2019 highs. Mr Hall thinks this is partly because the market - which dictates the price of oil - has tired of \"threats and bluster\" from US President Donald Trump against Iran that never go any further. \"Until recently, every time Trump tweeted the market moved but investors are becoming immune,\" Mr Hall says. Instead investors are looking at the \"fundamentals\" in the oil market, which aren't very healthy. The Chinese economy is slowing down so demand from the world's second largest consumer of oil could slip. And attempts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) such as Saudi Arabia, along with Russia, to prop up prices by cutting output have largely failed because of a vast increase in US production. \"There is a view is there will be too much oil in the market through the rest of this year, which will restrain prices,\" says Mr Hall. The AA says that UK fuel prices at the start of the summer getaway, last week, were at their highest level since 2014, at 128.5p a litre for unleaded and 131.7p for diesel. Luke Bodstadt, the AA's fuel price spokesman, says the tensions with Iran have played a role and that prices are not likely to fall for the next few months. He is not expecting a big spike unless the dispute seriously escalates, but says a \"bigger risk to drivers\" would be a further fall in the pound against the dollar. Oil is sold on international markets in dollars, while sterling has been trading near two-year lows amid heightened chances of a no-deal Brexit. Alpha Energy Group's Mr Hall says Iran is unlikely to shut the Strait of Hormuz, but if it does we could see a \"massive shortage\" of oil pushing prices up to perhaps $100 a barrel. \"If it was really serious I think you could expect petrol to go up 20p a litre, that's a conservative estimate,\" he says. The more immediate issue is how the UK will respond to the seizure of the Stena tanker, he says. \"At the moment there is a serious diplomatic game running between Iran, the US and the UK with Iran deliberately being provocative.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1968, "answer_start": 610, "text": "Iran apparently seized the Stena Impero in retaliation for the detention of one of its own tankers by British forces off Gibraltar, but it followed months of tension between the US and Iran who have accused each other of aggressive behaviour in the region. In that time Tehran has been implicated in attacks on six other oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a build up of US and UK naval forces in the area. There are now fears that Iran might try to block the strait, a strategically important shipping route that lies off its south coast, effectively choking off access to the oil-rich Persian Gulf. That would cut off access to about a fifth of the world's oil and a quarter of its natural gas. Most believe a diplomatic solution is still the most likely outcome. However if Iran did close the strait (which it has not so far threatened to do) it would \"drive up oil prices significantly\", says David Balston, head of the UK Chamber of Shipping. \"There are oil terminals outside of the Gulf but they are limited so you would have to find markets elsewhere. \"It would significantly push up petrol and gas prices in the UK,\" he adds, because 5% of the country's oil and 13% of its natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz. And without a diplomatic solution, it would be likely to spark a \"military response\" from Western allies, he says." } ], "id": "9044_0", "question": "How does the Iran situation affect oil prices?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3137, "answer_start": 1969, "text": "Global oil prices have been volatile in recent weeks because of the tensions, but it's \"not been too dramatic\", says John Hall, chairman of the Alpha Energy Group consultancy. A barrel of Brent Crude - considered the international benchmark - stood at about $63.5 on Monday, more than $10 below its 2019 highs. Mr Hall thinks this is partly because the market - which dictates the price of oil - has tired of \"threats and bluster\" from US President Donald Trump against Iran that never go any further. \"Until recently, every time Trump tweeted the market moved but investors are becoming immune,\" Mr Hall says. Instead investors are looking at the \"fundamentals\" in the oil market, which aren't very healthy. The Chinese economy is slowing down so demand from the world's second largest consumer of oil could slip. And attempts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) such as Saudi Arabia, along with Russia, to prop up prices by cutting output have largely failed because of a vast increase in US production. \"There is a view is there will be too much oil in the market through the rest of this year, which will restrain prices,\" says Mr Hall." } ], "id": "9044_1", "question": "What's going on with oil prices now?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4310, "answer_start": 3138, "text": "The AA says that UK fuel prices at the start of the summer getaway, last week, were at their highest level since 2014, at 128.5p a litre for unleaded and 131.7p for diesel. Luke Bodstadt, the AA's fuel price spokesman, says the tensions with Iran have played a role and that prices are not likely to fall for the next few months. He is not expecting a big spike unless the dispute seriously escalates, but says a \"bigger risk to drivers\" would be a further fall in the pound against the dollar. Oil is sold on international markets in dollars, while sterling has been trading near two-year lows amid heightened chances of a no-deal Brexit. Alpha Energy Group's Mr Hall says Iran is unlikely to shut the Strait of Hormuz, but if it does we could see a \"massive shortage\" of oil pushing prices up to perhaps $100 a barrel. \"If it was really serious I think you could expect petrol to go up 20p a litre, that's a conservative estimate,\" he says. The more immediate issue is how the UK will respond to the seizure of the Stena tanker, he says. \"At the moment there is a serious diplomatic game running between Iran, the US and the UK with Iran deliberately being provocative.\"" } ], "id": "9044_2", "question": "What does this all mean for petrol prices?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Adulthood is about to come a lot earlier in life for many in Japan. The government has enacted a bill lowering the age of adulthood from 20 to 18, which will affect millions across the country when it takes effect in 2022. It's the first time the age of adulthood has been changed since it was set in 1876. The biggest change is they will be able to get married without parental consent. Currently, males over the age of 18 and females 16 and over can marry - but only with the say-so of their parents. Otherwise you need to be 20. But the revised Civil Code raises the age at which women can get married and means all 18-year-olds will be able to wed without parental consent. They'll also be able to apply for credit cards and make loans without parental approval and, if they want, they can obtain a passport valid for 10 years. Currently, minors are only allowed passports valid for five years, and need a parent or guardian's signature. As part of the lowering of the adulthood age, revisions have been made to more than 20 laws, including those on nationality and certain professional qualifications such as being a chartered accountant. Those who have been diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder will be able to apply to have their gender legally changed at the age of 18. Though they are technically adults, 18-year-olds in Japan will remain banned from drinking alcohol, smoking, gambling and adopting children. They'll still have to wait until they turn 20 for that. Many on social media aren't very excited about the new bill. \"So I'll be 18 years old and an adult but I won't be able to drink alcohol or gamble?\" asked one user on Twitter. \"That doesn't make sense.\" \"I can take a loan when I'm 18, but drinking will still be prohibited,\" another user pointed out. Some also pointed out that there might be confusion around the Coming of Age ceremony - a Japanese holiday that is held in January every year for those aged 20 to officially welcome them into adulthood. \"So what happens to our Coming of Age ceremony? Do we still celebrate it when we're 20?\" said one Twitter user. \"January is university entrance exam season for 18-year-olds. So we can't have our Coming of Age ceremony then... so when is it going to be?\" one Japanese user asked. There have been arguments around the legal age of adulthood in Japan for decades, and the Legislative Council of the Ministry of Justice had in 2009 released a report recommending the age of adulthood be lowered to 18. Members of the governing Liberal Democratic Party say lowering the legal age of adulthood will help revitalise an ageing society with a falling birthrate. In 2015, the government lowered the voting age from 20 to 18. The law is only set to take effect in April 2022, so unfortunately, those that are currently 18 will still have to wait until 20 before they are legally considered adults. This means that today's 14-year-olds will be among the first batch of teenagers to fall under the new law - only four years to go. Additional reporting by the BBC's Sakiko Shiraishi", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1280, "answer_start": 307, "text": "The biggest change is they will be able to get married without parental consent. Currently, males over the age of 18 and females 16 and over can marry - but only with the say-so of their parents. Otherwise you need to be 20. But the revised Civil Code raises the age at which women can get married and means all 18-year-olds will be able to wed without parental consent. They'll also be able to apply for credit cards and make loans without parental approval and, if they want, they can obtain a passport valid for 10 years. Currently, minors are only allowed passports valid for five years, and need a parent or guardian's signature. As part of the lowering of the adulthood age, revisions have been made to more than 20 laws, including those on nationality and certain professional qualifications such as being a chartered accountant. Those who have been diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder will be able to apply to have their gender legally changed at the age of 18." } ], "id": "9045_0", "question": "What will 18-year-olds be allowed to do?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1477, "answer_start": 1281, "text": "Though they are technically adults, 18-year-olds in Japan will remain banned from drinking alcohol, smoking, gambling and adopting children. They'll still have to wait until they turn 20 for that." } ], "id": "9045_1", "question": "What won't they be allowed to do?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2259, "answer_start": 1478, "text": "Many on social media aren't very excited about the new bill. \"So I'll be 18 years old and an adult but I won't be able to drink alcohol or gamble?\" asked one user on Twitter. \"That doesn't make sense.\" \"I can take a loan when I'm 18, but drinking will still be prohibited,\" another user pointed out. Some also pointed out that there might be confusion around the Coming of Age ceremony - a Japanese holiday that is held in January every year for those aged 20 to officially welcome them into adulthood. \"So what happens to our Coming of Age ceremony? Do we still celebrate it when we're 20?\" said one Twitter user. \"January is university entrance exam season for 18-year-olds. So we can't have our Coming of Age ceremony then... so when is it going to be?\" one Japanese user asked." } ], "id": "9045_2", "question": "How are people reacting to this?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2695, "answer_start": 2260, "text": "There have been arguments around the legal age of adulthood in Japan for decades, and the Legislative Council of the Ministry of Justice had in 2009 released a report recommending the age of adulthood be lowered to 18. Members of the governing Liberal Democratic Party say lowering the legal age of adulthood will help revitalise an ageing society with a falling birthrate. In 2015, the government lowered the voting age from 20 to 18." } ], "id": "9045_3", "question": "Why the change?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Taiwan, one of the world's feistiest democracies, will elect a new president and parliament on 16 January. The BBC's Cindy Sui explains why this might just be one of its most significant polls yet. The fundamental issue at the heart of any discussion of Taiwan is its relationship with China, which views it as a breakaway province that will one day be reunited with the mainland. In the eight years that President Ma Ying-jeou, from the Kuomintang (KMT) party, has been in power, he has focused on improving relations with China. This era has seen the rivals on the most cordial terms since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. But when he completes his second term in May, he cannot run again. And many are uncomfortable with having the KMT, which supports the notion that Taiwan and the mainland are part of one China, continue to negotiate deals and develop relations with Beijing. These people are expected to vote for the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which does not share that view. Meanwhile the fight for a majority of the 113 seats in the parliament, known as the Legislative Yuan, is also considered critical. Polls show the KMT risks losing its majority for the first time in Taiwan's history. More than 20 agreements Taiwan signed with China in the past eight years have brought first-ever direct flights and shipping links, increased cultural and academic exchanges and co-operation on many fronts, as well as around 4 million Chinese tourists here last year. But many people, while glad to see tensions reduced, fear President Ma's administration and party may be making Taiwan too economically dependent on the mainland. They fear this could lead to political risks, namely a loss of Taiwan's independence and democracy and an inability to fend off pressure from China to reunify one day. These elections come as the export-dependent economy, which has historically manufactured products for other countries cheaply, struggles to reinvent itself. It faces growing pressures, including slowing global demand, and increasing competition from similar economies like South Korea, as well as emerging economies like China. Economic growth was barely 1% in 2014, while unemployment is nearly 4% - considered high here - and per capita nominal gross domestic product (annual income) is only around US$22,000 (PS14,930), much lower than that of its developed Asian neighbours. Wages are also stagnating, even as companies make profits, leaving many to believe it's mainly businesses, not ordinary people, which have benefited from the closer trade ties with China. This is not just about the politicians trying to make the argument for a different kind of relationship with China. There are regional and global implications. Role model: Although direct presidential elections only began in 1996, Taiwan has become a true democracy, seen as a role model for other Asian countries. It is also the only ethnic Chinese society that has universal suffrage and democratic elections. Taiwan's elections are closely watched not only by China's government, but increasingly curious Chinese citizens and could influence the development of democracy there, given the similarities in language and culture. Taiwan-China relations: Taiwan is at a crossroads in its relationship with China: who is elected will define this. Trade, tourism and other exchanges could suffer if the China-wary opposition party DPP regains power and antagonises Beijing, whereas a KMT victory could bring about further opening of China's and Taiwan's markets to each other, more economic integration, perhaps progress towards mutual trust and even lasting peace - albeit with the risks to Taiwan's sovereignty. Regional peace: If the DPP is elected and tries to promote Taiwan's independence or separate identity from China, this could cause tensions to resurface. That is worrying not only for Taiwanese people and their neighbours, but also the United States, which is bound by law to provide Taiwan the means to defend itself and could be drawn into a military conflict. As unlikely as war may seem, the two sides have yet to sign a peace treaty. China, increasing military spending every year, also has hundreds of missiles targeted at Taiwan. Ahead of the election, the Chinese government has repeated its strong stance against Taiwan independence. It feels Taiwan was first wrongfully snatched from China in 1895 to become a Japanese colony and later separated because of the civil war, and sees the unification of the country as a central goal. Opinion polls by local media show the opposition DPP's candidate Tsai Ing-wen enjoying about 45% of support from potential voters, far ahead of the ruling KMT party candidate Eric Chu's around 20%, and the smaller People First Party (PFP) candidate James Soong's 10%. Who are Taiwan's presidential election candidates? But some 25% of the eligible voters remain undecided. There are 700,000 more eligible voters in this election than the last one, and most of them are young, first-time voters. Some of them prefer new smaller parties promoting environmental and social causes.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2596, "answer_start": 1829, "text": "These elections come as the export-dependent economy, which has historically manufactured products for other countries cheaply, struggles to reinvent itself. It faces growing pressures, including slowing global demand, and increasing competition from similar economies like South Korea, as well as emerging economies like China. Economic growth was barely 1% in 2014, while unemployment is nearly 4% - considered high here - and per capita nominal gross domestic product (annual income) is only around US$22,000 (PS14,930), much lower than that of its developed Asian neighbours. Wages are also stagnating, even as companies make profits, leaving many to believe it's mainly businesses, not ordinary people, which have benefited from the closer trade ties with China." } ], "id": "9046_0", "question": "What are the most important domestic issues?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4548, "answer_start": 2597, "text": "This is not just about the politicians trying to make the argument for a different kind of relationship with China. There are regional and global implications. Role model: Although direct presidential elections only began in 1996, Taiwan has become a true democracy, seen as a role model for other Asian countries. It is also the only ethnic Chinese society that has universal suffrage and democratic elections. Taiwan's elections are closely watched not only by China's government, but increasingly curious Chinese citizens and could influence the development of democracy there, given the similarities in language and culture. Taiwan-China relations: Taiwan is at a crossroads in its relationship with China: who is elected will define this. Trade, tourism and other exchanges could suffer if the China-wary opposition party DPP regains power and antagonises Beijing, whereas a KMT victory could bring about further opening of China's and Taiwan's markets to each other, more economic integration, perhaps progress towards mutual trust and even lasting peace - albeit with the risks to Taiwan's sovereignty. Regional peace: If the DPP is elected and tries to promote Taiwan's independence or separate identity from China, this could cause tensions to resurface. That is worrying not only for Taiwanese people and their neighbours, but also the United States, which is bound by law to provide Taiwan the means to defend itself and could be drawn into a military conflict. As unlikely as war may seem, the two sides have yet to sign a peace treaty. China, increasing military spending every year, also has hundreds of missiles targeted at Taiwan. Ahead of the election, the Chinese government has repeated its strong stance against Taiwan independence. It feels Taiwan was first wrongfully snatched from China in 1895 to become a Japanese colony and later separated because of the civil war, and sees the unification of the country as a central goal." } ], "id": "9046_1", "question": "How could the outcome affect other countries?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5126, "answer_start": 4549, "text": "Opinion polls by local media show the opposition DPP's candidate Tsai Ing-wen enjoying about 45% of support from potential voters, far ahead of the ruling KMT party candidate Eric Chu's around 20%, and the smaller People First Party (PFP) candidate James Soong's 10%. Who are Taiwan's presidential election candidates? But some 25% of the eligible voters remain undecided. There are 700,000 more eligible voters in this election than the last one, and most of them are young, first-time voters. Some of them prefer new smaller parties promoting environmental and social causes." } ], "id": "9046_2", "question": "Who is tipped to win?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Yahoo has revealed that login details for up to one billion accounts have gone missing. The massive breach was discovered while it investigated a separate attack that had compromised data on about 500 million accounts. Yahoo said it suspected a state-sponsored attacker was involved in both thefts. Perhaps because information about the breach came from intelligence agencies that monitor the groups and military units that conduct these kinds of operations. Analysis of the methods and tools the attackers used as well as their ultimate targets probably betrayed who was ultimately behind it. Pete Barbour, head of the incident response at security firm Context-IS, acknowledged that pinning the blame on someone for an attack is tricky but said nation-state operations have a \"distinctive character\" that becomes obvious during investigation. \"You know it when you see it,\" he said. They vary widely and the sophistication of an attack is usually proportional to the defences attackers must overcome, said Mr Barbour. In the case of Yahoo, a large organisation struggling to manage networks and applications from lots of different divisions, well-known techniques including \"cookie manipulation\" and a password-beating approach known as \"pass the hash\" seem to have been enough. In others, far more innovative approaches have been used. Last year security firm FireEye uncovered stealthy malware it named Hammertoss, put together by a Russian group that used a combination of accounts on Twitter, Github and cloud services, to co-ordinate the theft of information. Not always. But attacks carried out by nation states and the most skilled cyber-crime groups are almost always targeted and contain some custom element. Often this can just involve trawling social media for information about the families, friends and hobbies of targets - typically senior executives. Spoofed emails from friends or sports clubs can lend credibility to messages so they are more likely to be opened. These phishing emails are a common staple of many types of attacks and often a lot of effort is put into crafting them to look more convincing. This goes just beyond making it look like it comes from someone you know. Chinese state-backed groups are known to create entire documents that targets will be tempted to read. Many use convincing letterheads, logos and language to make them look all the more legitimate. About 75% of all cyber-attacks have a financial motive, suggest figures gathered by Verizon for its annual data breach incident report. Espionage, nation-state attacks, counts for about 15% of the total. However, said Mr Barbour, the skill and resources government-backed or military groups can bring to bear means they are more likely to succeed. Typically, he said, attackers working for a foreign power are well-drilled and know exactly what to do. In one incident, forensic work by Context-IS analysts revealed that an attacker had accidentally triggered the shutdown on a Windows machine they were stealing data from. The attacker knew exactly what they had to do to cover their tracks and swiftly got it done before the machine went dark. They can't and shouldn't look to stop everything, said Jonathan Care, head of research at analysts Gartner. Companies had to accept that they were going to be breached, put in place detection systems and prepare for the day when it happens, he said. Gartner suggests that firms spend about 75% of their security budget on protecting their virtual borders. But it advised that they do more to spot intruders when they get in and to ensure they have a plan for how to handle a breach after it is uncovered. Every company had to realise they were a target, said Mr Care, citing an example of one firm that recycled old printers that never thought cyber-thieves would be interested in it. However, he said, the organisation was attacked because confidential data about high value individuals was sitting on the old printers. Companies did have some defences that were likely to start to make a difference in the near future, he added. Machine learning - a form of artificial intelligence in which computers gain skills without being explicitly programmed to solve a task - holds promise. Networks using this skill should be better at defending themselves, Mr Care explained, as they can analyse huge amounts of data and spot intrusions or data theft before they get too serious.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 884, "answer_start": 299, "text": "Perhaps because information about the breach came from intelligence agencies that monitor the groups and military units that conduct these kinds of operations. Analysis of the methods and tools the attackers used as well as their ultimate targets probably betrayed who was ultimately behind it. Pete Barbour, head of the incident response at security firm Context-IS, acknowledged that pinning the blame on someone for an attack is tricky but said nation-state operations have a \"distinctive character\" that becomes obvious during investigation. \"You know it when you see it,\" he said." } ], "id": "9047_0", "question": "How can it be sure?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1566, "answer_start": 885, "text": "They vary widely and the sophistication of an attack is usually proportional to the defences attackers must overcome, said Mr Barbour. In the case of Yahoo, a large organisation struggling to manage networks and applications from lots of different divisions, well-known techniques including \"cookie manipulation\" and a password-beating approach known as \"pass the hash\" seem to have been enough. In others, far more innovative approaches have been used. Last year security firm FireEye uncovered stealthy malware it named Hammertoss, put together by a Russian group that used a combination of accounts on Twitter, Github and cloud services, to co-ordinate the theft of information." } ], "id": "9047_1", "question": "What techniques do they use?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2398, "answer_start": 1567, "text": "Not always. But attacks carried out by nation states and the most skilled cyber-crime groups are almost always targeted and contain some custom element. Often this can just involve trawling social media for information about the families, friends and hobbies of targets - typically senior executives. Spoofed emails from friends or sports clubs can lend credibility to messages so they are more likely to be opened. These phishing emails are a common staple of many types of attacks and often a lot of effort is put into crafting them to look more convincing. This goes just beyond making it look like it comes from someone you know. Chinese state-backed groups are known to create entire documents that targets will be tempted to read. Many use convincing letterheads, logos and language to make them look all the more legitimate." } ], "id": "9047_2", "question": "Do state-backed hacks always go to such lengths?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3143, "answer_start": 2399, "text": "About 75% of all cyber-attacks have a financial motive, suggest figures gathered by Verizon for its annual data breach incident report. Espionage, nation-state attacks, counts for about 15% of the total. However, said Mr Barbour, the skill and resources government-backed or military groups can bring to bear means they are more likely to succeed. Typically, he said, attackers working for a foreign power are well-drilled and know exactly what to do. In one incident, forensic work by Context-IS analysts revealed that an attacker had accidentally triggered the shutdown on a Windows machine they were stealing data from. The attacker knew exactly what they had to do to cover their tracks and swiftly got it done before the machine went dark." } ], "id": "9047_3", "question": "Are there a lot of these types of attacks?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4418, "answer_start": 3144, "text": "They can't and shouldn't look to stop everything, said Jonathan Care, head of research at analysts Gartner. Companies had to accept that they were going to be breached, put in place detection systems and prepare for the day when it happens, he said. Gartner suggests that firms spend about 75% of their security budget on protecting their virtual borders. But it advised that they do more to spot intruders when they get in and to ensure they have a plan for how to handle a breach after it is uncovered. Every company had to realise they were a target, said Mr Care, citing an example of one firm that recycled old printers that never thought cyber-thieves would be interested in it. However, he said, the organisation was attacked because confidential data about high value individuals was sitting on the old printers. Companies did have some defences that were likely to start to make a difference in the near future, he added. Machine learning - a form of artificial intelligence in which computers gain skills without being explicitly programmed to solve a task - holds promise. Networks using this skill should be better at defending themselves, Mr Care explained, as they can analyse huge amounts of data and spot intrusions or data theft before they get too serious." } ], "id": "9047_4", "question": "How can companies defend themselves against these kinds of attacks?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Russian authorities have told dating-app Tinder it will have to comply with requests to hand over messages and photos of its users in Russia. Under recent Russian laws, 175 companies have been put on a register that requires them to store data for six months on Russian servers. Companies that refuse, like the private messaging app Telegram, risk being blocked in Russia. Tinder said it had \"registered to be compliant\". However, it was adamant that \"this registration in no way shares any user or personal data with any Russian regulatory bodies and we have not handed over any data to their government\". The law requires any website or app on the register to provide local users' data on demand to intelligence servers such as the FSB internal security service. When Telegram refused to hand over users' messages Russian authorities announced last year they were blocking the app. Users instead resorted to anonymous proxies or VPNs (virtual private networks) to continue accessing Telegram. Telegram founder Pavel Durov argued that the block was unconstitutional, but the FSB argued the app had been used by a suicide bomber in a deadly attack on an underground train in St Petersburg. Job-sharing website LinkedIn was blocked in 2016 for failing to comply with the law. Critics say the government is trying to crack down on the internet by stifling dissent and increasing censorship, but authorities say they are trying to prevent terrorism and cyber attacks. Last month, President Vladimir Putin signed into a law a \"sovereign internet\" bill, designed to enable Russian authorities to sever the country's internet from the rest of the world. While the left-right-swiping app said it had not handed over any of its users' data to Russia's communications authority, Roskomnadzor, it did not make clear how it would react to any future requests. Tinder is owned by Dallas-based Match Group in the US.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1903, "answer_start": 607, "text": "The law requires any website or app on the register to provide local users' data on demand to intelligence servers such as the FSB internal security service. When Telegram refused to hand over users' messages Russian authorities announced last year they were blocking the app. Users instead resorted to anonymous proxies or VPNs (virtual private networks) to continue accessing Telegram. Telegram founder Pavel Durov argued that the block was unconstitutional, but the FSB argued the app had been used by a suicide bomber in a deadly attack on an underground train in St Petersburg. Job-sharing website LinkedIn was blocked in 2016 for failing to comply with the law. Critics say the government is trying to crack down on the internet by stifling dissent and increasing censorship, but authorities say they are trying to prevent terrorism and cyber attacks. Last month, President Vladimir Putin signed into a law a \"sovereign internet\" bill, designed to enable Russian authorities to sever the country's internet from the rest of the world. While the left-right-swiping app said it had not handed over any of its users' data to Russia's communications authority, Roskomnadzor, it did not make clear how it would react to any future requests. Tinder is owned by Dallas-based Match Group in the US." } ], "id": "9048_0", "question": "Who has been blocked so far?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "North Korea has pledged to destroy all its nuclear material enrichment facilities, according to the US special envoy for the country, Stephen Biegun. He said the promise had been made to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo when he visited North Korea in October. However Pyongyang has not confirmed making any such pledge. Mr Biegun also said that North Korea must provide a complete list of its nuclear assets before any deal can be reached. Experts believe the North has more than one undeclared nuclear fuel enrichment site aside from the known facility at Yongbyon, north of Pyongyang, and question how the destruction of all facilities could be fully verified. President Donald Trump had earlier claimed \"tremendous progress\" in talks between the countries. Speaking in the Oval Office on Thursday, the president said he would soon announce the date and location of a planned second summit with North Korea's Kim Jong-un. The pair met in Singapore last year, the first meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, and signed an optimistic but vague declaration of their commitment to denuclearisation. Since then little progress has been made. Stephen Biegun has been Washington's top envoy to North Korea for five months but he gave a detailed public accounting of his approach for the first time in a speech at Stanford University in California. Mr Biegun said President Trump was \"ready to end this war\". \"We're not going to invade North Korea. We are not seeking to topple the regime,\" he said. Mr Biegun - who will travel to South Korea on Sunday before meeting North Korean officials - also said Washington was willing to discuss a range of trust-building measures with Pyongyang. He said Kim Jong-un had committed, in his talks with Mr Pompeo, to \"the dismantlement and destruction\" of all its plutonium and uranium facilities, which provide the material for nuclear weapons. But he reiterated that the US would not lift sanctions until denuclearisation was complete, demanding \"a complete understanding of the full extent of the North Korean WMD [weapons of mass destruction] and missile programmes through a comprehensive declaration\". North Korea has long refused to give a full account of its nuclear capacity, and the means by which any surrendering or dismantling of nuclear arms will be verified has always been a sticking point in negotiations. The country has one known nuclear fuel production facility at Yongbyon, which has been the source of plutonium for its nuclear weapons programme. Uranium is also enriched there, according to experts. However there is believed to be at least one other undeclared facility to enrich nuclear fuel in North Korea. US intelligence officials believe Pyongyang has stepped up the enrichment of uranium even while it continues talks with Washington, according to reports. So far Kim Jong-un has committed to allowing experts to verify the destruction of two sites - the Tongchang-ri missile engine testing site and the Punggye-ri nuclear test site. But Mr Biegun admitted that these facilities are \"not critical parts of the current North Korean missile or nuclear programmes\". He said the US position remained that it would not lift sanctions \"until denuclearisation is complete\", but indicated it could provide assistance in other ways, saying: \"We did not say we will not do anything until you do everything.\" He also admitted that North Korea and the US did not have a shared definition of what denuclearisation actually meant. \"We do not have a specific and agreed definition of what final, fully verified denuclearisation or comprehensive, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation - whatever your preferred term of art - is,\" he said. He also said there had been no discussion with North Korea on whether the 28,500 US military personnel stationed in South Korea could be withdrawn as a concessional move. Mr Biegun said the US had \"contingencies\" in place if the diplomatic process collapsed. North Korea has always said its nuclear programme is essential to its survival and that it will never unilaterally give it up unless it no longer faces a nuclear threat from the US. Despite positive noises from the White House, there are still sceptics on the Korean peninsula and in the US. US intelligence chiefs presented the annual Worldwide Threat Assessment report to the US Senate earlier this week, which assessed that North Korea is \"unlikely to give up\" its weapons programme. The report also said Iran was not developing nuclear weapons, as the Trump administration has said, prompting a tweet from the president telling the intelligence heads to \"go back to school\". A further tweet on Thursday said the Senate report had been \"mischaracterised by the media\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2168, "answer_start": 1168, "text": "Stephen Biegun has been Washington's top envoy to North Korea for five months but he gave a detailed public accounting of his approach for the first time in a speech at Stanford University in California. Mr Biegun said President Trump was \"ready to end this war\". \"We're not going to invade North Korea. We are not seeking to topple the regime,\" he said. Mr Biegun - who will travel to South Korea on Sunday before meeting North Korean officials - also said Washington was willing to discuss a range of trust-building measures with Pyongyang. He said Kim Jong-un had committed, in his talks with Mr Pompeo, to \"the dismantlement and destruction\" of all its plutonium and uranium facilities, which provide the material for nuclear weapons. But he reiterated that the US would not lift sanctions until denuclearisation was complete, demanding \"a complete understanding of the full extent of the North Korean WMD [weapons of mass destruction] and missile programmes through a comprehensive declaration\"." } ], "id": "9049_0", "question": "What have we learned?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3153, "answer_start": 2169, "text": "North Korea has long refused to give a full account of its nuclear capacity, and the means by which any surrendering or dismantling of nuclear arms will be verified has always been a sticking point in negotiations. The country has one known nuclear fuel production facility at Yongbyon, which has been the source of plutonium for its nuclear weapons programme. Uranium is also enriched there, according to experts. However there is believed to be at least one other undeclared facility to enrich nuclear fuel in North Korea. US intelligence officials believe Pyongyang has stepped up the enrichment of uranium even while it continues talks with Washington, according to reports. So far Kim Jong-un has committed to allowing experts to verify the destruction of two sites - the Tongchang-ri missile engine testing site and the Punggye-ri nuclear test site. But Mr Biegun admitted that these facilities are \"not critical parts of the current North Korean missile or nuclear programmes\"." } ], "id": "9049_1", "question": "What do we know about these facilities?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4158, "answer_start": 3154, "text": "He said the US position remained that it would not lift sanctions \"until denuclearisation is complete\", but indicated it could provide assistance in other ways, saying: \"We did not say we will not do anything until you do everything.\" He also admitted that North Korea and the US did not have a shared definition of what denuclearisation actually meant. \"We do not have a specific and agreed definition of what final, fully verified denuclearisation or comprehensive, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation - whatever your preferred term of art - is,\" he said. He also said there had been no discussion with North Korea on whether the 28,500 US military personnel stationed in South Korea could be withdrawn as a concessional move. Mr Biegun said the US had \"contingencies\" in place if the diplomatic process collapsed. North Korea has always said its nuclear programme is essential to its survival and that it will never unilaterally give it up unless it no longer faces a nuclear threat from the US." } ], "id": "9049_2", "question": "What else did Biegun say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4748, "answer_start": 4159, "text": "Despite positive noises from the White House, there are still sceptics on the Korean peninsula and in the US. US intelligence chiefs presented the annual Worldwide Threat Assessment report to the US Senate earlier this week, which assessed that North Korea is \"unlikely to give up\" its weapons programme. The report also said Iran was not developing nuclear weapons, as the Trump administration has said, prompting a tweet from the president telling the intelligence heads to \"go back to school\". A further tweet on Thursday said the Senate report had been \"mischaracterised by the media\"." } ], "id": "9049_3", "question": "What do others think?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Bigger and taller mobile phone masts could be built without councils' permission across the countryside, under a proposed overhaul of planning rules in England. It is part of government plans to speed up the roll out of 5G networks and improve mobile coverage in rural areas. Currently masts on public land must be no more than 25m (82ft) high but ministers want to relax these rules. Labour says \"bolder\" plans are needed to boost the UK digital infrastructure. 5G, which uses higher frequency waves than earlier mobile networks, would allow more devices to have access to the internet at the same time and at faster speeds. However, 5G networks require more transmitter masts than previous technologies. Digital Secretary Nicky Morgan, who has launched a consultation on the plans, said \"slightly taller\" masts would mean they could carry more equipment and \"potentially stop the proliferation of other masts - or even take away some\". Asked if new masts could double in height, she said \"Let's ask the question and see what it is people need.\" She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there has to be a balance struck between the landscape and better connectivity. \"This is about broader digital connectivity. So we will obviously look to the mobile companies and those installing those infrastructures to see what it is they actually need. \"And the point is there has to be a balance struck. We all want better phone signal. We all want to be able to download things much more quickly so we have to have the infrastructure there,\" she said. \"We have to make sure it's done in a sensitive way, it respects certain areas of outstanding natural beauty.\" On the possible involvement of Chinese firm Huawei in any rollout, she said: \"I would hope that we can do something by the autumn,\" adding that it has to be a decision \"for the long term, making sure that we keep all our networks secure\". The reaction to the government's plans has been mixed. Some fear the masts will be another blot on the landscape. For others - in areas of poor coverage - they cannot come soon enough. Brian Denham, a retired engineer in the Devon town of Colyton, said he has no mobile coverage in his house and only unreliable coverage outside. It has made banking difficult for him as his bank insists he will soon need to get identity verification codes sent to his phone in order to access his account, meaning he will have to go outside to do any banking. \"Anything the networks can do to increase coverage is good in my book,\" he said. \"I don't think a tall mast is particularly unsightly, but then again I am an engineer.\" By Leo Kelion, BBC News Technology desk editor There are several benefits to having a taller mast in a rural setting. Firstly, it can help provide a clearer signal to users' phones. Trees and other tall vegetation can act as \"clutter\" that weakens the signals, so ideally you want your mast to be raised above them to have more chance of achieving direct line of sight and, as a result, potentially faster data speeds. Secondly, taller towers can provide coverage to a greater area. That means you might need to build fewer masts, saving on cost. Thirdly, using taller structures can help make it possible to achieve a link back to one of the telecoms provider's exchanges. In most cases, masts and their base stations are connected to the network via fibre-optic cables - the same kind of technology used to deliver fixed broadband. But sometimes, particularly in the countryside, it can make more sense to turn to a wireless alternative: microwave links. These transmit data back to an exchange or to an intermediary mast through the air rather than via a physical link. However, one limitation of this technology is that it only works if both the microwave dishes involved have perfect line of sight to each other. And if the terrain in between features hills, trees, buildings or other obstructions, then one way around this is to use a tall mast that towers above them. Elisabeth Ek, who lives in a 1930s block in Barnes High Street, takes a different view. She fears the growing number of masts on their roof is an eyesore in the south-west London village. \"We are not stupid,\" she said. \"We understand the national interest but we feel helpless and steamrolled by the phone companies.\" Elizabeth Sim gets hardly any mobile service in the small village of Elsworth just outside Cambridge, where she is parish clerk. She finds the internet \"just disappears\" every morning when lots of people try to log on and says she receives her texts \"in bulk\" whenever she goes into Cambridge. In her village, they have fought to keep their BT telephone box - the only landline in the village available to the public in the event of a road accident. It is now emergency calls only - and there is a further threat of closure as it is \"not making any money\". She says the people of Elsworth would love to be considered in the same way as city dwellers for mobile services. \"I was in Tanzania in the middle of the Serengeti recently visiting my son. I had brilliant mobile coverage,\" she says. This country, she adds, is \"cringingly behind the drag curve with this, but then it is with so much other stuff too\". The consultation comes as the government launches a competition which will see up to 10 rural locations awarded a share of a PS30 million fund to run trials of 5G-related technology. The government said it hoped the scheme, called the Rural Connected Communities competition, could help stimulate investment in 5G and help countryside communities take advantage of the technology. Similar schemes have already been set up in Orkney to remotely monitor salmon fisheries and improve the efficiency of wind farms. In Shropshire, 5G trials have been used to help the farming industry with targeted crop-spraying and soil analysis with drones and tractors. The new funding is expected to build on projects like these and trial other uses of 5G in rural communities to help businesses and encourage innovation. Tom Watson, deputy Labour leader, said the government \"must take bolder, faster action\". \"This funding falls far short of the ambitious roll-out we need to boost our digital infrastructure nationwide. \"5G and full fibre will be the basis of the innovative, green technologies that will underpin our future economy, but the UK's digital infrastructure is lagging embarrassingly behind\", he said. Mobile UK, which represents mobile phone companies EE, O2, Three and Vodafone, said the current planning system did not support a fast and efficient 5G roll out. Hamish MacLeod, director of the trade association, said: \"We welcome the government looking at simplifying planning processes to deliver better connectivity, and we stand ready to work in partnership to ensure these much needed reforms happen as quickly as possible.\" An EE spokesman welcomed the consultation, saying the company shared the government's ambition to provide better coverage in rural areas, prioritising those that have no coverage at all. 5G is the next (fifth) generation of mobile internet connectivity, promising much faster data download and upload speeds, wider coverage and more stable connections. Existing spectrum bands are becoming congested, leading to breakdowns - particularly when many people in one area are trying to access services at the same time. 5G can also handle many more thousands of devices simultaneously per square kilometre, from phones to equipment sensors, video cameras to smart street lights. Current 4G mobile networks can offer speeds of about 45mbps (megabits per second) on average. Experts say 5G - which is starting to be introduced in the UK this year - could achieve browsing and downloads up to 20 times faster.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3980, "answer_start": 2606, "text": "By Leo Kelion, BBC News Technology desk editor There are several benefits to having a taller mast in a rural setting. Firstly, it can help provide a clearer signal to users' phones. Trees and other tall vegetation can act as \"clutter\" that weakens the signals, so ideally you want your mast to be raised above them to have more chance of achieving direct line of sight and, as a result, potentially faster data speeds. Secondly, taller towers can provide coverage to a greater area. That means you might need to build fewer masts, saving on cost. Thirdly, using taller structures can help make it possible to achieve a link back to one of the telecoms provider's exchanges. In most cases, masts and their base stations are connected to the network via fibre-optic cables - the same kind of technology used to deliver fixed broadband. But sometimes, particularly in the countryside, it can make more sense to turn to a wireless alternative: microwave links. These transmit data back to an exchange or to an intermediary mast through the air rather than via a physical link. However, one limitation of this technology is that it only works if both the microwave dishes involved have perfect line of sight to each other. And if the terrain in between features hills, trees, buildings or other obstructions, then one way around this is to use a tall mast that towers above them." } ], "id": "9050_0", "question": "Why do we need taller masts?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 7739, "answer_start": 7025, "text": "5G is the next (fifth) generation of mobile internet connectivity, promising much faster data download and upload speeds, wider coverage and more stable connections. Existing spectrum bands are becoming congested, leading to breakdowns - particularly when many people in one area are trying to access services at the same time. 5G can also handle many more thousands of devices simultaneously per square kilometre, from phones to equipment sensors, video cameras to smart street lights. Current 4G mobile networks can offer speeds of about 45mbps (megabits per second) on average. Experts say 5G - which is starting to be introduced in the UK this year - could achieve browsing and downloads up to 20 times faster." } ], "id": "9050_1", "question": "What is 5G?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The UN Security Council has called on warring factions in South Sudan to immediately end the recent fighting and prevent the spread of violence. In a unanimous statement, the council condemned the fighting \"in the strongest terms\" and expressed \"particular shock and outrage\" at attacks on UN sites. It also called for additional peacekeepers to be sent to South Sudan. More than 200 people are reported to have died in clashes since Friday. The fighting broke out when troops loyal to President Salva Kiir and first Vice-President Riek Machar began shooting at each other in the streets of the South Sudanese capital, Juba. Relations between the two men have been fractious since independence in 2011. Despite a peace deal last year ending a civil war, each side accuses the other of bad faith. The weekend's violence later escalated, with tanks, helicopter gunships and troops using rocket-propelled grenades involved. Those killed include a Chinese UN peacekeeper. Several other peacekeepers and a number of civilians are reported to have been injured in crossfire. A UN spokeswoman in Juba, Shantal Persaud, said the latest fighting had caused hundreds of internally displaced people to take refuge in UN premises. She said both South Sudanese leaders were responsible for implementing last year's peace agreement, which included a permanent ceasefire and the deployment of forces away from Juba. Information Minister Michael Makuei told the BBC that the situation in the city was now \"under full control\" and civilians who had fled should return to their homes. Mr Machar's military spokesman, Col William Gatjiath, accused officials loyal to the president of lying, and said there had been at least 10 hours of clashes on Sunday. \"The situation in South Sudan is uncontrollable because Salva Kiir and his followers are not ready to follow the peace agreement,\" he said. In a statement on Sunday, the US state department said it strongly condemned the latest outbreak of fighting in Juba. Spokesman John Kirby said Washington had ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel from the US embassy in Juba. Mr Kiir and Mr Machar had met at the presidential palace on Friday and issued a call for calm. Calm was apparently restored on Saturday but heavy gunfire broke out again on Sunday near a military barracks occupied by troops loyal to Mr Machar. July 2011 - South Sudan becomes an independent country, after more than 20 years of guerrilla warfare, which claimed the lives of at least 1.5 million people and displaced more than four million. December 2013 - Civil war breaks out after President Salva Kiir sacks the cabinet and accuses Vice-President Riek Machar of planning a coup. The war is fought broadly between the country's biggest ethnic groups - the Dinka, led by Mr Kiir, and the Nuer, under Mr Machar. More than 2.2 million people are displaced by the fighting. Famine puts the lives of thousands at risk. Tens of thousands of people are reported killed, and Mr Machar flees the country. August 2015 - President Kiir signs a peace deal with rebels after a threat of sanctions from the UN. April 2016 - Mr Machar returns to South Sudan to take up his job as first vice president in a new unity government led by President Kiir. The move marks \"the end of the war and the return of peace and stability to South Sudan\", Mr Kiir says.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3353, "answer_start": 2358, "text": "July 2011 - South Sudan becomes an independent country, after more than 20 years of guerrilla warfare, which claimed the lives of at least 1.5 million people and displaced more than four million. December 2013 - Civil war breaks out after President Salva Kiir sacks the cabinet and accuses Vice-President Riek Machar of planning a coup. The war is fought broadly between the country's biggest ethnic groups - the Dinka, led by Mr Kiir, and the Nuer, under Mr Machar. More than 2.2 million people are displaced by the fighting. Famine puts the lives of thousands at risk. Tens of thousands of people are reported killed, and Mr Machar flees the country. August 2015 - President Kiir signs a peace deal with rebels after a threat of sanctions from the UN. April 2016 - Mr Machar returns to South Sudan to take up his job as first vice president in a new unity government led by President Kiir. The move marks \"the end of the war and the return of peace and stability to South Sudan\", Mr Kiir says." } ], "id": "9051_0", "question": "How did we get here?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Fierce clashes have been reported near Aleppo in northern Syria, as government forces try to surround rebels holed up in the strategic city. Monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said about 120 fighters on both sides had been killed around the town of Ratyan on Friday. As many as 20,000 refugees fleeing the fighting have spent the night at a border crossing with Turkey. Turkey says it is prepared to help the refugees but the frontier is shut. In the past few days, the Syrian army backed by Russian air power has made a series of gains in Aleppo province. Syrian state TV said on Friday that pro-government forces had seized Ratyan, just north of Aleppo city. The thousands fleeing Aleppo have spent their first night in temporary shelter at the Turkish border but the crossing remains closed. Turkey has welcomed more than two million Syrians since the start of the war and it is unclear whether it will accept another huge wave in one go. Human rights groups are calling for the gates to open but at a time when the EU is trying to reduce the flow of refugees to Europe, there will be diplomatic pressure on Turkey to act with caution. The Turkish government is using the new refugee exodus to take aim at Russia, whose air strikes on Aleppo have prompted thousands to flee. But there is no sign that Russia is pulling back and as opposition fighters retreat, the Assad regime is strengthened and thousands more civilians will flee, hoping for sanctuary in Turkey. Rebel chief Hassan Haj Ali told Reuters the town had not yet fallen but there were \"very heavy battles\". \"The regime is now trying to expand the area it has taken control of,\" he added. \"Now the northern countryside [of Aleppo] is totally encircled and the humanitarian situation is very difficult.\" Earlier in the week, the Syrian government claimed a major victory by breaking the rebel siege of two towns in Aleppo province, severing an opposition supply line from Turkey to Aleppo city. \"It feels like a siege of Aleppo is about to begin,\" said David Evans, a spokesman for aid group Mercy Corps. Before the civil war, Aleppo was a key commercial centre and home to more than two million people. Since 2012 it has been divided into rebel- and government-held areas. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said up to 20,000 people fleeing the fighting in Aleppo province had gathered at the Bab al-Salam border crossing on the Turkish border. March 2011: Anti-government protests erupt across Syria, but Aleppo is initially untouched as a result of a state crackdown February 2012: As the rebellion turns into a conflict, clashes between rebels and the government are reported with increasing frequency in Aleppo province July 2012: The battle for Aleppo begins. Rebels make swift advances, but are unable to consolidate their gains and the city becomes divided 2013: The government begins bombarding rebel districts with barrel bombs, causing thousands of casualties September 2015: Syria launches a fresh offensive in the wake of Russia's intervention in the conflict February 2016: The government captures towns north of Aleppo, threatening to encircle the city Aleppo profile It said between 5,000 to 10,000 refugees had also fled to the nearby city of Azaz. \"Humanitarian organisations are responding to the needs of those displaced, but ongoing military conflict is making access to populations in need increasingly difficult,\" the UN's Linda Tom told AFP news agency. In a televised speech, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Turkey would not leave refugees \"without food or shelter\" but he would not say if they would be allowed in. Nato has accused Russia of \"undermining\" Syrian peace efforts through its strikes, which it says are mainly aimed at opposition groups. Russia insists it only targets what it calls terrorists. On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Russia of being engaged in an \"invasion\" of Syria, saying it was trying to create a \"boutique state\" for ally President Bashar al-Assad. Mr Erdogan said Russia and the Syrian government were together responsible for 400,000 deaths in Syria. On Thursday Russia accused Turkey, key backer of Syria's opposition, of preparing a ground invasion, an accusation Mr Erdogan called \"laughable\". Turkey and Russia have been embroiled in a row since Turkey shot down a Russian jet it accused of violating its airspace in November. Why is there a war in Syria? Anti-government protests developed into a civil war that, four years on, has ground to a stalemate, with the Assad government, the Islamic State group, an array of Syrian rebels and Kurdish fighters all holding territory. Who is fighting whom? Government forces concentrated in Damascus and the centre and west of Syria are fighting the jihadists of Islamic State and al-Nusra Front, as well as less numerous so-called \"moderate\" rebel groups, which are strongest in the north and east. These groups are also battling each other. More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed and a million injured. Some 11 million others have been forced from their homes, of whom four million have fled abroad - including growing numbers who are making the dangerous journey to Europe. How has the world reacted? Iran, Russia and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement are propping up the Alawite-led Assad government, while Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar back the more moderate Sunni-dominated opposition, along with the US, UK and France. Hezbollah and Iran are believed to have troops and officers on the ground, while a Western-led coalition and Russia are carrying out air strikes.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5001, "answer_start": 4443, "text": "Why is there a war in Syria? Anti-government protests developed into a civil war that, four years on, has ground to a stalemate, with the Assad government, the Islamic State group, an array of Syrian rebels and Kurdish fighters all holding territory. Who is fighting whom? Government forces concentrated in Damascus and the centre and west of Syria are fighting the jihadists of Islamic State and al-Nusra Front, as well as less numerous so-called \"moderate\" rebel groups, which are strongest in the north and east. These groups are also battling each other." } ], "id": "9052_0", "question": "What is the Syria conflict?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5630, "answer_start": 5002, "text": "More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed and a million injured. Some 11 million others have been forced from their homes, of whom four million have fled abroad - including growing numbers who are making the dangerous journey to Europe. How has the world reacted? Iran, Russia and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement are propping up the Alawite-led Assad government, while Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar back the more moderate Sunni-dominated opposition, along with the US, UK and France. Hezbollah and Iran are believed to have troops and officers on the ground, while a Western-led coalition and Russia are carrying out air strikes." } ], "id": "9052_1", "question": "What's the human cost?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Climate change will be top of the agenda when the world's leaders meet in New York this week. But what else will be discussed at the annual United Nations General Assembly? The United Nations is an international organisation formed at the end of World War Two in 1945, with the aim of keeping peace around the world. It now includes 193 countries that are full members and two non-member states - the Holy See (the area under the Pope's jurisdiction) and the State of Palestine. The UN's General Assembly (UNGA) is one of six different groupings in the organisation and the main one for deciding what it should do. It is also the only one in which all of the 193 UN members are represented. Its annual conference takes place over a fortnight every September at the UN's headquarters, and the General Debate takes four days in the middle. A variety of topics, from drug problems to security, are discussed at the event. This year, there will be talks on speeding up the adoption of its goals on sustainable development - which aims to meet the needs of present generations without reducing the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It is the first UN summit on the subject since it was adopted as policy four years ago. Thursday is set aside for talks about eliminating nuclear weapons across the world. The debate will wrap up on Friday with discussions about the challenges faced by small islands, which include geographic and economic isolation and environmental fragility. Some of the biggest headlines are made away from the main chamber when world leaders meet others by design, or unintentionally. Boris Johnson is attending his first conference as UK Prime Minister and could end up in more talks over Brexit with some of his counterparts. On the eve of the debate, a climate action summit was held at which 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg told world leaders: \"You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words... How dare you?\" India Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the world was not doing enough to tackle climate change. \"What we need is global behavioural change,\" he said. Tradition dictates that the first speaker is always the Brazilian leader, or their representative, followed by the host country, the US. Brazil kicks off the event because in the assembly's early days when nobody wanted to go first, it often put itself forward as the first speaker, and this then became routine. President Jair Bolsonaro is in line for the privilege this year, on his summit debut, although recent hernia surgery has cast doubt over his attendance. He is due to be followed by US President Donald Trump. During the event, every country's leader, or their representative, will address the assembly, with the order of speakers determined by level of representation, preference and other factors, such as geographical balance. Speakers are asked to keep their statements to under 15 minutes, although this is regularly ignored. Cuba's Fidel Castro holds the record for the longest General Assembly speech - four-and-a-half hours, in 1960. The delegates sit in alphabetical order, according to the English translation of their names, but the country in the first seat is always selected by the UN secretary-general - and this year it is Ghana. By the end of last week, more than 90 world leaders had pledged to attend. These include Mr Johnson, Emmanuel Macron, of France, and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. But Vladimir Putin, of Russia, China's Xi Jinping and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanahyu will not be present. The president of the UNGA is elected annually, and this year it is Nigeria's Tijjani Muhammad-Bande. There have been a few. In 2006, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called then-US President George W Bush \"the devil\" in a speech at the UNGA. He said that the podium, which Mr Bush had spoken from the previous day, \"still smells of sulphur\". Three years later, Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi spoke for more than an hour and a half and at one point complained about delegates leaving the conference hall. He also accused major powers of betraying the principles of the UN Charter, before later throwing a copy of it on to the ground. More recently, in 2017, Mr Trump said of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: \"Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 837, "answer_start": 173, "text": "The United Nations is an international organisation formed at the end of World War Two in 1945, with the aim of keeping peace around the world. It now includes 193 countries that are full members and two non-member states - the Holy See (the area under the Pope's jurisdiction) and the State of Palestine. The UN's General Assembly (UNGA) is one of six different groupings in the organisation and the main one for deciding what it should do. It is also the only one in which all of the 193 UN members are represented. Its annual conference takes place over a fortnight every September at the UN's headquarters, and the General Debate takes four days in the middle." } ], "id": "9053_0", "question": "What is the United Nations and what is its General Assembly?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1483, "answer_start": 838, "text": "A variety of topics, from drug problems to security, are discussed at the event. This year, there will be talks on speeding up the adoption of its goals on sustainable development - which aims to meet the needs of present generations without reducing the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It is the first UN summit on the subject since it was adopted as policy four years ago. Thursday is set aside for talks about eliminating nuclear weapons across the world. The debate will wrap up on Friday with discussions about the challenges faced by small islands, which include geographic and economic isolation and environmental fragility." } ], "id": "9053_1", "question": "What will be discussed in the General Debate?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2113, "answer_start": 1484, "text": "Some of the biggest headlines are made away from the main chamber when world leaders meet others by design, or unintentionally. Boris Johnson is attending his first conference as UK Prime Minister and could end up in more talks over Brexit with some of his counterparts. On the eve of the debate, a climate action summit was held at which 16-year-old activist Greta Thunberg told world leaders: \"You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words... How dare you?\" India Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the world was not doing enough to tackle climate change. \"What we need is global behavioural change,\" he said." } ], "id": "9053_2", "question": "What could make the headlines this week?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3270, "answer_start": 2114, "text": "Tradition dictates that the first speaker is always the Brazilian leader, or their representative, followed by the host country, the US. Brazil kicks off the event because in the assembly's early days when nobody wanted to go first, it often put itself forward as the first speaker, and this then became routine. President Jair Bolsonaro is in line for the privilege this year, on his summit debut, although recent hernia surgery has cast doubt over his attendance. He is due to be followed by US President Donald Trump. During the event, every country's leader, or their representative, will address the assembly, with the order of speakers determined by level of representation, preference and other factors, such as geographical balance. Speakers are asked to keep their statements to under 15 minutes, although this is regularly ignored. Cuba's Fidel Castro holds the record for the longest General Assembly speech - four-and-a-half hours, in 1960. The delegates sit in alphabetical order, according to the English translation of their names, but the country in the first seat is always selected by the UN secretary-general - and this year it is Ghana." } ], "id": "9053_3", "question": "How does it work?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3652, "answer_start": 3271, "text": "By the end of last week, more than 90 world leaders had pledged to attend. These include Mr Johnson, Emmanuel Macron, of France, and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky. But Vladimir Putin, of Russia, China's Xi Jinping and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanahyu will not be present. The president of the UNGA is elected annually, and this year it is Nigeria's Tijjani Muhammad-Bande." } ], "id": "9053_4", "question": "Who will and won't be there?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4306, "answer_start": 3653, "text": "There have been a few. In 2006, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called then-US President George W Bush \"the devil\" in a speech at the UNGA. He said that the podium, which Mr Bush had spoken from the previous day, \"still smells of sulphur\". Three years later, Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi spoke for more than an hour and a half and at one point complained about delegates leaving the conference hall. He also accused major powers of betraying the principles of the UN Charter, before later throwing a copy of it on to the ground. More recently, in 2017, Mr Trump said of North Korea leader Kim Jong-un: \"Rocket Man is on a suicide mission for himself.\"" } ], "id": "9053_5", "question": "Any previous memorable moments?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Spanish police say 33 people have been arrested globally in connection with a WhatsApp group for images of child sex abuse and other violent content. The many \"extreme\" images shared in the group had been \"normalised by most of its members\", the force said. Arrests were made in 11 different countries across three continents, but the majority - 17 - were in Spain. Many of those arrested or being investigated in Spain are themselves under 18, including a 15-year-old boy. Warning: Some readers may find details of this story disturbing In Uruguay, police arrested two people - one of whom was a mother who abused her daughter and sent images of this to the group. In another case, a 29-year-old man was arrested for not only downloading the images, but also encouraging other group members to make contact with young girls - particularly migrants who would be unlikely to go to the police. Spain's National Police began investigating the group more than two years ago, after receiving an email with a tip-off. They then enlisted the help of Europol, Interpol, and the police in Ecuador and Costa Rica. As well as Spain and Uruguay, arrests were made in the UK, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru, India, Italy, France, Pakistan and Syria. In a statement, the police said the group shared \"paedophilic content, sometimes of extreme severity, together with other content that was legal but was not suitable for minors because of their extreme nature\". Some group members had even created \"stickers\" - small digital images that are easily shared, similar to emojis - of children being abused. The police also said all of those arrested in Spain were men or boys, and that they come from a mix of social and cultural backgrounds. One of these men had fled his home in Italy when a search was carried out. He went to a relative's home in Salamanca, unaware that it was Spain's National Police who had ordered his arrest. The operation will now focus on identifying the children being abused in the images.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1231, "answer_start": 892, "text": "Spain's National Police began investigating the group more than two years ago, after receiving an email with a tip-off. They then enlisted the help of Europol, Interpol, and the police in Ecuador and Costa Rica. As well as Spain and Uruguay, arrests were made in the UK, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Peru, India, Italy, France, Pakistan and Syria." } ], "id": "9054_0", "question": "How were they tracked down?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1993, "answer_start": 1232, "text": "In a statement, the police said the group shared \"paedophilic content, sometimes of extreme severity, together with other content that was legal but was not suitable for minors because of their extreme nature\". Some group members had even created \"stickers\" - small digital images that are easily shared, similar to emojis - of children being abused. The police also said all of those arrested in Spain were men or boys, and that they come from a mix of social and cultural backgrounds. One of these men had fled his home in Italy when a search was carried out. He went to a relative's home in Salamanca, unaware that it was Spain's National Police who had ordered his arrest. The operation will now focus on identifying the children being abused in the images." } ], "id": "9054_1", "question": "What did the group share?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Labour would force all large firms to give workers shares worth up to PS500 a year each, John McDonnell has said. In his main party conference speech, the shadow chancellor set out plans for \"inclusive ownership funds\". He also announced that the water industry in England would be the first to be re-nationalised under Labour. Existing bosses would be fired and control handed to workers, local councils and customers, with new executives hired on reduced salaries. He told Labour delegates: \"There will be unprecedented openness and transparency in how the industry will be managed. \"We are ending the profiteering in dividends, vast executive salaries, and excessive interest payments. \"Surpluses will be reinvested in water infrastructure and staff, or used to reduce bills. Real investment will allow the highest environmental standards.\" Ownership of the existing water and sewerage companies would be transferred to new Regional Water Authorities, with day-to-day operational management in the hands of professional management and the wider workforce. Existing shareholders would be compensated with bonds and all staff would be transferred to the same jobs, \"except for senior executives and directors, whose posts will be re-advertised on dramatically reduced salaries capped by our 20:1 pay ratio policy\", Labour sources said. The new authorities would be self-financing, along similar lines to Transport for London, which manages the London Underground, rail and bus services. Labour also plans to nationalise the railways, energy and mail industries. Mr McDonnell also announced: - Plans for a new Public and Community Ownership Unit at the Treasury to bring PFI contracts in-house - Plans to force companies to \"sign up to the Fair Tax Mark standards, demonstrating transparently that they pay their fair share of taxes\" - A new international forum to deal with future economic crises, headed by Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz Plans to give workers in private industry more of a say - and a financial stake - in industry are a key plank of Labour's industrial strategy. Since its conference opened in Liverpool on Sunday, Labour has already announced plans for worker representation on company boards and to make employers provide up to 10 days' paid leave for victims of domestic violence. Under Labour's \"inclusive ownership fund\" proposal, Mr McDonnell said workers would be given a financial stake in their employers and more say over how companies are run. Firms would have to put 1% of their shares into the fund every year up to a maximum of 10%. The amount of share capital available to workers would be capped at PS500, with the rest - estimated at PS2.1bn a year by the end of a five-year Parliamentary term - going into a fund to pay for public services and welfare. The scheme would apply to companies with more than 250 workers, although smaller firms could set up inclusive ownership funds if they wanted to. Labour calculates that 40% of the UK's private sector workforce - some 10.7 million people - would initially be covered by the scheme. Dividend payouts would be made at a flat rate to all employees of the firm. The funds would be held and managed collectively, with a bar on selling or trading their shareholdings. The system would be similar to that operated by employee-owned retailer John Lewis. But payments from the fund would be made to individual, eligible employees, Labour sources said. Workers' fund representatives would have voting rights in companies' decision-making processes in the same way as other shareholders. Labour aides said the creation of the funds would help redress growing inequalities after a decade when average pay has not increased in real terms. But the dividend payments would not be available to state employees - including workers in industries such as water, which Labour hopes to nationalise. Labour sources say the PS2bn social dividend fund would ensure public sector workers and employees of smaller firms also benefited from what the party calls a \"broadening of ownership in our economy\". By BBC business editor Simon Jack Many companies offer incentives and discounts to employees who wish to build a shareholding over time. That is not the same as taking 10% of the company away from its current owners to stick in a fund for the workers and the government's benefit, which seems to be what the shadow chancellor is proposing. For a start, the workers will not be able to buy and sell the shares - so they won't really \"own\" them in a traditional sense. They will be eligible to receive dividends on the shares up to a value of PS500 per worker per year. The government gets the rest. The Labour Party reckons this will raise about PS2bn a year. It could end up much more. Let's take just one company - bumper dividend-payer Shell. Ten percent of its PS12bn annual dividend comes to PS1.2bn. If each of its 6,500 UK employees got PS500 each (totalling PS3.25m) that leaves PS1.116bn for the government. That's just from one company - every year. Wow. Read more: Can Labour's shares giveaway work? Mr McDonnell told Labour delegates: \"Workers, who create the wealth of a company, should share in its ownership and, yes, in the returns that it makes. \"We believe it's right that we all share in the benefits that investment produces.\" Ahead of the speech, he dismissed claims of an anti-business agenda, telling the BBC that a future Labour government would support the vast majority of \"entrepreneurial and ethical\" British firms to the hilt. But he said those which engaged in aggressive tax avoidance and whose \"standards did not match up to the rest\" could expect a tough response from the government. Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI, which represents big business in the UK, said Labour was \"wrong to assert that workers will be helped by these proposals in their current form\". She said: \"Their diktat on employee share ownership will only encourage investors to pack their bags and will harm those who can least afford it. If investment falls, so does productivity and pay.\" The Conservatives said Labour's proposal was \"yet another tax rise\" that would make it harder for firms to \"take on staff and pay them a good wage\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6239, "answer_start": 4083, "text": "By BBC business editor Simon Jack Many companies offer incentives and discounts to employees who wish to build a shareholding over time. That is not the same as taking 10% of the company away from its current owners to stick in a fund for the workers and the government's benefit, which seems to be what the shadow chancellor is proposing. For a start, the workers will not be able to buy and sell the shares - so they won't really \"own\" them in a traditional sense. They will be eligible to receive dividends on the shares up to a value of PS500 per worker per year. The government gets the rest. The Labour Party reckons this will raise about PS2bn a year. It could end up much more. Let's take just one company - bumper dividend-payer Shell. Ten percent of its PS12bn annual dividend comes to PS1.2bn. If each of its 6,500 UK employees got PS500 each (totalling PS3.25m) that leaves PS1.116bn for the government. That's just from one company - every year. Wow. Read more: Can Labour's shares giveaway work? Mr McDonnell told Labour delegates: \"Workers, who create the wealth of a company, should share in its ownership and, yes, in the returns that it makes. \"We believe it's right that we all share in the benefits that investment produces.\" Ahead of the speech, he dismissed claims of an anti-business agenda, telling the BBC that a future Labour government would support the vast majority of \"entrepreneurial and ethical\" British firms to the hilt. But he said those which engaged in aggressive tax avoidance and whose \"standards did not match up to the rest\" could expect a tough response from the government. Carolyn Fairbairn, director general of the CBI, which represents big business in the UK, said Labour was \"wrong to assert that workers will be helped by these proposals in their current form\". She said: \"Their diktat on employee share ownership will only encourage investors to pack their bags and will harm those who can least afford it. If investment falls, so does productivity and pay.\" The Conservatives said Labour's proposal was \"yet another tax rise\" that would make it harder for firms to \"take on staff and pay them a good wage\"." } ], "id": "9055_0", "question": "Analysis: A smash and grab raid?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Smoke from Australia's bushfire crisis has blanketed the major cities of Sydney and Adelaide. In Sydney, locals woke on Thursday to smoke that appeared worse than a fire-driven haze that was seen on Tuesday. Health officials issued warnings as air quality surpassed \"hazardous\" levels and some residents wore face masks. Fire conditions classified as \"severe\" or higher have affected all six states in the past week. Several states have faced \"catastrophic\" levels of danger. Since last month, six people have died in massive bushfires which have caused the greatest damage in the eastern states of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland. But South Australia and Victoria have seen the most danger this week, as fires triggered emergency warnings. On Thursday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison again defended his government's climate change policies against criticism from former fire chiefs and others. \"To suggest that with just 1.3% of global emissions that Australia doing something differently - more or less - would have changed the fire outcome this season, I don't think that stands up to any credible scientific evidence at all,\" he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Smoke shrouded Sydney for the second time in three days, obscuring buildings and turning skies grey. About five million people live in Australia's largest city, the state capital of NSW. Air pollution levels were worst in the city's centre and northern suburbs - with readings up to 10 times higher than the national standard. As officials warned the smoke could linger for days, some locals described air quality as the worst they had experienced. Health officials reiterated calls for people to stay indoors and to reduce physical activity, especially those with health conditions. Residents in Adelaide, the South Australian capital, also woke to health warnings triggered by heavy smoke from a nearby blaze. About 1.3 million people live in the city. Despite conditions improving, air quality was still rated \"very poor\" in most areas by 15:30 local time (05:00 GMT). In the past 24 hours, blazes in South Australia had razed or damaged 11 houses and injured dozens of people, officials said. Shaimaa Khalil, BBC News Australia correspondent I woke up this morning with a sting in my throat and a cough, and immediately regretted leaving the windows open. The smell got me before I clocked the haze outside. It's like someone used a yellowish dusty filter on Sydney. Many are likening the air quality to Delhi and Beijing. The smoke is coming from the north and is unlikely to clear today, according to forecasters. On social media some are arguing that there isn't enough information about air quality and what people should do. And then of course there is the inevitable climate change debate and whether people in Australia should get used to a new normal. Scores of fires are raging across Australia, but the threat on Thursday was worst in Victoria and NSW - where temperatures and winds have recently increased. Officials in Victoria have issued a \"code red\" - its equivalent of a catastrophic warning - for the first time in a decade. The state endured the nation's worst fire disaster in 2009, when 173 people died on what became known as Black Saturday. Country Fire Authority chief officer Steve Warrington warned residents to leave certain areas, saying: \"Do not be there. If a fire occurs, you will not survive.\" Victoria's capital, Melbourne, was not under a code red warning - but the city reached 40.9C on (106F) on Thursday, its equal hottest November day on record. More than 50 fires were raging across NSW - where over 1.2 million hectares has burnt since September. The forecast eased in South Australia and Queensland, but fires continued to burn in both states. Tasmania had a \"severe\" threat level on Thursday - its most dangerous for the season - while Western Australia has also faced emergencies in recent days. Scientists and experts say that Australia's fire season has grown longer and more intense due to climate change. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, climate change had led to an increase in extreme heat events and raised the severity of other natural disasters, such as drought. Last year, a UN report said Australia was falling short of its Paris climate agreement commitments to cut CO2 emissions.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2179, "answer_start": 1183, "text": "Smoke shrouded Sydney for the second time in three days, obscuring buildings and turning skies grey. About five million people live in Australia's largest city, the state capital of NSW. Air pollution levels were worst in the city's centre and northern suburbs - with readings up to 10 times higher than the national standard. As officials warned the smoke could linger for days, some locals described air quality as the worst they had experienced. Health officials reiterated calls for people to stay indoors and to reduce physical activity, especially those with health conditions. Residents in Adelaide, the South Australian capital, also woke to health warnings triggered by heavy smoke from a nearby blaze. About 1.3 million people live in the city. Despite conditions improving, air quality was still rated \"very poor\" in most areas by 15:30 local time (05:00 GMT). In the past 24 hours, blazes in South Australia had razed or damaged 11 houses and injured dozens of people, officials said." } ], "id": "9056_0", "question": "What's the smoke situation?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3924, "answer_start": 2847, "text": "Scores of fires are raging across Australia, but the threat on Thursday was worst in Victoria and NSW - where temperatures and winds have recently increased. Officials in Victoria have issued a \"code red\" - its equivalent of a catastrophic warning - for the first time in a decade. The state endured the nation's worst fire disaster in 2009, when 173 people died on what became known as Black Saturday. Country Fire Authority chief officer Steve Warrington warned residents to leave certain areas, saying: \"Do not be there. If a fire occurs, you will not survive.\" Victoria's capital, Melbourne, was not under a code red warning - but the city reached 40.9C on (106F) on Thursday, its equal hottest November day on record. More than 50 fires were raging across NSW - where over 1.2 million hectares has burnt since September. The forecast eased in South Australia and Queensland, but fires continued to burn in both states. Tasmania had a \"severe\" threat level on Thursday - its most dangerous for the season - while Western Australia has also faced emergencies in recent days." } ], "id": "9056_1", "question": "Where is the fire danger now?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4328, "answer_start": 3925, "text": "Scientists and experts say that Australia's fire season has grown longer and more intense due to climate change. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, climate change had led to an increase in extreme heat events and raised the severity of other natural disasters, such as drought. Last year, a UN report said Australia was falling short of its Paris climate agreement commitments to cut CO2 emissions." } ], "id": "9056_2", "question": "What about climate change?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Russia has a new prime minister, a change no-one predicted only a day ago. The long-serving Dmitry Medvedev has been replaced by a man most people had never heard of, until now. Not only that, President Vladimir Putin has initiated a major reform of the constitution that looks like the start of his \"transition\": a much-anticipated plan to retain influence when he has to leave the Kremlin in 2024. The details of that plan are still unclear, but this week's surprise shake-up offers curious new hints. Mr Medvedev's departure was a shock - or at the least, the timing of it. But it seems he's become his boss's fall guy, yet again. He's long been a loyal sidekick to Vladimir Putin - most controversially when he kept the Kremlin warm, as president, for four years until the constitution allowed Mr Putin back in 2012. Now he's taking the rap for Russia's economic problems. The patriotic \"blip\" over the 2014 annexation of Crimea has faded, and for many families there's no replacement balm for the harsh realities of life. Mr Putin's state of the nation speech this year recognised that, focusing heavily on welfare instead of sabre-rattling at the West. So he's brought in a new man to sort out the economy, and state TV has been pumping out positive messages. Mikhail Mishustin, Russians are told, is experienced and able. The shake-up buys time and goodwill ahead of next year's critical elections to parliament, where the main pro-Kremlin party, United Russia, is likely to struggle. But it also helps buy support for Mr Putin's bigger changes. Vladimir Putin is presenting his constitutional reform in the same vein as the prime minister swap. The changes involve a rebalancing of responsibility - slightly less for the president, more for parliament. Mr Putin has explained it as bringing power closer to the people: MPs will get more say in forming the government, for example. He argues it's more democratic, and will be more effective. But most commentators see that as masking another agenda: Vladimir Putin carving out a suitable role for when he has to pack up and leave the Kremlin. After two decades in power he has interests and allies - a whole system - to protect. He may not want to bother himself any more with the day-to-day running of the country, but he's unlikely to fade away altogether. The role of the little-noticed State Council could be central to his future. Mr Putin is already its head, and now plans to enshrine the council in the constitution. It's just an advisory body for now. Souped-up, it could be a way to continue pulling the strings of power. Think Raul Castro, stepping back from the Cuban presidency, but still the powerful Communist Party GenSec. Or the Kazakh model, closer to home, where Nursultan Nazarbayev remained head of the security council and \"Leader of the Nation\" for life. Vladimir Putin could be looking for his way to become Russia's supreme leader. There was speculation that Mr Putin might simply remove the two-term limit for president in the constitution. Nothing is ever ruled out, but that would be highly controversial even in Russia's managed-democracy. When Mr Putin and Dmitry Medvedev did their seat-swap back in 2012, it caused giant street protests. There were more pro-opposition rallies this summer. The Kremlin probably wants to avoid more of the same, especially in a tough economic climate. It's thought that Mr Putin is looking for a pliable replacement for himself instead: Putin II. There's still a chance Mr Medvedev could stage a comeback for that role. He's been side-lined, not shamed, after all. It's also possible the new Prime Minister Mishustin could be president-in-waiting. But after this week, Vladimir Putin seems more likely to surprise us. Mr Putin still has four years in the job, so there's no major rush with the constitutional changes, although events have moved unusually fast lately. He has set up a working group, 75-people strong, to draw up concrete proposals for the reforms, and has already given them their instructions. Around a giant table, Mr Putin warned the team to take care over \"every letter, every comma\", as their work concerns the fundamental law of the land. Once the proposals are done, his vision should be clearer. Some kind of public confirmation vote is expected before the summer. The Kremlin has ruled out a formal referendum, though. It would be risky. Despite all the talk of democracy, Mr Putin wouldn't want his big plan - when it's finally presented - to be rejected.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1552, "answer_start": 504, "text": "Mr Medvedev's departure was a shock - or at the least, the timing of it. But it seems he's become his boss's fall guy, yet again. He's long been a loyal sidekick to Vladimir Putin - most controversially when he kept the Kremlin warm, as president, for four years until the constitution allowed Mr Putin back in 2012. Now he's taking the rap for Russia's economic problems. The patriotic \"blip\" over the 2014 annexation of Crimea has faded, and for many families there's no replacement balm for the harsh realities of life. Mr Putin's state of the nation speech this year recognised that, focusing heavily on welfare instead of sabre-rattling at the West. So he's brought in a new man to sort out the economy, and state TV has been pumping out positive messages. Mikhail Mishustin, Russians are told, is experienced and able. The shake-up buys time and goodwill ahead of next year's critical elections to parliament, where the main pro-Kremlin party, United Russia, is likely to struggle. But it also helps buy support for Mr Putin's bigger changes." } ], "id": "9057_0", "question": "Why did the prime minister have to go?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4502, "answer_start": 3739, "text": "Mr Putin still has four years in the job, so there's no major rush with the constitutional changes, although events have moved unusually fast lately. He has set up a working group, 75-people strong, to draw up concrete proposals for the reforms, and has already given them their instructions. Around a giant table, Mr Putin warned the team to take care over \"every letter, every comma\", as their work concerns the fundamental law of the land. Once the proposals are done, his vision should be clearer. Some kind of public confirmation vote is expected before the summer. The Kremlin has ruled out a formal referendum, though. It would be risky. Despite all the talk of democracy, Mr Putin wouldn't want his big plan - when it's finally presented - to be rejected." } ], "id": "9057_1", "question": "How or when will we know about his plans?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The woman who accuses US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault has been given extra time to decide whether she will testify against him at a confirmation hearing. Allegations from a university professor, Christine Blasey Ford, emerged in the US media last week. She gave details of an incident which she says happened at a party in 1982. Her lawyer has accused Republicans of trying to \"bully\" her with \"arbitrary\" and \"aggressive\" deadlines. The Friday deadline given by the Senate judiciary committee is now reported to have been switched to later on Saturday. President Donald Trump attacked Prof Ford's credibility on Friday, saying if the attack had been \"as bad as she says\", she would have reported it to the authorities sooner. Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the allegations. Prof Ford insists she is ready to testify at the hearing, but negotiations over certain conditions she has set out, including it not taking place until next Thursday, have delayed proceedings. The committee originally granted her a deadline of 22:00 on Friday (02:00 GMT Saturday) to agree to revised terms - though it is not yet known what these are. But the professor's lawyer, Debra Katz, demanded another day to decide, saying: \"Its sole purpose is to bully Dr Ford and deprive her of the ability to make a considered decision that has life-altering implications for her and her family.\" In response, Senator Chuck Grassley - the lead Republican on the committee - said he had granted Prof Ford \"another extension\" - which, according to the New York Times, runs until 14:30 on Saturday (18:30 GMT). The allegation against Judge Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump's pick for the US top court, became public last week. It emerged Prof Ford had detailed the alleged assault in a confidential letter to the top Democratic senator on the judiciary committee, Dianne Feinstein, in July. As the judge neared confirmation, news about the letter leaked to US media. Ms Feinstein then confirmed she had passed it onto the FBI. After days of continued media speculation, Prof Ford went on record in a Washington Post article as the mystery accuser, detailing the alleged assault. She said Mr Kavanaugh tried to drunkenly remove her clothing at a party, pinned her to a bed and covered her mouth when she was 15 and he was 17. Since then, her lawyers have been in a back-and-forth with the judicial committee, trying to agree on terms for her to testify. She had asked for a number of preconditions, including not testifying with Mr Kavanaugh in the room and the subpoenaing of his friend, Mark Judge, who she said witnessed the alleged attempted rape. Some Republicans, including President Trump, have accused her and Democratic politicians of deliberately trying to delay and obstruct the judge's confirmation, and urged them to push forward. The feelings are strong on both sides - with both Prof Ford and Brett Kavanaugh and his wife both receiving threats and rallies of support over the matter. The choice of a new justice for the Supreme Court is pivotal, as it often gives the final word on highly contentious laws and its nine judges have an immense impact on US public life. As Mr Trump's pick, Brett Kavanaugh has to first be approved by the Senate before he can take his seat - but before that vote can happen, he has to be approved by the judiciary committee, where Prof Ford may testify. The Senate is made up of 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats - so any testimony she gives on the allegations could prove pivotal. Some have said there should not be a vote on his confirmation until Prof Ford has been heard. President Trump weighed in heavily on the allegations on social media on Friday. In a series of tweets, he questioned why law enforcement was not called at the time of the alleged assault, in 1982. He also reiterated his full support for Judge Kavanaugh who he described as a \"fine man, with an impeccable reputation\". Mr Trump's controversial comments were criticised by Democratic politicians and some Republicans. Republican Senator Susan Collins said she was \"appalled\" by Mr Trump's tweet. \"We know that allegations of sexual assault - I'm not saying that's what happened in this case - but we know that allegations of sexual assault are one of the most unreported crimes that exist,\" she told reporters. Only 23% of rapes and sexual assaults are reported to the police, according to the Department of Justice's 2016 report. On Friday, the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport trended on Twitter, with thousands sharing personal stories of sexual harassment and assault. Patti Davis, the daughter of President Ronald Reagan, wrote in the Washington Post that she was raped 40 years ago. \"It doesn't surprise me that for more than 30 years, Christine Blasey Ford didn't talk about the assault she remembers,\" she wrote, adding: \"It's important to understand how memory works in a traumatic event.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1611, "answer_start": 809, "text": "Prof Ford insists she is ready to testify at the hearing, but negotiations over certain conditions she has set out, including it not taking place until next Thursday, have delayed proceedings. The committee originally granted her a deadline of 22:00 on Friday (02:00 GMT Saturday) to agree to revised terms - though it is not yet known what these are. But the professor's lawyer, Debra Katz, demanded another day to decide, saying: \"Its sole purpose is to bully Dr Ford and deprive her of the ability to make a considered decision that has life-altering implications for her and her family.\" In response, Senator Chuck Grassley - the lead Republican on the committee - said he had granted Prof Ford \"another extension\" - which, according to the New York Times, runs until 14:30 on Saturday (18:30 GMT)." } ], "id": "9058_0", "question": "Why the change in deadline?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3621, "answer_start": 3001, "text": "The choice of a new justice for the Supreme Court is pivotal, as it often gives the final word on highly contentious laws and its nine judges have an immense impact on US public life. As Mr Trump's pick, Brett Kavanaugh has to first be approved by the Senate before he can take his seat - but before that vote can happen, he has to be approved by the judiciary committee, where Prof Ford may testify. The Senate is made up of 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats - so any testimony she gives on the allegations could prove pivotal. Some have said there should not be a vote on his confirmation until Prof Ford has been heard." } ], "id": "9058_1", "question": "Why is the hearing important?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4911, "answer_start": 3622, "text": "President Trump weighed in heavily on the allegations on social media on Friday. In a series of tweets, he questioned why law enforcement was not called at the time of the alleged assault, in 1982. He also reiterated his full support for Judge Kavanaugh who he described as a \"fine man, with an impeccable reputation\". Mr Trump's controversial comments were criticised by Democratic politicians and some Republicans. Republican Senator Susan Collins said she was \"appalled\" by Mr Trump's tweet. \"We know that allegations of sexual assault - I'm not saying that's what happened in this case - but we know that allegations of sexual assault are one of the most unreported crimes that exist,\" she told reporters. Only 23% of rapes and sexual assaults are reported to the police, according to the Department of Justice's 2016 report. On Friday, the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport trended on Twitter, with thousands sharing personal stories of sexual harassment and assault. Patti Davis, the daughter of President Ronald Reagan, wrote in the Washington Post that she was raped 40 years ago. \"It doesn't surprise me that for more than 30 years, Christine Blasey Ford didn't talk about the assault she remembers,\" she wrote, adding: \"It's important to understand how memory works in a traumatic event.\"" } ], "id": "9058_2", "question": "What has Mr Trump said?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "President Trump has said he does not want war but warned Iran it would face \"obliteration\" if conflict broke out. Speaking to NBC on Friday, he said the US was open to talks but would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons. He also expanded on his last-minute decision to call off strikes planned in response to the shooting down of a US unmanned drone this week, saying he had been told 150 Iranians would be killed. \"I didn't like it. I didn't think it was proportionate,\" he said. Tehran says the unmanned US aircraft entered Iranian airspace early on Thursday morning. The US maintains it was shot down in international airspace. Tensions have been escalating between the two countries, with the US recently blaming Iran for attacks on oil tankers operating in the region. Iran has announced it will soon exceed international agreed limits on its nuclear programme. Last year, the US unilaterally pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear activities. The US has now asked the UN Security Council to meet on Monday to discuss Iran. He said a plan of attack was \"ready to go, subject to my approval\" but said he had then asked generals how many people would be killed. \"I thought about it for a second and I said, you know what, they shot down an unmanned drone, plane, whatever you want to call it, and here we are sitting with 150 dead people that would have taken place probably within a half an hour after I said go ahead,\" he told NBC. He denied suggestions that aircraft had already been on their way to attack Iranian targets - reportedly including Iranian radar and missile batteries - saying: \"No planes were in the air.\" Addressing Iran's leaders, Mr Trump said: \"You can't have nuclear weapons. And if you want to talk about it, good. Otherwise, you can live in a shattered economy for a long time to come.\" Earlier on Friday Mr Trump tweeted that the US had been \"cocked and loaded\" to strike. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was glad the president had not carried out the strikes and said he should seek congressional authorisation before military action. Adam Smith - the Democratic chair of the House Armed Services Committee - warned it was \"not smart\" of the president to make the details public, saying it undermined the notion of a clear US plan. Some US media reports said the strikes had been recommended by the Pentagon, while others said top Pentagon officials had warned a military response could result in a spiralling escalation with risks for US forces in the region. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton had pushed for a hardline stance, but congressional leaders had urged caution, the Associated Press reported. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency order on Thursday evening prohibiting US airlines from operating in an overwater area of Tehran-controlled airspace nearby in response. Airlines from other countries, including Britain's British Airways, the Dutch carrier KLM, Emirates, and Qantas of Australia, have also said they will re-route their flights to avoid parts of Iran. Meanwhile, a UK government minister will hold talks with Iranian officials in Tehran on Sunday. Andrew Murrison will call for \"urgent de-escalation\" in the region, the Foreign Office said. An official warned that \"any attack against Iran will have regional and international consequences\". \"When you violate Iranian territorial space, then we defend,\" Seyed Sajjadpour, one of Iran's deputy foreign ministers, told the BBC. It was clear, he added, that there were members of Donald Trump's administration who were intent on overthrowing Iran's government. President Trump's decision to order - and then abort - an attack still sends a powerful message to Tehran. The two countries came to the brink of direct conflict. But in this complex game of signalling, just what message will the Iranian leadership receive? It, after all, had sent a significant warning of its own by downing an unmanned US reconnaissance drone. Mr Trump initially appeared to play down the incident - but then apparently came the orders for a US retaliatory strike. That was followed by a last-minute change of heart. The danger now is that Iran receives mixed messages that convey uncertainty and lack of resolve. This might encourage some in Tehran to push back at the Americans even harder. There appears to be no diplomatic \"off-ramp\" in this crisis. US economic sanctions are hitting home. Tehran is under pressure. Escalation remains an ever-present danger. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced its air force had shot down a US \"spy\" drone on Thursday morning after the unmanned aircraft violated Iranian airspace near Kuhmobarak in the southern province of Hormozgan. IRGC commander-in-chief Maj-Gen Hossein Salami said the drone's downing was a \"clear message\" to the US that Iran's borders were \"our red line\". However, US military officials maintain the drone was in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz at the time. Iranian officials say two warnings were issued 10 minutes before the drone was shot down. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a high-ranking officer in the IRGC, said another military aircraft, carrying 35 passengers, had been flying close to the drone. \"We could have shot down that one too, but we did not,\" he said. The shooting down of the drone followed accusations by the US that Iran had attacked two oil tankers with mines last Thursday just outside the Strait of Hormuz, in the Gulf of Oman.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1934, "answer_start": 1062, "text": "He said a plan of attack was \"ready to go, subject to my approval\" but said he had then asked generals how many people would be killed. \"I thought about it for a second and I said, you know what, they shot down an unmanned drone, plane, whatever you want to call it, and here we are sitting with 150 dead people that would have taken place probably within a half an hour after I said go ahead,\" he told NBC. He denied suggestions that aircraft had already been on their way to attack Iranian targets - reportedly including Iranian radar and missile batteries - saying: \"No planes were in the air.\" Addressing Iran's leaders, Mr Trump said: \"You can't have nuclear weapons. And if you want to talk about it, good. Otherwise, you can live in a shattered economy for a long time to come.\" Earlier on Friday Mr Trump tweeted that the US had been \"cocked and loaded\" to strike." } ], "id": "9059_0", "question": "What did Trump tell NBC?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3312, "answer_start": 1935, "text": "Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was glad the president had not carried out the strikes and said he should seek congressional authorisation before military action. Adam Smith - the Democratic chair of the House Armed Services Committee - warned it was \"not smart\" of the president to make the details public, saying it undermined the notion of a clear US plan. Some US media reports said the strikes had been recommended by the Pentagon, while others said top Pentagon officials had warned a military response could result in a spiralling escalation with risks for US forces in the region. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton had pushed for a hardline stance, but congressional leaders had urged caution, the Associated Press reported. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency order on Thursday evening prohibiting US airlines from operating in an overwater area of Tehran-controlled airspace nearby in response. Airlines from other countries, including Britain's British Airways, the Dutch carrier KLM, Emirates, and Qantas of Australia, have also said they will re-route their flights to avoid parts of Iran. Meanwhile, a UK government minister will hold talks with Iranian officials in Tehran on Sunday. Andrew Murrison will call for \"urgent de-escalation\" in the region, the Foreign Office said." } ], "id": "9059_1", "question": "What reaction has there been?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3679, "answer_start": 3313, "text": "An official warned that \"any attack against Iran will have regional and international consequences\". \"When you violate Iranian territorial space, then we defend,\" Seyed Sajjadpour, one of Iran's deputy foreign ministers, told the BBC. It was clear, he added, that there were members of Donald Trump's administration who were intent on overthrowing Iran's government." } ], "id": "9059_2", "question": "What does Iran say?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Sainsbury's has confirmed plans to merge with Asda, which is currently owned by US supermarket giant Walmart. The supermarkets said that grocery prices would fall in both chains as a result of the merger. Sainsbury's chief executive Mike Coupe also said the deal would not lead to store closures or job losses in stores. The combination of the UK's second and third largest supermarkets would create a giant, representing nearly PS1 in every PS3 spent on groceries. Mr Coupe - who will lead the new combined group - said he believed the two supermarkets were \"the best possible fit\". Shares in Sainsbury's jumped 15% in response to the merger news. Walmart, which has owned Asda since 1999, will retain 42% of the combined business. The supermarkets say that as a result of the merger, they expect to be able to lower prices \"by around 10% on many of the products customers buy regularly\". Sainsbury's and Asda will remain separate brands and no stores will close, Mr Coupe told the BBC. \"There's been a bit of commentary over the weekend where people have been alluding to the fact that the only way of making this happen is by closing stores - that is not true,\" said Mr Coupe. Following the merger Argos will open outlets within Asda stores, the firms said. Sainsbury's took over Argos in 2016 and has been integrating the catalogue retailer into its own stores. Sainsbury's said it couldn't comment on what would happen to customers' Nectar points after the merger. The combined business will overtake current market leader Tesco, representing around 30% of UK grocery sales. That will give it greater muscle in the market. Labour's shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey told the BBC she was concerned at the impact on suppliers of the proposed tie-up. The combined group \"will have immense purchasing power, giving them an opportunity to bargain very hard with suppliers,\" she warned. Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said the firms should explain how they plan to merge their supply chains fairly, and reassure people that cost savings wouldn't be achieved \"simply by milking their small suppliers for all they're worth\". Sainsbury's and Asda executives said one advantage of the merger would be the opportunity to bring in \"the power of Walmart in the form of buying of general merchandise and in the form of their systems and investments\". A competition probe seems inevitable given the size of the two chains and the UK's competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), said on Monday it was \"likely\" to review the merger. Sainsbury's and Asda have asked for the CMA investigation to be fast-tracked and hope to complete the deal by the autumn of 2019. At the weekend, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said the merger risked creating \"even more concentrated local monopolies\" and said the CMA should force the companies to sell off stores if the new giant was dominant in a particular area. Retail analyst Nick Bubb said he thought there was \"a pretty good chance\" that the deal will be allowed to proceed, but the main debate would be over how many stores Sainsbury's and Asda would have to sell \"to placate the CMA\". \"Too many store disposals and the deal won't be worth doing... too few store disposals and the CMA will look toothless... hopefully there will be a \"Goldilocks\" scenario for Sainsbury's/Asda.\" Sainsbury's and Asda are both being buffeted by competition from budget supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl. On the horizon, Amazon is making initial steps into grocery deliveries. \"I think from a market share perspective, both Sainsbury's and Asda are landlocked to a certain extent. They're not really able to grow at a rapid rate,\" said Steve Dresser, director of the Grocery Insight consultancy. \"If they remain on their own it's difficult to see how they get any real growth beyond standard organic growth, which isn't necessarily going to be enough when Amazon joins the market,\" said Mr Dresser. The two chains are in many ways complementary: Sainsbury's stores are focused more in the south of the UK and target a higher-end market segment. Asda is more concentrated in the north, offering lower-cost groceries. Even after reducing prices for customers, Mike Coupe thinks synergies will generate PS500m of extra savings, in part through taking advantage of Walmart's clout with suppliers. As for Walmart they will receive PS3bn as well as their 42% stake in the company. But the deal also offers Walmart the option of exiting the UK market altogether in four years' time.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1469, "answer_start": 733, "text": "The supermarkets say that as a result of the merger, they expect to be able to lower prices \"by around 10% on many of the products customers buy regularly\". Sainsbury's and Asda will remain separate brands and no stores will close, Mr Coupe told the BBC. \"There's been a bit of commentary over the weekend where people have been alluding to the fact that the only way of making this happen is by closing stores - that is not true,\" said Mr Coupe. Following the merger Argos will open outlets within Asda stores, the firms said. Sainsbury's took over Argos in 2016 and has been integrating the catalogue retailer into its own stores. Sainsbury's said it couldn't comment on what would happen to customers' Nectar points after the merger." } ], "id": "9060_0", "question": "What will the merger mean for shoppers?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2392, "answer_start": 1470, "text": "The combined business will overtake current market leader Tesco, representing around 30% of UK grocery sales. That will give it greater muscle in the market. Labour's shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey told the BBC she was concerned at the impact on suppliers of the proposed tie-up. The combined group \"will have immense purchasing power, giving them an opportunity to bargain very hard with suppliers,\" she warned. Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said the firms should explain how they plan to merge their supply chains fairly, and reassure people that cost savings wouldn't be achieved \"simply by milking their small suppliers for all they're worth\". Sainsbury's and Asda executives said one advantage of the merger would be the opportunity to bring in \"the power of Walmart in the form of buying of general merchandise and in the form of their systems and investments\"." } ], "id": "9060_1", "question": "What will it mean for suppliers?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3391, "answer_start": 2393, "text": "A competition probe seems inevitable given the size of the two chains and the UK's competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), said on Monday it was \"likely\" to review the merger. Sainsbury's and Asda have asked for the CMA investigation to be fast-tracked and hope to complete the deal by the autumn of 2019. At the weekend, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said the merger risked creating \"even more concentrated local monopolies\" and said the CMA should force the companies to sell off stores if the new giant was dominant in a particular area. Retail analyst Nick Bubb said he thought there was \"a pretty good chance\" that the deal will be allowed to proceed, but the main debate would be over how many stores Sainsbury's and Asda would have to sell \"to placate the CMA\". \"Too many store disposals and the deal won't be worth doing... too few store disposals and the CMA will look toothless... hopefully there will be a \"Goldilocks\" scenario for Sainsbury's/Asda.\"" } ], "id": "9060_2", "question": "Will the merger be allowed?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4570, "answer_start": 3392, "text": "Sainsbury's and Asda are both being buffeted by competition from budget supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl. On the horizon, Amazon is making initial steps into grocery deliveries. \"I think from a market share perspective, both Sainsbury's and Asda are landlocked to a certain extent. They're not really able to grow at a rapid rate,\" said Steve Dresser, director of the Grocery Insight consultancy. \"If they remain on their own it's difficult to see how they get any real growth beyond standard organic growth, which isn't necessarily going to be enough when Amazon joins the market,\" said Mr Dresser. The two chains are in many ways complementary: Sainsbury's stores are focused more in the south of the UK and target a higher-end market segment. Asda is more concentrated in the north, offering lower-cost groceries. Even after reducing prices for customers, Mike Coupe thinks synergies will generate PS500m of extra savings, in part through taking advantage of Walmart's clout with suppliers. As for Walmart they will receive PS3bn as well as their 42% stake in the company. But the deal also offers Walmart the option of exiting the UK market altogether in four years' time." } ], "id": "9060_3", "question": "Why are the two chains combining?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A Dutch IVF treatment centre has said that 26 women may have been fertilised by sperm from the wrong man. The Utrecht University Medical Centre said a \"procedural error\" between April 2015 and November 2016 was to blame. Half of the couples who underwent treatment are pregnant or have already had children. They have been informed, the medical centre said. \"The UMC's board regrets that the couples involved had to receive this news,\" the centre said in a statement. The statement said: \"During fertilisation, sperm cells from one treatment couple may have ended up with the egg cells of 26 other couples. \"Therefore there's a chance that the egg cells have been fertilised by sperm other than that of the intended father.\" Although the chance of that happening was small, the possibility \"could not be excluded,\" the centre added. The technique at the centre of the mistake involved a single sperm being injected directly into a woman's egg with a pipette. It is called Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and differs from in vitro fertilisation. From April 2015 to November 2016, one of the lab technicians is believed to have used an inappropriate pipette to inject the sperm. Although the pipette was changed each time, the technician used the same rubber top until he found traces of sperm in it and raised the alarm. The rubber top would normally have a filter, but in this case it did not, a hospital spokesman told the BBC. Of the 26 couples involved, nine have had children and four women are pregnant. The other 13 embryos were all frozen. All the couples are due to meet doctors from the centre in the coming days and will be offered the option of a DNA test. The UMC carries out up to 700 ICSI procedures every year. Dutch fertility support group Freya reacted with shock to the news. \"Wanting a child is a very delicate thing, especially when it doesn't involve the normal bedroom way. So people need to have 100% confidence in the method they adopt,\" it said. In 2012, a Singapore mother sued a clinic after it mixed up her husband's sperm with that of a stranger. The woman, who was ethnically Chinese, suspected something was wrong when her baby had markedly different skin tone and hair colour from her Caucasian husband.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2244, "answer_start": 833, "text": "The technique at the centre of the mistake involved a single sperm being injected directly into a woman's egg with a pipette. It is called Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and differs from in vitro fertilisation. From April 2015 to November 2016, one of the lab technicians is believed to have used an inappropriate pipette to inject the sperm. Although the pipette was changed each time, the technician used the same rubber top until he found traces of sperm in it and raised the alarm. The rubber top would normally have a filter, but in this case it did not, a hospital spokesman told the BBC. Of the 26 couples involved, nine have had children and four women are pregnant. The other 13 embryos were all frozen. All the couples are due to meet doctors from the centre in the coming days and will be offered the option of a DNA test. The UMC carries out up to 700 ICSI procedures every year. Dutch fertility support group Freya reacted with shock to the news. \"Wanting a child is a very delicate thing, especially when it doesn't involve the normal bedroom way. So people need to have 100% confidence in the method they adopt,\" it said. In 2012, a Singapore mother sued a clinic after it mixed up her husband's sperm with that of a stranger. The woman, who was ethnically Chinese, suspected something was wrong when her baby had markedly different skin tone and hair colour from her Caucasian husband." } ], "id": "9061_0", "question": "What went wrong?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "An international court in the Hague is due to begin the trial of four men accused of murdering the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in 2005. The four suspects - all linked to the Shia movement Hezbollah - are on the run and will be tried in their absence by the UN-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon. Hariri was killed by a car bomb in Beirut in February 20, causing political upheaval in Lebanon that led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops. Hezbollah has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attack and said the assassination was part of an Israeli and US conspiracy The murder fuelled sectarian tension in Lebanon that has since been worsened by the conflict in Syria. The UN Security Council voted in 2007, at Lebanon's request, to set up the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) to try those behind the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Hariri and 21 other people died when a massive blast ripped through his motorcade in central Beirut. The tribunal, sitting in The Hague, was formally opened in March 2007. The court consists of 11 judges, seven international and four Lebanese. Half of the tribunal's budget - 59.9 million euros ($82m, PS50m) in 2013 - comes from Lebanon's government. In its early stages, the UN investigation, led by German judge Detlev Mehlis implicated top-level Syrian security officials. Critics said the tribunal was part of US policy aimed at regime change in Syria. However in 2011, the tribunal indicted four suspects connected with the powerful Lebanese Shia political and militant movement Hezbollah. They are Mustafa Amine Badreddine, known as a senior military operative, Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hussein Hassan Oneissi and Assad Hassan Sabra. Under the current prosecutor Norman Farrell, the tribunal indicted a fifth man, Hassan Habib Merhi, in August 2013. His case has yet to be brought into the current trial. Both Hezbollah and Syria - which was forced to pull its troops out of Lebanon and relax its domination of its neighbour in the wake of the killing - have vehemently denied any role in the 2005 assassination. Hezbollah, for its part, has dismissed the tribunal as an \"Israeli instrument\", and produced what it regards as evidence that Israel was involved in the bombing. From the very start, the tribunal has been a political flashpoint in Lebanon, pitting pro-Western groups linked to then-Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who is Rafik Hariri's son, against Hezbollah and its allies, backed by Syria and Iran. By implicating Hezbollah members in the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the tribunal is basically accusing Lebanon's most powerful Shia group of involvement in the murder of the country's dominant political figure back in 2005. There were widespread fears the trial could open a new chapter of sectarian tensions, such as those seen in 2008, when Hezbollah fighters took over west Beirut and crushed pro-Hariri elements. In January 2011, 11 Hezbollah-affiliated ministers resigned, bringing down the coalition government of Saad Hariri. The group had wanted Mr Hariri to withdraw Lebanon's funding for the tribunal, stop all co-operation, and denounce the court's findings even before they were released. He had refused. On 25 January of that year, the Hezbollah-backed business tycoon, Najib Mikati, was appointed as the prime minister-designate, tilting the balance of power in Lebanon towards Syria and Iran, and away from the Western-allied bloc that had headed governments for nearly six years. Five months later, after much political wrangling, Mr Mikati unveiled a new heavily pro-Syrian administration that critics dubbed a \"Hezbollah government\". He resigned in April 2013 amid disagreement over planned elections and a new government is yet to be formed. Correspondents say Lebanon remains as dangerously divided now as it was in 2005. Mohamad Chatah, one of Hariri's close associates and a staunch critic of Hezbollah, was killed in a bomb explosion in December 2013 only a few hundred metres from where the former prime minister died. Lebanon's largest political factions are generally split into Sunni and Shia camps that are closely allied to opposing Middle East powers. The backers of Lebanon's pro-Western camp, the US and Saudi Arabia, are engaged in a wider contest with the Shia power of Iran and its ally Syria, who support Hezbollah. Iran, Syria and Hezbollah are sworn enemies of Israel. The interplay of these regional dimensions makes political instability in Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah fought a devastating war in 2006, potentially dangerous. Political tensions have been exacerbated by the continuing conflict in neighbouring Syria. Many Sunni Muslims in Lebanon sympathise with the Syrian rebels, while the militant Shia movement Hezbollah and its supporters back President Bashar al-Assad. A spokesman for the tribunal has said that the start of the trial will be \"a historic day for Lebanon and international justice\". However, the suspects will not be in court because the Lebanese authorities have failed to arrest them. The men are being tried as individuals, not as members of any organisation, and are unlikely to ever appear in court. The trial is going to be a long-running affair, expected to last months, if not several years, if it gets the funding.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1230, "answer_start": 687, "text": "The UN Security Council voted in 2007, at Lebanon's request, to set up the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) to try those behind the 2005 assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. Hariri and 21 other people died when a massive blast ripped through his motorcade in central Beirut. The tribunal, sitting in The Hague, was formally opened in March 2007. The court consists of 11 judges, seven international and four Lebanese. Half of the tribunal's budget - 59.9 million euros ($82m, PS50m) in 2013 - comes from Lebanon's government." } ], "id": "9062_0", "question": "What is the Hariri tribunal?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2255, "answer_start": 1231, "text": "In its early stages, the UN investigation, led by German judge Detlev Mehlis implicated top-level Syrian security officials. Critics said the tribunal was part of US policy aimed at regime change in Syria. However in 2011, the tribunal indicted four suspects connected with the powerful Lebanese Shia political and militant movement Hezbollah. They are Mustafa Amine Badreddine, known as a senior military operative, Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hussein Hassan Oneissi and Assad Hassan Sabra. Under the current prosecutor Norman Farrell, the tribunal indicted a fifth man, Hassan Habib Merhi, in August 2013. His case has yet to be brought into the current trial. Both Hezbollah and Syria - which was forced to pull its troops out of Lebanon and relax its domination of its neighbour in the wake of the killing - have vehemently denied any role in the 2005 assassination. Hezbollah, for its part, has dismissed the tribunal as an \"Israeli instrument\", and produced what it regards as evidence that Israel was involved in the bombing." } ], "id": "9062_1", "question": "What are its major findings?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2910, "answer_start": 2256, "text": "From the very start, the tribunal has been a political flashpoint in Lebanon, pitting pro-Western groups linked to then-Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who is Rafik Hariri's son, against Hezbollah and its allies, backed by Syria and Iran. By implicating Hezbollah members in the assassination of Rafik Hariri, the tribunal is basically accusing Lebanon's most powerful Shia group of involvement in the murder of the country's dominant political figure back in 2005. There were widespread fears the trial could open a new chapter of sectarian tensions, such as those seen in 2008, when Hezbollah fighters took over west Beirut and crushed pro-Hariri elements." } ], "id": "9062_2", "question": "Why has the tribunal proved so divisive in Lebanon?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4036, "answer_start": 2911, "text": "In January 2011, 11 Hezbollah-affiliated ministers resigned, bringing down the coalition government of Saad Hariri. The group had wanted Mr Hariri to withdraw Lebanon's funding for the tribunal, stop all co-operation, and denounce the court's findings even before they were released. He had refused. On 25 January of that year, the Hezbollah-backed business tycoon, Najib Mikati, was appointed as the prime minister-designate, tilting the balance of power in Lebanon towards Syria and Iran, and away from the Western-allied bloc that had headed governments for nearly six years. Five months later, after much political wrangling, Mr Mikati unveiled a new heavily pro-Syrian administration that critics dubbed a \"Hezbollah government\". He resigned in April 2013 amid disagreement over planned elections and a new government is yet to be formed. Correspondents say Lebanon remains as dangerously divided now as it was in 2005. Mohamad Chatah, one of Hariri's close associates and a staunch critic of Hezbollah, was killed in a bomb explosion in December 2013 only a few hundred metres from where the former prime minister died." } ], "id": "9062_3", "question": "What has been the political fallout in Lebanon?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4817, "answer_start": 4037, "text": "Lebanon's largest political factions are generally split into Sunni and Shia camps that are closely allied to opposing Middle East powers. The backers of Lebanon's pro-Western camp, the US and Saudi Arabia, are engaged in a wider contest with the Shia power of Iran and its ally Syria, who support Hezbollah. Iran, Syria and Hezbollah are sworn enemies of Israel. The interplay of these regional dimensions makes political instability in Lebanon, where Israel and Hezbollah fought a devastating war in 2006, potentially dangerous. Political tensions have been exacerbated by the continuing conflict in neighbouring Syria. Many Sunni Muslims in Lebanon sympathise with the Syrian rebels, while the militant Shia movement Hezbollah and its supporters back President Bashar al-Assad." } ], "id": "9062_4", "question": "What is the potential fallout in the wider Middle East?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5288, "answer_start": 4818, "text": "A spokesman for the tribunal has said that the start of the trial will be \"a historic day for Lebanon and international justice\". However, the suspects will not be in court because the Lebanese authorities have failed to arrest them. The men are being tried as individuals, not as members of any organisation, and are unlikely to ever appear in court. The trial is going to be a long-running affair, expected to last months, if not several years, if it gets the funding." } ], "id": "9062_5", "question": "What happens next at the tribunal?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "California police have arrested a former police officer for a notorious spree of murders, rapes and burglaries in the 1970s and 80s. Sacramento police say they arrested suspect Joseph James DeAngelo, 72. The suspect has been living in the Sacramento area and was identified after new efforts to solve the case, investigators say. Police blame the so-called Golden State Killer for 12 murders, 51 rapes and more than 120 burglaries. Mr DeAngelo is being held on suspicion of four counts of murder - the 1978 deaths of Brian and Katie Maggiore in Sacramento and the 1980 killings of Charlene and Lyman Smith in Ventura County. Prosecutors say additional charges are likely to follow. Police had been monitoring the suspect and used \"discarded DNA\" to match him to the crimes, according to Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones. Announcing the arrest, Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said: \"The answer has always been in Sacramento.\" \"The magnitude of this case demanded that it be solved,\" she added. Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten said that prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty. Two years ago the FBI offered a $50,000 (PS36,000) reward to anyone who could help crack the case. By James Cook, BBC News Los Angeles correspondent After four decades of frustration for detectives, it turned out the suspect had been living under their noses all along. \"We found the needle in the haystack and it was right here in Sacramento,\" said district attorney Anne Marie Schubert. Joseph James DeAngelo had apparently been living an ordinary life on a quiet suburban street, a former police officer with grown-up children who was \"very surprised\" when he was arrested and taken into custody. Details of his alleged crimes are deeply disturbing and collective psychological scars endure. Many police officers and prosecutors involved in the case vividly recall the terror of the crime spree in their communities. \"Everyone was afraid,\" said FBI special agent Marcus Knutson, who was born and raised in Sacramento, as he announced a fresh appeal for information on the case two years ago. \"We had people sleeping with shotguns, we had people purchasing dogs. People were concerned, and they had a right to be. This guy was terrorising the community. He did horrible things.\" According to the Sacramento Bee newspaper, he had been living with his daughter and granddaughter in the city's Citrus Heights neighbourhood. He was fired from the Auburn Police Department in 1979 after he was charged with shoplifting, according to the Auburn Journal. Police say it was \"very likely\" that he was committing these crimes while employed as a police officer. He had also worked as an officer in Exeter, California from 1973 to 1976, during a time when several crimes were committed there, police say. Jane Carson-Sandler, who was the rapist's fifth victim in October 1976, told the Island Packet newspaper that detectives had emailed her on Wednesday to inform her of the arrest. \"I just found out this morning,\" she said. \"I'm overwhelmed with joy. I've been crying, sobbing.\" The case was investigated by author Michelle McNamara for her book I'll Be Gone in the Dark. McNamara died before the book could be published. Her co-author, Billy Jensen, tweeted on Tuesday night to say there would be a \"rather large announcement tomorrow\". Another contributor to the book, Paul Haynes, said: \"Stunned. Excited. No other words right now.\" The Golden State Killer, also known as the East Area Rapist, Original Night Stalker, and the Diamond Knot Killer is believed to have carried out rapes and murders between 1976 and 1986, killing girls and women aged between 12 and 41. Prosecutors say the \"reign of terror\" began in Sacramento and spread to San Francisco and then on to central and southern California. Links between the cases were established by DNA evidence, police say. The attacker broke into homes at night and then tied up and raped his female victims. Before fleeing he stole items such as cash, jewellery and identification. The last case to be linked to the Golden State Killer was the rape and murder of an 18-year-old woman in Irvine, Orange County, in May 1986. Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said the suspect had been called many names but added: \"Today, it's our pleasure to call him 'defendant'.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1215, "answer_start": 682, "text": "Police had been monitoring the suspect and used \"discarded DNA\" to match him to the crimes, according to Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones. Announcing the arrest, Sacramento District Attorney Anne Marie Schubert said: \"The answer has always been in Sacramento.\" \"The magnitude of this case demanded that it be solved,\" she added. Ventura County District Attorney Greg Totten said that prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty. Two years ago the FBI offered a $50,000 (PS36,000) reward to anyone who could help crack the case." } ], "id": "9063_0", "question": "What did police say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2812, "answer_start": 2298, "text": "According to the Sacramento Bee newspaper, he had been living with his daughter and granddaughter in the city's Citrus Heights neighbourhood. He was fired from the Auburn Police Department in 1979 after he was charged with shoplifting, according to the Auburn Journal. Police say it was \"very likely\" that he was committing these crimes while employed as a police officer. He had also worked as an officer in Exeter, California from 1973 to 1976, during a time when several crimes were committed there, police say." } ], "id": "9063_1", "question": "What do we know about the accused?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3446, "answer_start": 2813, "text": "Jane Carson-Sandler, who was the rapist's fifth victim in October 1976, told the Island Packet newspaper that detectives had emailed her on Wednesday to inform her of the arrest. \"I just found out this morning,\" she said. \"I'm overwhelmed with joy. I've been crying, sobbing.\" The case was investigated by author Michelle McNamara for her book I'll Be Gone in the Dark. McNamara died before the book could be published. Her co-author, Billy Jensen, tweeted on Tuesday night to say there would be a \"rather large announcement tomorrow\". Another contributor to the book, Paul Haynes, said: \"Stunned. Excited. No other words right now.\"" } ], "id": "9063_2", "question": "What reaction has there been?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4340, "answer_start": 3447, "text": "The Golden State Killer, also known as the East Area Rapist, Original Night Stalker, and the Diamond Knot Killer is believed to have carried out rapes and murders between 1976 and 1986, killing girls and women aged between 12 and 41. Prosecutors say the \"reign of terror\" began in Sacramento and spread to San Francisco and then on to central and southern California. Links between the cases were established by DNA evidence, police say. The attacker broke into homes at night and then tied up and raped his female victims. Before fleeing he stole items such as cash, jewellery and identification. The last case to be linked to the Golden State Killer was the rape and murder of an 18-year-old woman in Irvine, Orange County, in May 1986. Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said the suspect had been called many names but added: \"Today, it's our pleasure to call him 'defendant'.\"" } ], "id": "9063_3", "question": "What were the crimes?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The Brazilian government has appointed an army general to oversee security in the state of Rio de Janeiro, in response to growing gang violence. President Michel Temer compared the violence to \"a cancer\" and said organised criminals had all but seized control of the state. Rio's governor issued an appeal for help after the annual carnival celebrations were marred by violence. The army will oversee police and other security services. Overseeing the operation will be Gen Walter Souza Braga Netto, head of the Eastern Military Command. He was widely praised for his part in co-ordinating security for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Signing the decree, Mr Termer said he was taking \"extreme measures\" because circumstances demanded it. \"The government will give tough and firm answers, taking all necessary measures to eradicate organised crime,\" he said. There were chaotic scenes during the famous Rio carnival, with gun fights and looting. Three police officers died in violent clashes. National TV news bulletins also broadcast footage of gangs surrounding and robbing tourists. With the security situation apparently spiralling out of control, state governor Luiz Fernando Pezao made a plea to the national government saying military intervention was the only way to tackle the heavily armed gangs. He apologised to those revellers affected, saying: \"We were not ready. There were mistakes in the first days and we reinforced the patrols.\" Rio's police budget has been slashed in recent years because of a financial crisis. There have been criticisms that police do not even have the money to pay for the petrol in their patrol cars. Finances in Rio state have been badly hit by a national recession and a slump in oil prices, as well as high levels of corruption. The financial problems have only emboldened criminal gangs. Figures from the Rio state government show an 8% increase in killings last year over 2016 and a 26% jump since 2015. Julia Carneiro, BBC News, Rio de Janeiro Stunned, numb, in shock or in denial. Living in Rio brings such mixed feelings today. Life continues as usual in the city and residents go about trying to lead their lives normally. There's \"nothing happening\" - until something does. And more and more violence has been getting in the way, with stray bullets killing children in favelas, shoot-outs closing down major highways and mass robberies ruining the fun for several residents and tourists in the middle of the Carnival celebrations. The saying goes in Brazil that the year starts once Carnival ends, and the intervention announced by the federal government reinforces the feeling that there's no escaping reality. If Rio already felt misgoverned, the fact that the state governor willingly gave up his power for the president to call the shots in the security arena adds to the feeling of helplessness in the hands of unpopular politicians. For now, there will be hope that at least something is being done. But Brazilians are weary of big political gestures - especially in the months leading up to a presidential election. The army regularly patrols some of the most dangerous areas of Rio de Janeiro where drugs gangs hold sway, but now the military presence could be felt all over the city's metropolitan area of 12 million people and the wider state. Correspondents say it will be the first time the army has had such a high profile since Brazil's return to democracy in 1985, which followed 21 years of military rule. The move still needs to be approved by Brazil's National Congress. \"Organised crime has almost taken over the state of Rio de Janeiro, it is a cancer that spreads throughout the country and threatens the tranquillity of our people, so we have now enacted the federal intervention of the public security area of Rio de Janeiro,\" Mr Temer said. Brazilian media, citing government sources, said the current head of public security, Roberto Sa, would be removed from office. It is understood Gen Netto will be in charge of Rio state security at least until the end of the year.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1443, "answer_start": 631, "text": "Signing the decree, Mr Termer said he was taking \"extreme measures\" because circumstances demanded it. \"The government will give tough and firm answers, taking all necessary measures to eradicate organised crime,\" he said. There were chaotic scenes during the famous Rio carnival, with gun fights and looting. Three police officers died in violent clashes. National TV news bulletins also broadcast footage of gangs surrounding and robbing tourists. With the security situation apparently spiralling out of control, state governor Luiz Fernando Pezao made a plea to the national government saying military intervention was the only way to tackle the heavily armed gangs. He apologised to those revellers affected, saying: \"We were not ready. There were mistakes in the first days and we reinforced the patrols.\"" } ], "id": "9064_0", "question": "What led to the situation?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1945, "answer_start": 1444, "text": "Rio's police budget has been slashed in recent years because of a financial crisis. There have been criticisms that police do not even have the money to pay for the petrol in their patrol cars. Finances in Rio state have been badly hit by a national recession and a slump in oil prices, as well as high levels of corruption. The financial problems have only emboldened criminal gangs. Figures from the Rio state government show an 8% increase in killings last year over 2016 and a 26% jump since 2015." } ], "id": "9064_1", "question": "Why has the violence worsened?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4044, "answer_start": 3070, "text": "The army regularly patrols some of the most dangerous areas of Rio de Janeiro where drugs gangs hold sway, but now the military presence could be felt all over the city's metropolitan area of 12 million people and the wider state. Correspondents say it will be the first time the army has had such a high profile since Brazil's return to democracy in 1985, which followed 21 years of military rule. The move still needs to be approved by Brazil's National Congress. \"Organised crime has almost taken over the state of Rio de Janeiro, it is a cancer that spreads throughout the country and threatens the tranquillity of our people, so we have now enacted the federal intervention of the public security area of Rio de Janeiro,\" Mr Temer said. Brazilian media, citing government sources, said the current head of public security, Roberto Sa, would be removed from office. It is understood Gen Netto will be in charge of Rio state security at least until the end of the year." } ], "id": "9064_2", "question": "What happens now?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The Nigerian government has launched an unprecedented $1bn (PS750m) operation to clean up the environmental damage caused by the oil industry, and it will be paid for by the polluters. But will it work? The BBC's Stephanie Hegarty reports from the Niger Delta. The mangroves that used to stretch across the creeks of Kegbara Dere, Ogoniland, are now dead - their naked, rotten trunks stick out of the water, like skeletons coated in a layer of black. This is the price that has been paid for the discovery of oil. Erabanabari Kobah, an environmental campaigner who grew up on these creeks, used to fish here during his school holidays to make a little money to pay for his school books. But he says children cannot do that anymore. \"This used to be a very flourishing mangrove forest full of diversity but as a result of the continuous oil spills the fish are all dead,\" he says, as he navigates a creek in a small wooden canoe. \"People can no longer do their fishing here. It's sad to see it like this.\" Kogbara Dere was a fishing village in which life revolved around the creek. Oil was discovered here in the 1950s but by the 1990s the wider Ogoniland community pushed the oil company operating in the area, Shell, out of the creek. For many years afterwards the abandoned oil wells leaked until they were capped in 2010, but by then the damage was done. In 2011, the Nigerian government called on the UN Environment Programme to do an independent report on the damage in Ogoniland. Researchers found that oil had penetrated far deeper into the soil than anyone expected and said the clean-up could take up to 30 years. They said the people of Ogoniland were exposed to extreme health hazards from air and water pollution. In some cases, cancer-causing compounds in crude oil - like benzene - could be found in drinking water at more than 900 times the safe level. Despite the damage some communities are opposed to a clean-up fearing that the money spent on it could end up in the wrong hands. The experience of what has happened in Bodo, just down the coast from Kogbara Dere, may shed some light on the difficulties ahead. It was once a quiet fishing town but became famous last year when Shell paid out almost $80m in compensation for two major oil spills. That money was split between 15,600 local people, with each getting about $3,000, and the rest was earmarked for the community as a whole, but that has also now been distributed to individuals. It was a huge windfall for people who were until then living hand to mouth. The money physically transformed the town with concrete houses popping up everywhere replacing mud and corrugated tin huts. It also bitterly divided the community. Part of the 2015 deal said Shell must clean up the mess, but that surprisingly is not what many people want. \"I believe the money earmarked is for the clean-up. This is for [the benefit of] the community therefore money should be paid to them\" Fisherman Siitu Emmanuel was one of the beneficiaries of the pay-out and spent it building houses for his children. He says he is not in support of Shell doing the clean-up - instead he wants the money that was going to pay for it to be split amongst the community. \"I believe the money earmarked is for the clean-up. This is for [the benefit of] the community therefore money should be paid to them,\" he says. And most people in Bodo agree with him, they would rather have money in their pockets than see the environmental problems sorted out. The damage to the creeks has been so profound that many cannot even imagine returning to the life they had as fishermen before. Clean-ups in places like Kogbara Dere have been attempted in the past but according to some residents they have not worked. Comfort Gbode's farm is beside a pipeline which spilled oil in 2012 destroying much of her land. Mrs Gbode and her husband still farm the land but the crops are stunted. A clean-up was done but had little effect. \"They said they were cleaning the soil, I saw tippers coming in to dump new soil on top,\" she says. \"But it's not clean, we still can't farm the land.\" A core of activists is still arguing for the clean-up to happen. One of them, Sylvester Kogbara, had his home attacked by local youths opposed to it. The conflict got so violent that in February four people were killed in clashes. Father Abel Agbulu, Bodo's Catholic priest, was called in to stop the violence and understands better than most why it happened. \"They don't really trust any kind of negotiations or negotiators from the community,\" he says. This is the land that has made many Nigerians super rich and yet he says many of his parishioners are surviving on one meal a day. People here are used to seeing oil money go into the wrong hands. Likewise, they believe the money spent by Shell to sort out the environmental damage will end up with corrupt local politicians and contractors. For its part Shell is committed to undertake a clean-up operation but says it is too dangerous to begin work until the Bodo people are ready to welcome them. They have been in talks with various groups for three years to get the work started. But those talks have stalled repeatedly. Dutch ambassador John Groffen acts as a mediator and explains why the process has been so difficult. \"We wanted to make sure that it wasn't happening in the old ways where contracts were being given out to contractors in an underhanded way,\" he says. \"In the end some parties, some contractors, some youths felt they were left out of the process and there was a push back from those groups.\" Until the allocation of those contracts is sorted out, the creeks continue to rot. Bodo is just one community, there are thousands like it in the Niger Delta. The task of cleaning up is mammoth. But the Nigerian government says it is determined that its own plans will work. Environment Minister Amina Mohamed is aware of the murky local politics at play. \"A lot of the [issues involve] transparency,\" she says. \"It's not about sharing money. It's about contracting people to do work that needs to be done to clean up the Niger Delta.\" But even if this does happen, it could be 30 years before these creeks are clean again.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4103, "answer_start": 3615, "text": "Clean-ups in places like Kogbara Dere have been attempted in the past but according to some residents they have not worked. Comfort Gbode's farm is beside a pipeline which spilled oil in 2012 destroying much of her land. Mrs Gbode and her husband still farm the land but the crops are stunted. A clean-up was done but had little effect. \"They said they were cleaning the soil, I saw tippers coming in to dump new soil on top,\" she says. \"But it's not clean, we still can't farm the land.\"" } ], "id": "9065_0", "question": "How clean is clean?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "In India, 2016 has been a year of political surprises, alcohol ban and heated debates about nationalism, and plenty of other news in between. The BBC's in-house cartoonist Kirtish Bhat picks five news events to give his humorous take on 2016. Two news events in February were all about freedom. One firm launched the world's cheapest smartphone, priced at 251 rupees ($3.67; PS3), and called it Freedom 251. At the same time, police arrested some students in Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University for allegedly raising anti-India slogans, and demanding \"freedom\" for Kashmir from Indian rule. The students denied the allegations, but they were charged with sedition. Later, they were freed on bail. India's flamboyant businessman Vijay Mallya made his fortune selling beer under the Kingfisher brand and branched out into aviation, Formula1 racing, and Indian cricket. But he incurred huge debts because of the failure of his airline. Many have criticised banks for their inability in recovering the debt from Mr Mallya, who denies any wrongdoing. He is currently living in the UK, and hasn't returned to India despite repeated summons by the authorities. When the chief minister of the eastern state of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, promised during his election campaign that he would ban the sale and consumption of alcohol if elected, not many thought he would actually do it. But then he proved everybody wrong! When Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, he promised to change the country. But his critics say that he has been concentrating more on foreign policy, and travelling the world. In one of the biggest surprises of 2016, Mr Modi on 8 November announced the scrapping of 500 and 1,000 rupee notes to crack down on corruption and illegal cash holdings known as \"black money\". The sudden announcement made many people's cash worthless.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 696, "answer_start": 243, "text": "Two news events in February were all about freedom. One firm launched the world's cheapest smartphone, priced at 251 rupees ($3.67; PS3), and called it Freedom 251. At the same time, police arrested some students in Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University for allegedly raising anti-India slogans, and demanding \"freedom\" for Kashmir from Indian rule. The students denied the allegations, but they were charged with sedition. Later, they were freed on bail." } ], "id": "9066_0", "question": "Who wants freedom?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The US has branded as \"complete nonsense\" Iran's accusation that its enemies have been behind a wave of violent protests sweeping the country. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had made the accusation in his first comments on the protests. US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley said the protests were \"spontaneous\", adding that the US planned to call an emergency UN meeting on the situation. The unrest began last Thursday and has seen 21 people killed. The demonstrations, which started in the city of Mashhad, were initially against price rises and corruption, but then began to express wider anti-government sentiment. Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday. Mr Macron called for \"restraint\" and it was decided that a visit by France's foreign minister due this week should be postponed, In a post on his official website, Iran's supreme leader had said: \"In recent days, enemies of Iran used different tools including cash, weapons, politics and intelligence services to create troubles for the Islamic Republic.\" Analysts say the ayatollah's reference to \"enemies\" is a swipe at Israel, the US and regional rival Saudi Arabia. Ms Haley said the accusation was \"ridiculous\". She added: \"The people of Iran are crying out for freedom, All freedom-loving people must stand with their cause.\" She said the US would call for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the anti-government protests. The BBC's Nada Tawfik in New York says the Security Council deals with international threats to peace and security and it is unclear if there would be enough support among council members for such a meeting. Ms Haley continued: \"The freedoms that are enshrined in the United Nations charter are under attack in Iran. Dozens have already been killed. Hundreds have been arrested. \"If the Iranian dictatorship's history is any guide, we can expect more outrageous abuses in the days to come.\" The US stance to the unrest, which has included a string of tweets from President Donald Trump, has drawn an angry response from the Iranian leadership. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, said Mr Trump should focus on \"the domestic issues of his own country, such as daily killings of dozens of people... and the existence of millions of homeless and hungry people\". Even a group of reformist and moderate MPs accused the US of trying to take advantage of the situation. There were reports on social media late on Tuesday of more unrest, although it is not possible to confirm it independently or the exact timing. The reports spoke of: - Burning buildings in the town of Behbahan - Protests spreading to the north-western city of Tabriz - Police firing tear gas to break up protests in the south-western city of Ahvaz - Unrest in Gohardasht and Eslamabad-e-Gharb Unconfirmed video footage on social media showed protesters and security forces on the streets of the city of Hamedan; flash bombs or grenades being thrown in Rasht and street fires in Karaj. More than 450 arrests have been made in Tehran alone over the past three days. By Jeremy Bowen, BBC Middle East editor When the protests started last Thursday, they were about the current economic crisis but as they spread, pent-up frustrations spilled out and politics became a big part of them. President Rouhani has been widely criticised. He has disappointed voters who hoped he would do more to turn round an economy that has been damaged by years of sanctions, corruption and mismanagement. Iran's role in conflicts across the Middle East has also been criticised as it is an expensive foreign policy at a time when people in Iran are getting poorer. Leading figures in the Islamic Republic have also been targeted by protesters, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. He has responded by blaming foreigners. Iran has suffered in the past from foreign interference, so his words will strike a chord among some - and could also signal a much tougher response from the security forces. The demonstrations do not seem to have recognisable leaders, unlike the last big protests after the disputed presidential election in 2009. At that time, the elite of the Islamic Republic was divided. It is not at the moment, so that will make it harder for the protests to be sustained, and they may run out of steam. But the fact they are happening at all is very significant. They show how discontented Iranians are with increasing poverty, after years of repression. They are the largest since the disputed 2009 presidential election. Mass demonstrations then - referred to as the Green Movement - were held by millions of opposition supporters against the victory of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. At least 30 people were killed and thousands arrested in the wave of protests, which drew the largest crowds in Iran since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2458, "answer_start": 858, "text": "In a post on his official website, Iran's supreme leader had said: \"In recent days, enemies of Iran used different tools including cash, weapons, politics and intelligence services to create troubles for the Islamic Republic.\" Analysts say the ayatollah's reference to \"enemies\" is a swipe at Israel, the US and regional rival Saudi Arabia. Ms Haley said the accusation was \"ridiculous\". She added: \"The people of Iran are crying out for freedom, All freedom-loving people must stand with their cause.\" She said the US would call for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the anti-government protests. The BBC's Nada Tawfik in New York says the Security Council deals with international threats to peace and security and it is unclear if there would be enough support among council members for such a meeting. Ms Haley continued: \"The freedoms that are enshrined in the United Nations charter are under attack in Iran. Dozens have already been killed. Hundreds have been arrested. \"If the Iranian dictatorship's history is any guide, we can expect more outrageous abuses in the days to come.\" The US stance to the unrest, which has included a string of tweets from President Donald Trump, has drawn an angry response from the Iranian leadership. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, said Mr Trump should focus on \"the domestic issues of his own country, such as daily killings of dozens of people... and the existence of millions of homeless and hungry people\". Even a group of reformist and moderate MPs accused the US of trying to take advantage of the situation." } ], "id": "9067_0", "question": "What's behind the latest US-Iran clash?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3122, "answer_start": 2459, "text": "There were reports on social media late on Tuesday of more unrest, although it is not possible to confirm it independently or the exact timing. The reports spoke of: - Burning buildings in the town of Behbahan - Protests spreading to the north-western city of Tabriz - Police firing tear gas to break up protests in the south-western city of Ahvaz - Unrest in Gohardasht and Eslamabad-e-Gharb Unconfirmed video footage on social media showed protesters and security forces on the streets of the city of Hamedan; flash bombs or grenades being thrown in Rasht and street fires in Karaj. More than 450 arrests have been made in Tehran alone over the past three days." } ], "id": "9067_1", "question": "Where is the violence happening?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4510, "answer_start": 3123, "text": "By Jeremy Bowen, BBC Middle East editor When the protests started last Thursday, they were about the current economic crisis but as they spread, pent-up frustrations spilled out and politics became a big part of them. President Rouhani has been widely criticised. He has disappointed voters who hoped he would do more to turn round an economy that has been damaged by years of sanctions, corruption and mismanagement. Iran's role in conflicts across the Middle East has also been criticised as it is an expensive foreign policy at a time when people in Iran are getting poorer. Leading figures in the Islamic Republic have also been targeted by protesters, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. He has responded by blaming foreigners. Iran has suffered in the past from foreign interference, so his words will strike a chord among some - and could also signal a much tougher response from the security forces. The demonstrations do not seem to have recognisable leaders, unlike the last big protests after the disputed presidential election in 2009. At that time, the elite of the Islamic Republic was divided. It is not at the moment, so that will make it harder for the protests to be sustained, and they may run out of steam. But the fact they are happening at all is very significant. They show how discontented Iranians are with increasing poverty, after years of repression." } ], "id": "9067_2", "question": "Where will the protests lead?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4907, "answer_start": 4511, "text": "They are the largest since the disputed 2009 presidential election. Mass demonstrations then - referred to as the Green Movement - were held by millions of opposition supporters against the victory of incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. At least 30 people were killed and thousands arrested in the wave of protests, which drew the largest crowds in Iran since the Islamic Revolution of 1979." } ], "id": "9067_3", "question": "Have we seen such protests before?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Donald Trump has agreed not to escalate his trade war with China, but many other countries have also been affected by the US president's America First trade policy. From Spanish olives to Canadian steel, no corner of the world has been untouched by US trade tariffs - a tax on foreign products - since President Trump entered the White House. Along the way, he has rewritten the rule book for how the US goes about the process of protecting its domestic trade. A tariff is a tax on a foreign product designed to protect domestic producers in an effort to boost local economies. But under international trade laws, the US can't just implement them willy-nilly, they need to provide a reason why the tariff is necessary and investigate it fully. Until recently, the vast majority of US tariffs were justified as countervailing and antidumping duties. - Countervailing duties level the playing field when a foreign industry has been unfairly subsidised - Antidumping duties level the playing field when a foreign industry has been flooding the US market with its products Not all investigations lead to tariffs - at some point during the process, the US may decide they don't have grounds to be implemented. But many do. Under President Trump, the Department of Commerce has begun 122 investigations into anti-dumping/countervailing duties. These tariffs have targeted all corners of the globe, reaching 31 countries in total and affecting some $12bn (PS9.4bn) in imports. China has borne the brunt of US scrutiny, with about 40% of countervailing/antidumping investigations targeting Chinese products ranging from aluminium alloy to rubber bands to silk ribbons. Other countries have found themselves in Mr Trump's crosshairs as well. After receiving a complaint from California farmers, the US levied tariffs on Spanish olives, arguing that EU payments to olive farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) constituted an unfair trading subsidy. Most of the world's olives come from the Mediterranean, but in a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy last September, Mr Trump signalled a willingness to protect American farmers. \"It must be fair,\" he said, describing the trade relationship between the US and Spain. \"And it must be reciprocal.\" That decision affects $68m of Spanish exports to the US and has raised the eyebrows of the EU. As with Spain, the US has shown no qualms about going after traditional allies such as Canada. The single largest investigation since Mr Trump took office focused on Canadian aircraft company Bombardier, and affected $5bn of Canadian exports to the US. Eight months later, the US International Trade Commission found Canada's aircraft industry did not harm US businesses, and the 300% duties against the Bombardier C-Series were cancelled. Although most tariff investigations targeted mundane industrial products, like carbon and steel wire or mechanical tubing, many could have a real impact on the US consumer. A far-reaching investigation into citric acid touched three continents, with tariffs issued for Belgium, Colombia and Thailand. The chemical compound mimics the sour tang of lemons and is used in a large amount of common candies and drinks, from Sour Patch Kids to 7Up. Another massive investigation into biodiesel from Argentina and Indonesia led to tariffs being issued on $1.5bn of imports. The fuel, which is made from plants, is used in diesel cars and lorries, as well as airplanes and trains. The market has huge growth potential in the US, which is a major grower of corn and soybeans, and the tariffs could ostensibly help grow the industry. Similar tariffs were introduced by the EU in 2012. Tariffs are nothing new. Over the last decade, the US government collected approximately $283bn in customs duties. But President Trump has led a charge for the US to get even more aggressive. Last year, the Commerce Department began 82 probes - up 28% compared with the 64 that Barack Obama's administration started in 2015, its most active year, And in a significant change in protocol, officials are no longer waiting for companies to petition for help. Last November, the Department of Commerce self-initiated investigations in Chinese common alloy aluminium. It was the first time the department acted on its own regarding antidumping or countervailing duties, without a complaint from industry, in decades, and a sign of a shift in the department's policy under the new administration. \"[President Trump] isn't willing to wait for companies to come forward. He wants to do it himself, he wants to have the government decide,\" says Chad Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. \"So he starts self-initiating cases but also... he says we're going to start using other laws where there are much more presidential discretion.\" But by far the biggest shift in US trade policy has been Trump's willingness to buck with tradition if it will let him get tariffs through faster. Rather than go through lengthy antidumping/countervailing investigations - and risk his tariffs being overturned - Trump has introduced hundreds of billions of tariffs under little-used aspects of trade law. Citing national security concerns, Trump has taken sweeping actions to protect steel and aluminium producers and embarked on a trade war with China, which he accuses of intellectual property theft. These unusual measures far outweigh traditional antidumping/countervailing investigations. In China alone, traditional investigations target $3.4bn of products, while tariffs retaliating against intellectual property theft target $250bn. \"You now see a lot more import protection that you would typically see arise,\" Bown says. Trump's willingness to think outside the box on trade has made him a thorn in the side of countries like China who can't predict his next move. They have also led to retaliatory tariffs on hundreds billions of dollars of US goods. But after a summer of hostile trade negotiations with Canada and Mexico, and an escalating trade war with China, things seem to be calming down. Last week, he signed United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). The agreement signalled the end of a long and tense saga between the three neighbours. He also seems keen to end his trade war with China. But if Trump's past actions have taught anyone anything, it is that the only thing predictable about his trade policy is its unpredictability.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1217, "answer_start": 461, "text": "A tariff is a tax on a foreign product designed to protect domestic producers in an effort to boost local economies. But under international trade laws, the US can't just implement them willy-nilly, they need to provide a reason why the tariff is necessary and investigate it fully. Until recently, the vast majority of US tariffs were justified as countervailing and antidumping duties. - Countervailing duties level the playing field when a foreign industry has been unfairly subsidised - Antidumping duties level the playing field when a foreign industry has been flooding the US market with its products Not all investigations lead to tariffs - at some point during the process, the US may decide they don't have grounds to be implemented. But many do." } ], "id": "9068_0", "question": "How are tariffs usually made?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6492, "answer_start": 5716, "text": "Trump's willingness to think outside the box on trade has made him a thorn in the side of countries like China who can't predict his next move. They have also led to retaliatory tariffs on hundreds billions of dollars of US goods. But after a summer of hostile trade negotiations with Canada and Mexico, and an escalating trade war with China, things seem to be calming down. Last week, he signed United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). The agreement signalled the end of a long and tense saga between the three neighbours. He also seems keen to end his trade war with China. But if Trump's past actions have taught anyone anything, it is that the only thing predictable about his trade policy is its unpredictability." } ], "id": "9068_1", "question": "Will these stick?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A splinter group of protesters smashed their way into Hong Kong's legislative council on Monday, breaking glass walls, defacing paintings and spraying graffiti. It was denounced by the city's leader as an extreme use of violence, but how do residents feel about what happened? On the roads that surround Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) small groups of passers-by take photos of what is now being described as a crime scene. Some peel hand-written post-it notes from walls as memorabilia. Twenty-four hours earlier, the bustling six-lane carriageway that surrounds the government offices was held ransom by thousands of young protesters demanding the withdrawal of a controversial extradition law. Armed with makeshift barricades, they stormed Hong Kong's parliament - spraying graffiti on walls, and working in teams to deface symbols of Hong Kong's law-making body. \"I can understand the frustration and can also understand the opposition to what happened,\" said one Hong Kong resident, leaning on the fencing of a bridge overlooking the government offices. \"They avoided hurting anyone, they put up posters, they defaced the symbols of Hong Kong. I see it as organised riots. It was targeted at symbolism.\" \"I don't support them. They did the wrong thing,\" said a man who didn't want to be identified. \"I am glad that no one died,\" another man said. In recent weeks millions of Hong Kong residents have marched on the streets, united in opposition to a now-suspended extradition law which critics fear could spell an end to Hong Kong's judicial independence. The peaceful protests have transformed into a youth-led civil disobedience campaign, aimed at disrupting government departments. On Tuesday Beijing condemned the ransacking of the LegCo building. But the storming of the law-making body has garnered a mixed response from those who oppose the extradition law. \"Most of my friends support the young people because they think only this kind of action can achieve the goal. As a mum I only support protesting in a peaceful way,\" said a housewife identified only as Sarah, who has attended many of the peaceful marches against the extradition law. \"Their actions have deepened the gap between the young people and the senior citizens. \"Most of Hong Kong people support the action to fight for the democracy of Hong Kong, but they don't want to see any overwhelming violent action. I don't support the violence,\" she said. The 22nd anniversary of the former British colony's return to China was marked on 1 July. Organisers claim that more than 500,000 took part in an annual pro-democracy march, ten times the number of protesters who attended last year's demonstration. \"We are fighting with a government that isn't elected by the public and a communist system. Protests like in your country don't work here,\" says Chris Yu, a secondary school teacher who has also joined many of the peaceful marches. On 1 July, he saw his own students on the streets surrounding government buildings. \"Somehow, I agree\", says Mr Yu. \"I didn't agree in the past but now I do. I somehow realise we may need some new ways to protest.\" Pro-democratic lawmakers argue that protesters acted out of despair. But many fear that the violence could play into the hands of the pro-Beijing camp. \"I do not support violence. I think that we should use vote to continue the struggle. This is the second battlefield. But I will still fully support them,\" said a shop owner who took part in the peaceful march. \"This class of young people are fighting for something the adults have not dared to fight for so many years. How can I not be touched by them?\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3638, "answer_start": 1698, "text": "On Tuesday Beijing condemned the ransacking of the LegCo building. But the storming of the law-making body has garnered a mixed response from those who oppose the extradition law. \"Most of my friends support the young people because they think only this kind of action can achieve the goal. As a mum I only support protesting in a peaceful way,\" said a housewife identified only as Sarah, who has attended many of the peaceful marches against the extradition law. \"Their actions have deepened the gap between the young people and the senior citizens. \"Most of Hong Kong people support the action to fight for the democracy of Hong Kong, but they don't want to see any overwhelming violent action. I don't support the violence,\" she said. The 22nd anniversary of the former British colony's return to China was marked on 1 July. Organisers claim that more than 500,000 took part in an annual pro-democracy march, ten times the number of protesters who attended last year's demonstration. \"We are fighting with a government that isn't elected by the public and a communist system. Protests like in your country don't work here,\" says Chris Yu, a secondary school teacher who has also joined many of the peaceful marches. On 1 July, he saw his own students on the streets surrounding government buildings. \"Somehow, I agree\", says Mr Yu. \"I didn't agree in the past but now I do. I somehow realise we may need some new ways to protest.\" Pro-democratic lawmakers argue that protesters acted out of despair. But many fear that the violence could play into the hands of the pro-Beijing camp. \"I do not support violence. I think that we should use vote to continue the struggle. This is the second battlefield. But I will still fully support them,\" said a shop owner who took part in the peaceful march. \"This class of young people are fighting for something the adults have not dared to fight for so many years. How can I not be touched by them?\"" } ], "id": "9069_0", "question": "The end justifying the means?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Wall Street stock markets hit a fresh record on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ending above 20,000 points for the first time. The S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq also achieved new highs, fuelled by hopes that President Donald Trump's policies will boost the US economy. The Dow, which has nudged the 20,000 milestone during January, rose 0.8% to 20,068.51. Investors' cash has poured into shares on hopes of tax cuts and higher growth. The Dow had risen above 20,000 early into the trading day, prompting Mr Trump's senior adviser Kellyanne Conway to tweet that the landmark was down to \"The Trump Effect\". \"It was definitely a milestone that the market has been focused on for really the better part of two months and you were starting to get a little bit of anxiety as to whether it was going to be surmounted or not,\" said Julian Emanuel, Equity Strategist at UBS. The Dow reached its latest 1,000-point milestone two months after closing above 19,000, making it the second quickest 1,000 point rise ever. The index rose from 10,000 to 11,000 in only 24 trading days between 29 March and 3 May, 1999, while the rise from 18,000 to 19,000 took 483 trading days (nearly two years). Financial stocks have been a major factor in the gain - with Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan accounting for around 20% of the rise. This is because investors believe that some of Mr Trump's policies will trigger inflation and produce a rise in interest rates. Also on Wednesday, the broad-based S&P finished up 0.8% at 2,298.37, while the Nasdaq advanced 1% to 5,656.34 - both fresh records. - It is the average value of 30 large industrial stocks - The index is price-weighted so stocks with higher share prices carry more weight - Charles Dow launched the index with only 12 companies in 1896 - General Electric is the only one that is still included - In 1928, it grew to involve 30 firms, which have changed over the years Finally, the Dow hit 20,000 at the US market open after being tantalisingly close for weeks. When the moment came, floor traders at the New York Stock Exchange were ready. Long before the opening bell rang, one trader yelled 'get your hats on, get your hats on'. He was referring to the baseball caps emblazoned with Dow 20,000 on the front. It's a tradition dating back to the first time the Dow passed 10,000. To mark the occasion, they made hats. And the habit stuck. Wall Street veteran Art Cashin, director of floor operations at UBS had his on. When asked if the Dow at 20,000 matters, he answered that the publicity would make people think about their own investments and that was a good thing. For many though today's historic milestone is just a round number. Its value is symbolic. In part that has to do with the index itself. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is made up of only 30 companies compared with 500 in the S&P 500. So it is far from comprehensive. Then there is the way it is calculated. The Dow puts too much emphasis on share price, unlike the S&P 500 which reflect its members market capitalization. As a result, a few names have the power to significantly move the index. Make no mistake though, this will be front page news. And for market professionals, it's a moment to pop the champagne, celebrate and pull out their Dow 20,000 baseball caps because who knows when they'll be able to wear it again. Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of financial management firm Solaris Group in New York, said: \"There is a real belief that [Mr] Trump is real, he has been extremely active these first couple of days of the presidency and a change may happen faster than people had thought.\" Neil Wilson, senior market analyst at London brokers ETX Capital, said: \"It's psychologically huge and, after a bit of pullback ahead of the inauguration, really confirms that the 'great rotation' from bonds to stocks is definitely upon us. \"Fears about protectionism are running second to optimism about inflation and growth - for now at least. \"The question now is how long can this last? \"Mr Trump's first steps as president have confirmed much of what investors had hoped for and that he's extremely pro-business and light on regulation for energy and financials. That's what's driving this renewed rally. \"The other argument claims that this is a massive bubble and if this is a real rotation from bonds into stocks, ending a 30-year bond bull market, there is still a huge amount of cash piled up that could yet pour into equities and power further gains through 2017. \"It might not be too long before 21,000 is in sight.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4559, "answer_start": 3350, "text": "Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of financial management firm Solaris Group in New York, said: \"There is a real belief that [Mr] Trump is real, he has been extremely active these first couple of days of the presidency and a change may happen faster than people had thought.\" Neil Wilson, senior market analyst at London brokers ETX Capital, said: \"It's psychologically huge and, after a bit of pullback ahead of the inauguration, really confirms that the 'great rotation' from bonds to stocks is definitely upon us. \"Fears about protectionism are running second to optimism about inflation and growth - for now at least. \"The question now is how long can this last? \"Mr Trump's first steps as president have confirmed much of what investors had hoped for and that he's extremely pro-business and light on regulation for energy and financials. That's what's driving this renewed rally. \"The other argument claims that this is a massive bubble and if this is a real rotation from bonds into stocks, ending a 30-year bond bull market, there is still a huge amount of cash piled up that could yet pour into equities and power further gains through 2017. \"It might not be too long before 21,000 is in sight.\"" } ], "id": "9070_0", "question": "Further gains?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "\"I want to say to Mr Trump that however much he talks about the 'deal of the century', Palestine will stay Palestinian.\" Liliane Samrawi, doesn't know what \"Palestine\" looks like. Neither does her father. Both were born in Bourj el-Barajneh, a Palestinian refugee camp next to Beirut airport. \"I'm 22 years old, and I don't know anything about my country.\" But ask Liliane where she is from, and she does not hesitate. \"I'm from al-Kabri.\" The village no longer exists. Or rather, the place on the map where it once stood is now a kibbutz (also called Kabri), east of the Israeli city of Nahariya. It has been 70 years since al-Kabri was part of British Mandate Palestine. In 1948, 750,000 Palestinians fled or were driven from their homes in the fighting that surrounded the creation of the State of Israel. Only around 40,000 \"1948 refugees\" are still alive. The UN says they and their descendants now number more than 5 million. Bourj el-Barajneh has evolved, from a cluster of tents in the countryside to a densely packed, impoverished Beirut suburb. A spider's web of water pipes and electrical cables, wound together in lethal proximity, now spreads across the camp, obscuring the streets below. Now the refugees who live here fear Donald Trump is trying to make them disappear altogether. In August, Washington ended its financial contribution to the UN Relief and Works Agency (Unrwa), which has been looking after Palestinian refugees since 1949. The cut of $350m amounted to around a third of Unrwa's annual budget. Other donors have made up some of the deficit, keeping the organisation's head above water, at least for now. Explaining the move, President Trump's ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, accused Unrwa of crying wolf and playing politics with the number of refugees. \"Every year they come and say 'the schools aren't going to open',\" Mrs Haley said, \"but they keep adding numbers of refugees to where we're never going to be able to sustain it.\" The US has not said how many refugees there should be, but questions whether descendants should be eligible. Unrwa officials reject the criticism. \"Unrwa does not inflate the number of refugees,\" the organisation's Lebanon director, Claudio Cordone, says. Unrwa says 469,000 Palestine refugees are registered in Lebanon, but that only about 270,000 actually live there. Lebanon has never granted citizenship to the refugees. They are not allowed to own property or work in 36 specified professions, including medicine, law and engineering. Over decades of unrelenting hardship, many refugees have left the country, pursuing new lives abroad. But the UN says that doesn't change who they are. \"Our definition of refugees is in fact in line with the general understanding of what is a refugee in the world. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees recognises descendants of refugees, and we follow exactly the same principle,\" says Mr Cordone. The organisation says it is trying to avoid closing schools and clinics, but wage freezes and layoffs have already caused unrest among staff, including one-day strikes in the Gaza Strip. \"Unfortunately... we're bearing the brunt of political decisions that have little to do with our humanitarian mission,\" Mr Cordone says. The Trump administration's move against Unrwa follows a series of steps this year that have inflamed Palestinian opinion and generally pleased Israel. In May, the US moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which fuelled protests and violence along the fence which separates Israel from the Gaza Strip. Israeli soldiers shot and killed 58 Palestinians. Israel says the soldiers acted in self-defence. In September, the Trump administration closed the Washington DC offices of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), arguing that the PLO was refusing to engage in negotiations with Israel. At the same time, US officials said the administration's long-awaited Middle East peace plan, dubbed \"the deal of the century\", would soon be unveiled. Is the Trump administration attempting to bludgeon Palestinians into submission? \"It's so clear that the Americans just want to put pressure on the Arab countries and Palestinians to make concessions,\" says Sari Hanafi, a Palestinian sociologist at the American University of Beirut. He says he thinks the tactic will backfire. \"The Trump administration put the Palestinian issue into crisis, and this will translate into much more resistance and a more vivid Palestinian identity,\" he says. In Lebanon, which offers the refugees no alternative, that identity still burns with fierce intensity.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3230, "answer_start": 1968, "text": "The US has not said how many refugees there should be, but questions whether descendants should be eligible. Unrwa officials reject the criticism. \"Unrwa does not inflate the number of refugees,\" the organisation's Lebanon director, Claudio Cordone, says. Unrwa says 469,000 Palestine refugees are registered in Lebanon, but that only about 270,000 actually live there. Lebanon has never granted citizenship to the refugees. They are not allowed to own property or work in 36 specified professions, including medicine, law and engineering. Over decades of unrelenting hardship, many refugees have left the country, pursuing new lives abroad. But the UN says that doesn't change who they are. \"Our definition of refugees is in fact in line with the general understanding of what is a refugee in the world. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees recognises descendants of refugees, and we follow exactly the same principle,\" says Mr Cordone. The organisation says it is trying to avoid closing schools and clinics, but wage freezes and layoffs have already caused unrest among staff, including one-day strikes in the Gaza Strip. \"Unfortunately... we're bearing the brunt of political decisions that have little to do with our humanitarian mission,\" Mr Cordone says." } ], "id": "9071_0", "question": "Who counts as a refugee?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4586, "answer_start": 3231, "text": "The Trump administration's move against Unrwa follows a series of steps this year that have inflamed Palestinian opinion and generally pleased Israel. In May, the US moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which fuelled protests and violence along the fence which separates Israel from the Gaza Strip. Israeli soldiers shot and killed 58 Palestinians. Israel says the soldiers acted in self-defence. In September, the Trump administration closed the Washington DC offices of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), arguing that the PLO was refusing to engage in negotiations with Israel. At the same time, US officials said the administration's long-awaited Middle East peace plan, dubbed \"the deal of the century\", would soon be unveiled. Is the Trump administration attempting to bludgeon Palestinians into submission? \"It's so clear that the Americans just want to put pressure on the Arab countries and Palestinians to make concessions,\" says Sari Hanafi, a Palestinian sociologist at the American University of Beirut. He says he thinks the tactic will backfire. \"The Trump administration put the Palestinian issue into crisis, and this will translate into much more resistance and a more vivid Palestinian identity,\" he says. In Lebanon, which offers the refugees no alternative, that identity still burns with fierce intensity." } ], "id": "9071_1", "question": "Counter-productive?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Weight loss surgery can dramatically reduce the odds of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a major study. Doctors followed nearly 5,000 people as part of a trial to assess the health impact of the procedure. The results, published in the Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal, showed an 80% reduction in type 2 diabetes in those having surgery. The UK NHS is considering offering the procedure to tens of thousands of people to prevent diabetes. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are closely tied - the bigger someone is, the greater the risk of the condition. The inability to control blood sugar levels can result in blindness, amputations and nerve damage. Around a tenth of NHS budgets are spent on managing the condition. The study followed 2,167 obese adults who had weight loss - known as bariatric - surgery. They were compared to 2,167 fellow obese people who continued as they were. There were 38 cases of diabetes after surgery compared with 177 in people left as they were - a reduction of nearly 80%. Around 3% of morbidly obese people develop type 2 each year, however, surgery reduced the figure to around 0.5%, which is the background figure for the whole population. Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, is used as a last resort to treat people who are dangerously obese and carrying an excessive amount of body fat. This type of surgery is available on the NHS only to treat people with potentially life-threatening obesity when other treatments have not worked. Around 8,000 people a year currently receive the treatment. The two most common types of weight loss surgery are: - Gastric band, where a band is used to reduce the size of the stomach so a smaller amount of food is required to make someone feel full - Gastric bypass, where the digestive system is re-routed past most of the stomach so less food is digested to make someone feel full NHS Choices Calculate your BMI The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence is considering a huge expansion of obesity surgery in the NHS in order to cut rates of type 2 diabetes. Current guidance says surgery is a possible option for people with a BMI above 35 who have other health conditions. But new draft guidelines argue much thinner people should be considered on a case by case basis and those with a BMI of 35 should automatically considered for surgery. Diabetes UK says around 460,000 people will meet the criteria for an automatic assessment under the guidance. But the total jumps nearer to 850,000 when those with a BMI of 30 are also considered, it says. NICE anticipates figures in the tens of thousands. However, the surgery can cost between PS3,000 and PS15,000 and the move by NICE has raised concerns that the NHS will not be able to afford the treatment, even if there are savings in the longer term. - One in four adults in England is obese - A further 42% of men are classed as overweight - The figure for women is 32% - A BMI of 30-35 cuts life expectancy by up to four years - A BMI of 40 or more cuts life expectancy by up to 10 years - Obesity costs the NHS PS5.1bn every year Source: National Institute of Health and Care Excellence BBC News: Where are you on the global fat scale? Prof Martin Gullford, from King's College London, told the BBC News website: \"The key thing would be not only how effective is weight loss surgery but how safe is it in the long-term? \"And we need to know about the cost effectiveness of weight loss surgery and how that balances against the costs of diabetes, it does raise some complex issues.\" Simon O'Neill, the director of health intelligence at Diabetes UK, said: \"This is interesting research that reinforces what we already know about weight loss being important for both preventing and managing type 2 diabetes. \"But it must be remembered that surgery carries risks and so bariatric surgery should only be considered if serious attempts to lose weight have been unsuccessful. \"Looking at the bigger picture, as a society we also need to focus more on stopping people becoming overweight, we need to look seriously at how we can make sure people are getting support to lose weight through access to the right services to encourage them to make healthy choices.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2816, "answer_start": 1188, "text": "Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery, is used as a last resort to treat people who are dangerously obese and carrying an excessive amount of body fat. This type of surgery is available on the NHS only to treat people with potentially life-threatening obesity when other treatments have not worked. Around 8,000 people a year currently receive the treatment. The two most common types of weight loss surgery are: - Gastric band, where a band is used to reduce the size of the stomach so a smaller amount of food is required to make someone feel full - Gastric bypass, where the digestive system is re-routed past most of the stomach so less food is digested to make someone feel full NHS Choices Calculate your BMI The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence is considering a huge expansion of obesity surgery in the NHS in order to cut rates of type 2 diabetes. Current guidance says surgery is a possible option for people with a BMI above 35 who have other health conditions. But new draft guidelines argue much thinner people should be considered on a case by case basis and those with a BMI of 35 should automatically considered for surgery. Diabetes UK says around 460,000 people will meet the criteria for an automatic assessment under the guidance. But the total jumps nearer to 850,000 when those with a BMI of 30 are also considered, it says. NICE anticipates figures in the tens of thousands. However, the surgery can cost between PS3,000 and PS15,000 and the move by NICE has raised concerns that the NHS will not be able to afford the treatment, even if there are savings in the longer term." } ], "id": "9072_0", "question": "What is bariatric surgery?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A Russian investigative journalist, Ivan Golunov, has been arrested in the capital Moscow and charged with trying to illegally sell drugs. He was placed under house arrest after a court hearing. Earlier, he was given a medical examination amid reports he had been injured during the arrest. The reporter for Latvia-based news site Meduza was detained on Thursday. His lawyer says drugs were planted on him, an accusation the Russian authorities deny. Meduza says Mr Golunov, 36, is being \"being persecuted because of his journalistic activity\". The court rejected a request by investigators to keep him in custody. He reporter had been on his way to meet another journalist on Thursday when he was stopped and searched by officers. They say they found the synthetic drug mephedrone in his rucksack, and that a later search of his flat turned up more drugs and some scales - indicating that he was involved in dealing. The journalist was officially charged on Saturday morning with attempting illegally to produce, sell or pass on drugs. Police released photos which they said showed drug paraphernalia in Mr Golunov's flat, but these were later withdrawn, BBC Russian journalist Olga Ivshina reports. The police, she adds, admitted that \"most of the published photos had not been taken at Mr Golunov's flat after all, but were related to another criminal investigation that might be linked to his detention\". Meduza said in a statement that Mr Golunov had received threats in recent months over a story he was working on. \"We are convinced that Ivan Golunov is innocent,\" the statement reads, according to Reuters news agency. \"Moreover, we have grounds to believe that Golunov is being persecuted because of his journalistic activity.\" by Nataliya Zotova, BBC Russian reporter Ivan Golunov's friends and journalists have been waiting outside the court building since the morning, showing their support for a colleague they believe has been wrongly arrested. \"I don't believe we can change anything standing there. But what else can we do?\" Evgeny Buntman of Ekho Moskvy, one of few independent radio stations in Russia, wondered aloud. \"People come here not because they can be of help here, but because of a deep feeling of helplessness.\" In the courtroom, Golunov cried when he saw his friends and colleagues. Everyone was expecting him to be jailed while he awaited trial. Instead, the judge decided on house arrest. The angry screams of the crowd outside instantly transformed into yelps of joy which carried through the open windows into the courtroom. Now, it was Golunov's friends to cry - out of relief. A medical examination at Moscow's Hospital Number 71 showed that he had an abrasion on his back and bruising around one eye but no serious injuries that required a stay in hospital, Dr Alexander Myasnikov told Russian media. None of his ribs were broken, he added, after earlier claims that he had suffered a fracture. Meduza says he was beaten up by officers both during his arrest and later at a police station. He was, the news site says, only able to contact a friend after 14 hours. In the first video of Mr Golunov since his arrest, posted by the Russian news site Breaking Mash, he lifts up his shirt to reveal marks on his back. Mr Golunov said he had been involved in \"scuffles\" with police, and showed bruises. His lawyer, Dmitry Julay, told reporters that the journalist had been denied food and sleep for more than 24 hours. The journalist has repeatedly exposed corruption among Moscow's high-profile businesspeople and its political elite, as well as fraudulent financial schemes in the city. Journalists in Russia have often been harassed or attacked in recent years for their work. Many opposition figures and human rights activists in Russia have been detained on apparently fabricated drugs charges, which are widely seen as an attempt to quash political dissent. Much of Russia's media is controlled by the state and Russia is ranked 83rd out of 100 countries for press freedom by Freedom House. \"We will find out by whose will Vanya [Ivan] is being pursued, and we will make this information public,\" Meduza's director Galina Timchenko and editor Ivan Kolpakov said. \"We will protect our journalist by all available means.\" The journalist's arrest sparked protests in Moscow and St Petersburg, and more than a dozen people - mostly fellow journalists - were reportedly detained and later released. On Saturday, police detained several people trying to protest about the arrest outside Nikulinsky Court, with one placard condemning the case against the reporter as a \"fabrication\". Mr Golunov's mother, Svetlana Golunova, told Reuters the arrest was \"not even a farce, it is something unbelievable\", and she expected \"only victory\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1736, "answer_start": 545, "text": "The court rejected a request by investigators to keep him in custody. He reporter had been on his way to meet another journalist on Thursday when he was stopped and searched by officers. They say they found the synthetic drug mephedrone in his rucksack, and that a later search of his flat turned up more drugs and some scales - indicating that he was involved in dealing. The journalist was officially charged on Saturday morning with attempting illegally to produce, sell or pass on drugs. Police released photos which they said showed drug paraphernalia in Mr Golunov's flat, but these were later withdrawn, BBC Russian journalist Olga Ivshina reports. The police, she adds, admitted that \"most of the published photos had not been taken at Mr Golunov's flat after all, but were related to another criminal investigation that might be linked to his detention\". Meduza said in a statement that Mr Golunov had received threats in recent months over a story he was working on. \"We are convinced that Ivan Golunov is innocent,\" the statement reads, according to Reuters news agency. \"Moreover, we have grounds to believe that Golunov is being persecuted because of his journalistic activity.\"" } ], "id": "9073_0", "question": "What do we know about his arrest?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3449, "answer_start": 2613, "text": "A medical examination at Moscow's Hospital Number 71 showed that he had an abrasion on his back and bruising around one eye but no serious injuries that required a stay in hospital, Dr Alexander Myasnikov told Russian media. None of his ribs were broken, he added, after earlier claims that he had suffered a fracture. Meduza says he was beaten up by officers both during his arrest and later at a police station. He was, the news site says, only able to contact a friend after 14 hours. In the first video of Mr Golunov since his arrest, posted by the Russian news site Breaking Mash, he lifts up his shirt to reveal marks on his back. Mr Golunov said he had been involved in \"scuffles\" with police, and showed bruises. His lawyer, Dmitry Julay, told reporters that the journalist had been denied food and sleep for more than 24 hours." } ], "id": "9073_1", "question": "What is being reported about his condition?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4764, "answer_start": 3450, "text": "The journalist has repeatedly exposed corruption among Moscow's high-profile businesspeople and its political elite, as well as fraudulent financial schemes in the city. Journalists in Russia have often been harassed or attacked in recent years for their work. Many opposition figures and human rights activists in Russia have been detained on apparently fabricated drugs charges, which are widely seen as an attempt to quash political dissent. Much of Russia's media is controlled by the state and Russia is ranked 83rd out of 100 countries for press freedom by Freedom House. \"We will find out by whose will Vanya [Ivan] is being pursued, and we will make this information public,\" Meduza's director Galina Timchenko and editor Ivan Kolpakov said. \"We will protect our journalist by all available means.\" The journalist's arrest sparked protests in Moscow and St Petersburg, and more than a dozen people - mostly fellow journalists - were reportedly detained and later released. On Saturday, police detained several people trying to protest about the arrest outside Nikulinsky Court, with one placard condemning the case against the reporter as a \"fabrication\". Mr Golunov's mother, Svetlana Golunova, told Reuters the arrest was \"not even a farce, it is something unbelievable\", and she expected \"only victory\"." } ], "id": "9073_2", "question": "Who is Ivan Golunov?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Two professional video gamers have been named by US media as the victims of a rival player in a shooting at an eSports tournament in Florida. Eli Clayton, 21, and Taylor Robertson, 27, were both well-known players of the Madden NFL American football game. Police say David Katz, 24, from Baltimore, carried out the attack at the Jacksonville Landing shopping and entertainment complex on Sunday. Unconfirmed reports say Katz had become angry after losing a match. Florida has seen several mass shootings in recent years, including at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in 2016, when 49 people died, and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School in Parkland in February this year, when 17 people were killed. Although the two gamers have not yet been officially named, tributes have been paid to them on social media: Both had been competing at the Madden NFL 19 event at the GLHF Game Bar, attached to Chicago Pizza in Jacksonville Landing when the shooting erupted on Sunday afternoon. Eli, or Elijah, Clayton was known by the handle Trueboy. He had played football at two of his high schools and was seen as a rising star in the increasingly lucrative eSports field. Taylor Robertson, who took the handle SpotMePlzzz, was also a successful eSports player, having won the Madden 17 Classic. His Twitter feed lists him as a father, husband and pro-Madden player for Dot City Gaming. In a two-part tweet, Dot City Gaming confirmed the death of the two players. \"We are shocked and deeply saddened by the senseless violence in Jacksonville and the tragic deaths of Dot City Gaming team member, Taylor 'SpotMePlzzz' Robertson, and Eli 'Trueboy' Clayton,\" the company posted. \"They were great competitors and well-loved members of the Madden community. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to their families, loved ones, and all of those affected by this tragedy.\" One of the leading Madden players, Hassan (Gos) Spall, tweeted a tribute: EA Sports, the company that owns Madden and approved the competition, told the BBC it was \"devastated by this horrific event... a senseless act of violence that we strongly condemn\". It sent its heartfelt sympathies to families of the victims. A video stream of the event being aired on the Twitch platform appears to show Eli Clayton and another competitor playing a game when a red laser dot flashes on Mr Clayton's sweatshirt. Almost a dozen shots are then heard before the transmission is cut. People fled for shelter and Swat teams checked the area. The body of Katz was then found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police said they believed there were no accomplices. The Jacksonville sheriff's office said 11 more people had been wounded in the attack, with another two suffering other injuries as they fled. David Katz, a well-known gamer, lived in Baltimore and had travelled to take part in the event. He had a history of mental illness, the Associated Press reported, citing Maryland court records. Katz had twice spent time in psychiatric facilities and was prescribed antipsychotic and antidepressant medications, according to his parents' divorce filings. He was the winner of at least one Madden championship, in 2017. An announcer at a previous competition had said of Katz: \"He is not here to make friends. He's all business, he's focused\" and that getting him to talk about anything was like \"pulling teeth\". The FBI confirmed its agents had searched his family home in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore on Sunday evening and had spoken to relatives. Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams has not yet offered details on the suspect's motive. Drini Gjoka, a 19-year-old player taking part, described the shooting in a series of posts on Twitter, calling it \"the worst day of [his] life\". He tweeted that a bullet had hit his thumb. Another competitor Chris \"Dubby\" McFarland said a bullet had grazed his head. Taylor Poindexter from Chicago said she saw the gunman taking aim at people in the room. \"We did see him, two hands on the gun, walking back, just popping rounds,\" she said. \"I was scared for my life and my boyfriend's.\" Madden competitor Derek Jones told Associated Press news agency: \"I'm glad I lost today. Because if I'd won, I would have been in that game bar right then playing a game and not paying attention. And he could have come and I'd probably be dead right now.\" The event was a Madden NFL 19 qualifier, with a $5,000 (PS3,900) top prize. The leading players would progress to a Madden Classic round of 16 in Las Vegas in October. Those who make it to the overall finals would play for a share of a $165,000 pool. Successful eSports players can win lucrative endorsements, earn money from video streaming and play for thousands of dollars in prizes. The shooting has already sparked calls for greater security at eSports events.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2174, "answer_start": 698, "text": "Although the two gamers have not yet been officially named, tributes have been paid to them on social media: Both had been competing at the Madden NFL 19 event at the GLHF Game Bar, attached to Chicago Pizza in Jacksonville Landing when the shooting erupted on Sunday afternoon. Eli, or Elijah, Clayton was known by the handle Trueboy. He had played football at two of his high schools and was seen as a rising star in the increasingly lucrative eSports field. Taylor Robertson, who took the handle SpotMePlzzz, was also a successful eSports player, having won the Madden 17 Classic. His Twitter feed lists him as a father, husband and pro-Madden player for Dot City Gaming. In a two-part tweet, Dot City Gaming confirmed the death of the two players. \"We are shocked and deeply saddened by the senseless violence in Jacksonville and the tragic deaths of Dot City Gaming team member, Taylor 'SpotMePlzzz' Robertson, and Eli 'Trueboy' Clayton,\" the company posted. \"They were great competitors and well-loved members of the Madden community. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to their families, loved ones, and all of those affected by this tragedy.\" One of the leading Madden players, Hassan (Gos) Spall, tweeted a tribute: EA Sports, the company that owns Madden and approved the competition, told the BBC it was \"devastated by this horrific event... a senseless act of violence that we strongly condemn\". It sent its heartfelt sympathies to families of the victims." } ], "id": "9074_0", "question": "Who are the victims?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2749, "answer_start": 2175, "text": "A video stream of the event being aired on the Twitch platform appears to show Eli Clayton and another competitor playing a game when a red laser dot flashes on Mr Clayton's sweatshirt. Almost a dozen shots are then heard before the transmission is cut. People fled for shelter and Swat teams checked the area. The body of Katz was then found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police said they believed there were no accomplices. The Jacksonville sheriff's office said 11 more people had been wounded in the attack, with another two suffering other injuries as they fled." } ], "id": "9074_1", "question": "How did the shooting happen?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3167, "answer_start": 2750, "text": "David Katz, a well-known gamer, lived in Baltimore and had travelled to take part in the event. He had a history of mental illness, the Associated Press reported, citing Maryland court records. Katz had twice spent time in psychiatric facilities and was prescribed antipsychotic and antidepressant medications, according to his parents' divorce filings. He was the winner of at least one Madden championship, in 2017." } ], "id": "9074_2", "question": "Who is the gunman?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4335, "answer_start": 3592, "text": "Drini Gjoka, a 19-year-old player taking part, described the shooting in a series of posts on Twitter, calling it \"the worst day of [his] life\". He tweeted that a bullet had hit his thumb. Another competitor Chris \"Dubby\" McFarland said a bullet had grazed his head. Taylor Poindexter from Chicago said she saw the gunman taking aim at people in the room. \"We did see him, two hands on the gun, walking back, just popping rounds,\" she said. \"I was scared for my life and my boyfriend's.\" Madden competitor Derek Jones told Associated Press news agency: \"I'm glad I lost today. Because if I'd won, I would have been in that game bar right then playing a game and not paying attention. And he could have come and I'd probably be dead right now.\"" } ], "id": "9074_3", "question": "What did eyewitnesses say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4801, "answer_start": 4336, "text": "The event was a Madden NFL 19 qualifier, with a $5,000 (PS3,900) top prize. The leading players would progress to a Madden Classic round of 16 in Las Vegas in October. Those who make it to the overall finals would play for a share of a $165,000 pool. Successful eSports players can win lucrative endorsements, earn money from video streaming and play for thousands of dollars in prizes. The shooting has already sparked calls for greater security at eSports events." } ], "id": "9074_4", "question": "What was the tournament?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A huge leak of documents has lifted the lid on how the rich and powerful use tax havens to hide their wealth. The files were leaked from one of the world's most secretive companies, a Panamanian law firm called Mossack Fonseca. The files show how Mossack Fonseca clients were able to launder money, dodge sanctions and avoid tax. In one case, the company offered an American millionaire fake ownership records to hide money from the authorities. This is in direct breach of international regulations designed to stop money laundering and tax evasion. It is the biggest leak in history, dwarfing the data released by the Wikileaks organisation in 2010. For context, if the amount of data released by Wikileaks was equivalent to the population of San Francisco, the amount of data released in the Panama Papers is the equivalent to that of India. You can find our special report on the revelations here. There are links to 12 current or former heads of state and government in the data, including dictators accused of looting their own countries. More than 60 relatives and associates of heads of state and other politicians are also implicated. The files also reveal a suspected billion-dollar money laundering ring involving close associates of Russia's President, Vladimir Putin. Also mentioned are the brother-in-law of China's President Xi Jinping; Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko; Argentina President Mauricio Macri; the late father of UK Prime Minister David Cameron and three of the four children of Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The documents show that Iceland's Prime Minister, Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson, had an undeclared interest linked to his wife's wealth. He has now resigned. The scandal also touches football's world governing body, Fifa. Part of the documents suggest that a key member of Fifa's ethics committee, Uruguayan lawyer Juan Pedro Damiani, and his firm provided legal assistance for at least seven offshore companies linked to a former Fifa vice-president arrested last May as part of the US inquiry into football corruption. The leak has also revealed that more than 500 banks, including their subsidiaries and branches, registered nearly 15,600 shell companies with Mossack Fonseca. Lenders have denied allegations that they are helping clients to avoid tax by using complicated offshore arrangements. Although there are legitimate ways of using tax havens, most of what has been going on is about hiding the true owners of money, the origin of the money and avoiding paying tax on the money. You can read more on how tax havens work here. Some of the main allegations centre on the creation of shell companies, that have the outward appearance of being legitimate businesses, but are just empty shells. They do nothing but manage money, while hiding who owns it. One of the media partners involved in the investigation, McClatchy, has more on how shell companies work in this video. Mossack Fonseca says it has operated beyond reproach for 40 years and never been accused or charged with criminal wrong-doing. Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reports were down to \"journalists and members of other organisations actively trying to discredit Putin and this country's leadership\". Publication of the leaks may be down to \"former employees of the State Department, the CIA, other security services,\" he said. In an interview with a Swedish television channel, Mr Gunnlaugsson said his business affairs were above board and broke off the interview. Fifa said it is now investigating Mr Damiani, who told Reuters on Sunday that he broke off relations with the Fifa member under investigation as soon as the latter had been accused of corruption. The 11.5m documents were obtained by the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The ICIJ then worked with journalists from 107 media organisations in 76 countries, including UK newspaper the Guardian, to analyse the documents over a year. The BBC does not know the identity of the source but the firm says it has been the victim of a hack from servers based abroad. In all, the details of 214,000 entities, including companies, trusts and foundations, were leaked. The information in the documents dates back to 1977, and goes up to December last year. Emails make up the largest type of document leaked, but images of contracts and passports were also released. So far, a searchable archive is not available at the moment. There is a huge amount of data, and much of it reportedly includes personal information (including passport details), and does not necessarily include those suspected of criminal activity. Having said that, there is plenty of information out there. The ICIJ has put together a comprehensive list of the main figures implicated here - you can also search by country. You can sign up on the ICIJ's website for any major updates on the Panama Papers here. Panama Papers: Full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #PanamaPapers; in the BBC News app, follow the tag \"Panama Papers\" - Watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 901, "answer_start": 228, "text": "The files show how Mossack Fonseca clients were able to launder money, dodge sanctions and avoid tax. In one case, the company offered an American millionaire fake ownership records to hide money from the authorities. This is in direct breach of international regulations designed to stop money laundering and tax evasion. It is the biggest leak in history, dwarfing the data released by the Wikileaks organisation in 2010. For context, if the amount of data released by Wikileaks was equivalent to the population of San Francisco, the amount of data released in the Panama Papers is the equivalent to that of India. You can find our special report on the revelations here." } ], "id": "9075_0", "question": "What are the Panama Papers?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2340, "answer_start": 902, "text": "There are links to 12 current or former heads of state and government in the data, including dictators accused of looting their own countries. More than 60 relatives and associates of heads of state and other politicians are also implicated. The files also reveal a suspected billion-dollar money laundering ring involving close associates of Russia's President, Vladimir Putin. Also mentioned are the brother-in-law of China's President Xi Jinping; Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko; Argentina President Mauricio Macri; the late father of UK Prime Minister David Cameron and three of the four children of Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The documents show that Iceland's Prime Minister, Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson, had an undeclared interest linked to his wife's wealth. He has now resigned. The scandal also touches football's world governing body, Fifa. Part of the documents suggest that a key member of Fifa's ethics committee, Uruguayan lawyer Juan Pedro Damiani, and his firm provided legal assistance for at least seven offshore companies linked to a former Fifa vice-president arrested last May as part of the US inquiry into football corruption. The leak has also revealed that more than 500 banks, including their subsidiaries and branches, registered nearly 15,600 shell companies with Mossack Fonseca. Lenders have denied allegations that they are helping clients to avoid tax by using complicated offshore arrangements." } ], "id": "9075_1", "question": "Who is in the papers?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2922, "answer_start": 2341, "text": "Although there are legitimate ways of using tax havens, most of what has been going on is about hiding the true owners of money, the origin of the money and avoiding paying tax on the money. You can read more on how tax havens work here. Some of the main allegations centre on the creation of shell companies, that have the outward appearance of being legitimate businesses, but are just empty shells. They do nothing but manage money, while hiding who owns it. One of the media partners involved in the investigation, McClatchy, has more on how shell companies work in this video." } ], "id": "9075_2", "question": "How do tax havens work?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3691, "answer_start": 2923, "text": "Mossack Fonseca says it has operated beyond reproach for 40 years and never been accused or charged with criminal wrong-doing. Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the reports were down to \"journalists and members of other organisations actively trying to discredit Putin and this country's leadership\". Publication of the leaks may be down to \"former employees of the State Department, the CIA, other security services,\" he said. In an interview with a Swedish television channel, Mr Gunnlaugsson said his business affairs were above board and broke off the interview. Fifa said it is now investigating Mr Damiani, who told Reuters on Sunday that he broke off relations with the Fifa member under investigation as soon as the latter had been accused of corruption." } ], "id": "9075_3", "question": "What do those involved have to say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4436, "answer_start": 3692, "text": "The 11.5m documents were obtained by the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). The ICIJ then worked with journalists from 107 media organisations in 76 countries, including UK newspaper the Guardian, to analyse the documents over a year. The BBC does not know the identity of the source but the firm says it has been the victim of a hack from servers based abroad. In all, the details of 214,000 entities, including companies, trusts and foundations, were leaked. The information in the documents dates back to 1977, and goes up to December last year. Emails make up the largest type of document leaked, but images of contracts and passports were also released." } ], "id": "9075_4", "question": "Who leaked the Panama Papers?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5134, "answer_start": 4437, "text": "So far, a searchable archive is not available at the moment. There is a huge amount of data, and much of it reportedly includes personal information (including passport details), and does not necessarily include those suspected of criminal activity. Having said that, there is plenty of information out there. The ICIJ has put together a comprehensive list of the main figures implicated here - you can also search by country. You can sign up on the ICIJ's website for any major updates on the Panama Papers here. Panama Papers: Full coverage; follow reaction on Twitter using #PanamaPapers; in the BBC News app, follow the tag \"Panama Papers\" - Watch Panorama on the BBC iPlayer (UK viewers only)" } ], "id": "9075_5", "question": "How can I read the papers?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The open, legal sale of antique ivory in many European countries is covering up a trade in illegal and recently poached ivory, campaigners say. Researchers from environmental group Avaaz bought 100 ivory items and had them radiocarbon dated at Oxford University. Three quarters were modern ivory, being sold illegally as fake antiques. Ivory from an elephant killed by poachers as recently as 2010 was among the items passed off as being antique. \"It's sick,\" said Bert Wander from Avaaz, which organised the purchase of the items. \"I'm looking at the trinkets we bought on my desk, and to think that an elephant with all the things we are learning about them, about their cognition and their advanced societies, and to think that one of them has died for this bracelet I'm holding now, it makes you sick to your stomach.\" The items were purchased from both antique dealers and private sellers in 10 countries across Europe. All the ivory pieces were advertised as originating from before 1947 or had no date information. The 1947 date is important because the EU classes ivory from before this date as antique and it can be traded without restriction. When the items were analysed by Oxford University's Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit, more than 74% were found to be from after 1947. The tests are able to show when the ivory grew on a living elephant, not when the creature died. This means the ivory could have come from elephants killed decades after the date of the sample. Of greater concern, though, was the fact that one in five were from elephants killed after the global ban on the ivory trade came into force in 1989. One piece purchased in Spain may have come from an elephant whose ivory was formed after 2010. All the pieces bought in Bulgaria, Italy and Spain were illegal, as were large majorities of the items in France, the Netherlands and Portugal. In the UK, one fifth of the pieces purchased by Avaaz were outside the law. \"These shocking results show that the supposed 'legal' ivory market is actually driving the mindless slaughter of elephants,\" said Catherine Bearder, a member of the European Parliament who authored that body's resolution in favour of a ban. \"It is time for all EU countries to introduce a full ivory ban with a limited number of exceptions for exceptional art works.\" The EU says that last year it strengthened measures to fight poaching and end the trade in raw ivory. Tackling trafficking should be a priority for all enforcement agencies in member states, officials said. \"The Commission will continue to fight any kind of illegal trading, including the fraud of passing off recent ivory as antique,\" said EU spokesman Enrico Brivio. \"Addressing elephant poaching and ivory trafficking is a cornerstone of the EU action against wildlife trafficking and the EU has recently adopted numerous initiatives to this end.\" European Union officials have claimed that there is no evidence that the legal ivory trade in the EU is helping to cover up a trade in illegal items - but this survey calls that into question. It will undoubtedly lead to calls for a complete ban. The EU legal market in ivory may consist mainly of small items, but they add up to several tonnes sold each year. Europe also remains a major exporter of legal, worked ivory to big Asian markets which is also encouraging poaching across Africa, according to experts. While the numbers of elephants being killed has dropped for the last five years, around 55 are still being killed every day. In many locations, the future of the elephant will not be sustainable if this keeps up. The EU has tried to curtail the trade in legal ivory being used as a cover for illegal sales by requiring all material acquired between 1947 and 1990 to be sold with a government issued certificate. But all a seller has to do is say that they believe the ivory comes from before 1947 and it's almost impossible to contradict them. Accurately determining the age of a piece of ivory is impossible without going to the expense of radiocarbon dating. Not many. Some of the leading markets have now banned any sales including Hong Kong, the world's biggest, which will phase out the legal trade over the next three years. China has also banned all trade except what it terms \"genuine antiques\". The US has effectively banned trade while the UK is in the process of adopting a near total ban on ivory sales, with exemptions for the trade in musical instruments and ivory sales to museums. The European Parliament has already called for a ban, and member states like the UK are leading the way with a comprehensive phase out of legal sales on the way to becoming law. The European Commission is currently reviewing whether or not EU restrictions on ivory go far enough. \"The EU consultation which closed in December 2017, collected almost 90,000 responses,\" said Eleonora Panella, from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw). \"We know that the vast majority was from people asking for stringent measures, this has for sure an impact of further decisions. We hope that a good decision will be taken soon, we were expecting something already this July, [it] now seems that it has been postponed. \"The Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London in October could be the perfect moment to show the leadership we are asking for.\" If the sales of all ivory pieces is outlawed across the EU and the UK, many people will mixed feelings about the small tokens they're left with. \"We would support exemptions such as the ones proposed in the UK for family heirlooms and historical items,\" said Eleonora Panella. \"These should be allowed to be passed down to family members or donated to museums, but they cannot be bought, sold or traded for goods in kind.\" People might also want to donate them to an elephant charity which could arrange for their destruction or use them in educational activities.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3108, "answer_start": 2862, "text": "European Union officials have claimed that there is no evidence that the legal ivory trade in the EU is helping to cover up a trade in illegal items - but this survey calls that into question. It will undoubtedly lead to calls for a complete ban." } ], "id": "9076_0", "question": "Why is this important?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3588, "answer_start": 3109, "text": "The EU legal market in ivory may consist mainly of small items, but they add up to several tonnes sold each year. Europe also remains a major exporter of legal, worked ivory to big Asian markets which is also encouraging poaching across Africa, according to experts. While the numbers of elephants being killed has dropped for the last five years, around 55 are still being killed every day. In many locations, the future of the elephant will not be sustainable if this keeps up." } ], "id": "9076_1", "question": "Does the sale of small trinkets kill elephants?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3919, "answer_start": 3589, "text": "The EU has tried to curtail the trade in legal ivory being used as a cover for illegal sales by requiring all material acquired between 1947 and 1990 to be sold with a government issued certificate. But all a seller has to do is say that they believe the ivory comes from before 1947 and it's almost impossible to contradict them." } ], "id": "9076_2", "question": "How come this loophole exists?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4036, "answer_start": 3920, "text": "Accurately determining the age of a piece of ivory is impossible without going to the expense of radiocarbon dating." } ], "id": "9076_3", "question": "Why hasn't the EU cracked down before?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4472, "answer_start": 4037, "text": "Not many. Some of the leading markets have now banned any sales including Hong Kong, the world's biggest, which will phase out the legal trade over the next three years. China has also banned all trade except what it terms \"genuine antiques\". The US has effectively banned trade while the UK is in the process of adopting a near total ban on ivory sales, with exemptions for the trade in musical instruments and ivory sales to museums." } ], "id": "9076_4", "question": "How many ivory markets are left?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5317, "answer_start": 4473, "text": "The European Parliament has already called for a ban, and member states like the UK are leading the way with a comprehensive phase out of legal sales on the way to becoming law. The European Commission is currently reviewing whether or not EU restrictions on ivory go far enough. \"The EU consultation which closed in December 2017, collected almost 90,000 responses,\" said Eleonora Panella, from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw). \"We know that the vast majority was from people asking for stringent measures, this has for sure an impact of further decisions. We hope that a good decision will be taken soon, we were expecting something already this July, [it] now seems that it has been postponed. \"The Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London in October could be the perfect moment to show the leadership we are asking for.\"" } ], "id": "9076_5", "question": "What will happen in the EU now?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5882, "answer_start": 5318, "text": "If the sales of all ivory pieces is outlawed across the EU and the UK, many people will mixed feelings about the small tokens they're left with. \"We would support exemptions such as the ones proposed in the UK for family heirlooms and historical items,\" said Eleonora Panella. \"These should be allowed to be passed down to family members or donated to museums, but they cannot be bought, sold or traded for goods in kind.\" People might also want to donate them to an elephant charity which could arrange for their destruction or use them in educational activities." } ], "id": "9076_6", "question": "I have an ivory trinket, what should I do with it?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Sam Gyimah has become the first Tory leadership candidate to back a further referendum on Brexit. The former universities minister is the 13th candidate to join the race, which will also choose the UK's next PM. Mr Gyimah - who quit over Theresa May's Brexit plan - said he would vote Remain in such a poll, but would not \"actively campaign\" if he became prime minister. Meanwhile, other contenders to succeed Mrs May have been setting out their Brexit plans. Former Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom said she would seek a \"managed exit\" by 31 October - the deadline the EU has set for leaving the bloc. She told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that Mrs May's negotiated plan was \"dead\", as the EU would not re-open it and Parliament would not vote for it. Mrs Leadsom said she would instead introduce legislation to guarantee citizens' rights, ramp up preparations for all Brexit scenarios and explore alternatives to the Irish border backstop plan. Home Secretary Sajid Javid, who is also running in the Tory leadership race, said he \"passionately\" wanted to leave the EU with a deal, but it was \"responsible\" to prepare for a no-deal exit. His pitch for the top job was a \"modern digitised border\" between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which he said would \"unlock a Brexit deal\". Appearing on the Andrew Marr Show, Mr Javid said he would try to renegotiate the Irish border backstop plan and offer to pay Ireland for work towards a digital border, saying it was \"morally right\". He also said there should not be another general election before Brexit is delivered, but admitted he \"may not be able to stop it\" if the government were defeated in a vote of no confidence. The winner of the contest to lead the Conservative Party will become the next prime minister. Mr Javid is one of the leadership candidates who have said they are prepared to leave the EU without a deal if necessary. But his rival, Health Secretary Matt Hancock, said leaving without a deal is \"not an available choice\" to the next PM, as Parliament \"will never allow it to happen\". In a letter to MPs, he set out his strategy for delivering Brexit, including a pledge to negotiate an \"end point\" to the backstop plan. He also says he would unilaterally guarantee the rights of EU citizens, and set up an \"Irish Border Council\" to explore how technology can be used to avoid a hard border. The backstop is a backup plan to maintain an open border on the island of Ireland in case the UK leaves the EU without an all-encompassing deal. The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has previously insisted the backstop plan would not be renegotiated, saying it is \"part and parcel\" of the UK's Brexit deal. On Sunday, Irish European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee said the backstop plan and withdrawal agreement will not be changed. \"Much of what is in the withdrawal agreement was asked for by the UK,\" she tweeted. \"They were not bystanders in the two years it took to negotiate. Bit of realism needed.\" Rory Stewart - who has also launched his own leadership bid - said candidates should \"stop pretending that there is some different deal out there\", and focus instead on getting the current agreement through Parliament. \"There is literally no evidence at all that Europe will give us a different deal\", the international development secretary wrote on Twitter. Speaking to BBC News, Mr Gyimah said he was putting himself forward to \"broaden the race\" for the Conservative leadership. The East Surrey MP said existing candidates had either been pledging to \"reawaken the deal that is dead\" or \"bunching around\" the option of a no-deal exit. Mr Gyimah quit the government last December over Mrs May's Brexit plan, saying that he intended to vote against the deal and advocate another referendum. He added that another referendum could be a way to \"break through\" the impasse in Parliament, although he said that a no-deal Brexit would be an \"abject failure\". Conservative MPs will take part in a series of votes to narrow down all the candidates to a final two. These two MPs will then face a vote of the full party leadership. Most members of political parties in the UK are pretty middle-class, but Conservative Party members are the most middle-class of all: 86% fall into the ABC1 category. Around a quarter of them are, or were, self-employed and nearly half of them work, or used to, in the private sector. Nearly four out of 10 put their annual income at over PS30,000, and one in 20 put it at over PS100,000. As such, Tory members are considerably better-off than most voters. Read more from Prof Tim Bale here", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1773, "answer_start": 1680, "text": "The winner of the contest to lead the Conservative Party will become the next prime minister." } ], "id": "9077_0", "question": "Who will replace Theresa May?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Hong Kong has announced plans to slash cross-border travel between the city and mainland China as the new coronavirus continues to spread. More than 100 people have now died in China, with confirmed infections surging to more than 4,500. High-speed trains and ferries that cross the border will be suspended from Thursday, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced. She wore a face mask. The virus has spread across China and to at least 16 countries globally. On Monday, Germany and Japan confirmed that they had cases involving people who had not travelled to China but caught the virus from someone who had. This had previously been seen only in Vietnam, which borders China and where someone was infected by his father who had travelled from Wuhan, the city at the epicentre of the outbreak. Several foreign governments with large numbers of citizens in Wuhan are planning air evacuations. Wuhan, as well as the wider Hubei province, are already effectively in a lockdown with strict transport restrictions in and out of the area. Wearing masks in public is now mandatory in some Chinese cities. On Monday, authorities in Beijing confirmed that a 50-year-old man had died - the first fatality in the Chinese capital. Carrie Lam announced Hong Kong's new strategy to tackle the virus on Tuesday. In addition to suspending train and ferry services, flights to mainland China will be halved. People will also no longer be able to receive permits to visit Hong Kong from the mainland. A hospital workers union had threatened to go on strike unless the government heeded a list of demands, which included tightening the border with the mainland. The city of seven million - a major financial centre - is part of China but retains significant autonomy. Tens of millions of people visit from mainland China every year but numbers were down in 2019 because of the pro-democracy protests that rocked the city. \"The flow of people between the two places needs to be drastically reduced\" amid the outbreak, said Ms Lam. Analysts say restricting travel from the mainland to Hong Kong - a major international hub - could help limit the spread of the new coronavirus to other countries. The new coronavirus is thought to have emerged from illegally traded wildlife at a seafood market in Wuhan. The number of total cases confirmed by China rose to 4,515 as of 27 January, up from 2,835 a day earlier. Most of the deaths have been in Hubei province. The initial victims were mostly elderly people or those with pre-existing respiratory problems, but few details have been released about the dozens of deaths confirmed in recent days. On Tuesday, China agreed for WHO to send international experts to the country as soon as possible to help understand the virus and guide global response efforts. In another development, a Beijing hospital built in seven days in 2003 to accommodate patients with symptoms of the Sars virus is being refurbished for the coronavirus outbreak, the South China Morning Post reported. Construction and medical workers have been stationed at Xiaotangshan Hospital on the northern outskirts of the capital for several days, it quoted local sources as saying. About 4,000 people worked on the building in 2003, reportedly breaking the world record for the fastest construction of a hospital. A similar hospital is currently being built in Wuhan, with officials hoping to have it finished in six days. The news of more human-to-human cases of the new coronavirus will add to fears about how far this outbreak might spread. These latest cases in Japan and Germany suggest that anyone coming into close contact with another infected person could catch it. It's thought people with symptoms, such as a cough and fever, will be the most contagious. But experts haven't ruled out that people with no obvious signs of infection could also pose a risk. And it can take more than a week for a person to develop symptoms. The advice is to avoid close contact with people who are infected - that means keeping enough distance to avoid breathing air or touching surfaces contaminated with respiratory droplets from others carrying and shedding the virus. According to the World Health Organization and national authorities, there have been more than 50 confirmed cases outside China - but no deaths. - Fourteen cases: Thailand - Six: Japan - Five: USA, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan - Four: Malaysia, South Korea, France, Germany - Two: Vietnam - One: Nepal, Canada, Cambodia, Sri Lanka Three further cases were confirmed in Germany on Tuesday. In Paris, an elderly Chinese tourist is in a serious condition, health director general Jerome Salomon told reporters. Authorities are attempting to find out how many people have been in contact with him. In Japan, authorities said a bus driver caught the virus after transporting tour groups from Wuhan earlier this month. Although the emergence of such cases is \"not too surprising\", the German case is particularly worrying, said Prof Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia. \"Because if the Chinese woman was indeed asymptomatic at the time of the training session it would confirm reports of spread before symptoms develop - making standard control strategies less effective.\" Like many countries, the United States has urged its nationals to \"reconsider travel\" to China. The country plans to fly consular staff and US citizens out of Wuhan in the coming days. Japan is expecting to evacuate about 200 nationals on a chartered plane on Wednesday, with health workers on board to monitor passengers. The European Commission announced on Tuesday that it would start helping to repatriate Europeans. There will be two flights from Wuhan to Europe, the first on Wednesday and the second later on in the week. About 250 French citizens will be on the first flight and more than 100 citizens of other EU countries will be on the second, the Commission said. France, India and South Korea have also said they plan to airlift citizens out of Wuhan. The UK is yet to make a similar decision but has urged Britons to leave the area if they can - however this has upset some living in Hubei who complain they are trapped. - Your questions: You asked, we answered - The story explained: How worried should we be? - Wuhan profiled: The city now in lockdown - In detail: Follow all our coverage here", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2172, "answer_start": 1217, "text": "Carrie Lam announced Hong Kong's new strategy to tackle the virus on Tuesday. In addition to suspending train and ferry services, flights to mainland China will be halved. People will also no longer be able to receive permits to visit Hong Kong from the mainland. A hospital workers union had threatened to go on strike unless the government heeded a list of demands, which included tightening the border with the mainland. The city of seven million - a major financial centre - is part of China but retains significant autonomy. Tens of millions of people visit from mainland China every year but numbers were down in 2019 because of the pro-democracy protests that rocked the city. \"The flow of people between the two places needs to be drastically reduced\" amid the outbreak, said Ms Lam. Analysts say restricting travel from the mainland to Hong Kong - a major international hub - could help limit the spread of the new coronavirus to other countries." } ], "id": "9078_0", "question": "What's Hong Kong's plan?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3410, "answer_start": 2173, "text": "The new coronavirus is thought to have emerged from illegally traded wildlife at a seafood market in Wuhan. The number of total cases confirmed by China rose to 4,515 as of 27 January, up from 2,835 a day earlier. Most of the deaths have been in Hubei province. The initial victims were mostly elderly people or those with pre-existing respiratory problems, but few details have been released about the dozens of deaths confirmed in recent days. On Tuesday, China agreed for WHO to send international experts to the country as soon as possible to help understand the virus and guide global response efforts. In another development, a Beijing hospital built in seven days in 2003 to accommodate patients with symptoms of the Sars virus is being refurbished for the coronavirus outbreak, the South China Morning Post reported. Construction and medical workers have been stationed at Xiaotangshan Hospital on the northern outskirts of the capital for several days, it quoted local sources as saying. About 4,000 people worked on the building in 2003, reportedly breaking the world record for the fastest construction of a hospital. A similar hospital is currently being built in Wuhan, with officials hoping to have it finished in six days." } ], "id": "9078_1", "question": "What's the latest elsewhere in China?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6164, "answer_start": 4153, "text": "According to the World Health Organization and national authorities, there have been more than 50 confirmed cases outside China - but no deaths. - Fourteen cases: Thailand - Six: Japan - Five: USA, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan - Four: Malaysia, South Korea, France, Germany - Two: Vietnam - One: Nepal, Canada, Cambodia, Sri Lanka Three further cases were confirmed in Germany on Tuesday. In Paris, an elderly Chinese tourist is in a serious condition, health director general Jerome Salomon told reporters. Authorities are attempting to find out how many people have been in contact with him. In Japan, authorities said a bus driver caught the virus after transporting tour groups from Wuhan earlier this month. Although the emergence of such cases is \"not too surprising\", the German case is particularly worrying, said Prof Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia. \"Because if the Chinese woman was indeed asymptomatic at the time of the training session it would confirm reports of spread before symptoms develop - making standard control strategies less effective.\" Like many countries, the United States has urged its nationals to \"reconsider travel\" to China. The country plans to fly consular staff and US citizens out of Wuhan in the coming days. Japan is expecting to evacuate about 200 nationals on a chartered plane on Wednesday, with health workers on board to monitor passengers. The European Commission announced on Tuesday that it would start helping to repatriate Europeans. There will be two flights from Wuhan to Europe, the first on Wednesday and the second later on in the week. About 250 French citizens will be on the first flight and more than 100 citizens of other EU countries will be on the second, the Commission said. France, India and South Korea have also said they plan to airlift citizens out of Wuhan. The UK is yet to make a similar decision but has urged Britons to leave the area if they can - however this has upset some living in Hubei who complain they are trapped." } ], "id": "9078_2", "question": "What is the situation internationally?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The US government banned imports of rough diamonds from Zimbabwe earlier this month over concerns that forced labour was being used in the African nation's mines. Zimbabwe has dismissed the allegations. Secretary for Information Nick Mangwana says the US has no evidence of this, and that Washington has been \"misinformed or misled\". The Marange mining region in the east of Zimbabwe is estimated to have one of the world's richest diamond reserves and is a vital revenue earner for a country in a dire economic straits. The US cites employment practices in which individuals seeking work in the mines bribe security officials to allow them inside the secure area. Once inside, according to Brenda Smith of the US Customs and Border Agency, workers are not permitted to leave, and those who resist are punished with physical/sexual violence or arrest. The US government says it is \"well documented\". Access for journalists and rights groups to these areas is highly restricted, with special authorisation required to gain access. A group that monitors employment practices at the Marange diamond mines has collected testimonies of forced labour practices. The chairman of the Bocha Diamond Trust, Moses Mukwada, told the BBC there had been cases of villagers being rounded up and forced to work in the mines. Other groups, however, are more cautious. The Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG), an organisation that campaigns for rights in mining areas, says it has documented physical violence against miners, but doesn't have information that forced labour is prevalent. \"As an organisation, we are not totally dismissing the issue [of forced labour], but we have no information [from the US government] and we would like to know who is forcing who,\" says Simiso Mlevu, a spokesperson for CNRG. This isn't the first time that allegations of human rights abuses have been directed at the Zimbabwe government's operation in the Marange mines. Rights groups have regularly called for the diamonds to be classified as \"conflict diamonds\" to restrict exports, and back in 2011 the BBC found evidence of the use of severe beatings and sexual assault in the area. \"The sad truth is that diamonds tainted by human rights abuses from Marange or elsewhere can still reach the global diamond market easily,\" the CNRG says. It estimates that about 40 deaths occur annually as a result of the ill-treatment of mineworkers. Human Rights Watch published a report in 2018 saying that forced labour was an issue in the country's tobacco farms. The US government also released a report last year documenting child labour practices. However, Zimbabwe says it is making efforts to tackle forced labour and in 2019 ratified the UN's Forced Labour Convention, a commitment to eradicate the practice. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 899, "answer_start": 521, "text": "The US cites employment practices in which individuals seeking work in the mines bribe security officials to allow them inside the secure area. Once inside, according to Brenda Smith of the US Customs and Border Agency, workers are not permitted to leave, and those who resist are punished with physical/sexual violence or arrest. The US government says it is \"well documented\"." } ], "id": "9079_0", "question": "What is the US accusation?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2419, "answer_start": 900, "text": "Access for journalists and rights groups to these areas is highly restricted, with special authorisation required to gain access. A group that monitors employment practices at the Marange diamond mines has collected testimonies of forced labour practices. The chairman of the Bocha Diamond Trust, Moses Mukwada, told the BBC there had been cases of villagers being rounded up and forced to work in the mines. Other groups, however, are more cautious. The Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG), an organisation that campaigns for rights in mining areas, says it has documented physical violence against miners, but doesn't have information that forced labour is prevalent. \"As an organisation, we are not totally dismissing the issue [of forced labour], but we have no information [from the US government] and we would like to know who is forcing who,\" says Simiso Mlevu, a spokesperson for CNRG. This isn't the first time that allegations of human rights abuses have been directed at the Zimbabwe government's operation in the Marange mines. Rights groups have regularly called for the diamonds to be classified as \"conflict diamonds\" to restrict exports, and back in 2011 the BBC found evidence of the use of severe beatings and sexual assault in the area. \"The sad truth is that diamonds tainted by human rights abuses from Marange or elsewhere can still reach the global diamond market easily,\" the CNRG says. It estimates that about 40 deaths occur annually as a result of the ill-treatment of mineworkers." } ], "id": "9079_1", "question": "What is the evidence?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "From the sat nav in your car, to the tags on your social media posts, many of us use global positioning systems, or GPS, every day. Gladys West is one of the people whose work was instrumental in developing the mathematics behind GPS. Until now, her story has remained untold. When Mrs West started her career at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in the US state of Virginia in 1956, just one other black woman and two black men worked alongside her. \"I carried that load round, thinking that I had to be the best that I could be,\" she says. \"Always doing things just right, to set an example for other people who were coming behind me, especially women. \"I strived hard to be tough and hang in there the best I could.\" Mrs West was born in 1930, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia - \"a real rural kind of a place\" as she describes it. Many of the families around them were sharecroppers - tenants of a farm who had to hand over a proportion of their crops to the landowners. Her family had their own small farm and she had to work in the fields with them. \"I guess I found that a little bit contrary to what I had in my mind of where I wanted to go,\" she says. Mrs West was ambitious; she didn't want to stay picking tobacco, corn or cotton like the people she saw around her. Neither did she want to work in a nearby factory, beating tobacco leaves into pieces small enough for cigarettes and pipes. \"I thought at first I needed to go to the city. I thought that would get me out of the country and out of the fields,\" she says. \"But then as I got more educated, went into the higher grades, I learned that education was the thing to get me out.\" At her school, people who came top of the class were offered a scholarship to the local university. Her family \"didn't have a whole lot of money\" and Mrs West knew this was her one big chance. She worked hard, graduating first in her high school class, securing her that scholarship. \"When it was time to go to college, I didn't quite know what to major in,\" she says. \"They were trying to tell me, since I was good at all my subjects, that I should major in science or math or something that was more difficult and meant people didn't major in it.\" BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre. Follow BBC 100 Women on Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation. She took maths, a subject mostly studied at her college by men. \"You felt a little bit different. You didn't quite fit in as you did in home economics. \"You're always competing and trying to survive because you're in a different group of people.\" The few female classmates she had went on to careers like teaching. Ms West also taught for a couple of years but her degree meant she had opportunities elsewhere too and she moved on to work at the naval base in Dahlgreen. Mrs West would collect and process data from satellites, using it to help determine their exact location. It was this information that would go on to help develop GPS. \"We would come in and sit at our desks and we would logic away, go through all the steps anyone would have to do to solve the mathematical problem,\" she explains. Then she would work with programmers on the functions the massive computers needed to do. \"The operators would call us to tell us our programme was running now and we could come down and watch it,\" she says. \"So we would come down and watch this big computer churn away. Then you'd get some results. \"Nine times out of 10 they weren't completely right so you had to analyse them and find out what was different to what you expected.\" At the same time Mrs West was working as a mathematician, the civil rights movement was gaining ground in the US. The campaign, led by figures such as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, challenged racism across the country. More than a quarter of a million people marched to the Lincoln Memorial, to listen to King's \"I have a dream\" speech. But Mrs West's work set her apart from that movement. \"It turned out to be somewhat separate for us because we were working for the government and we couldn't do a whole lot of participating in non-government activities off-base,\" she says. \"We lived on the base and we didn't communicate too well with the community that was around us. \"We didn't get involved with it [the civil rights movement], partly because it wasn't safe because of the job, to do that.\" Not long after starting work at the base, Mrs West fell in love with the man who would become her husband - Ira West, one of her two male black colleagues. They married, started a family and have been together for more than 60 years. She continued working as a mathematician and her hard work was rewarded when she was nominated by her departmental head for a commendation in 1979. Mrs West was then recommended as project manager for the Seasat radar altimetry project, the first satellite that could remotely sense oceans. Retiring in 1998, after a career spanning more than 40 years, she and Ira decided to mark this new era in their life by travelling. And then Mrs West returned to education - working towards a PhD - but suffered a stroke. It affected her hearing, vision, balance and mobility, and left her feeling miserable. \"All of a sudden,\" she says, \"these words came into my head: 'You can't stay in the bed, you've got to get up from here and get your PhD.'\" Not only has she achieved her PhD, she's also gone on to deal with other challenges to her health, including a breast cancer diagnosis a few years ago. It was only when a member of her university sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, read a short biography Mrs West had submitted for an alumni function, that her achievements were brought into the spotlight. Since then, articles about Mrs West have appeared in local press, students have done class reports on her and she has been officially recognised by the Virginia Senate. A joint resolution, passed in February, commended her \"for her trailblazing career in mathematics and vital contributions to modern technology\". In a message about Black History Month, written in 2017. Capt Godfrey Weekes, then-commanding officer at Dahlgren, said Mrs West played an \"integral role\" in the development of GPS. \"As Gladys West started her career as a mathematician at Dahlgren in 1956, she likely had no idea that her work would impact the world for decades to come.\" \"I think I did help,\" she says, of her becoming a role model for other women. \"We have made a lot of progress since when I came in, because now at least you can talk about things and be open a little more. \"Before you sort of whispered and looked at each other, or something, but now the world is opening up a little bit and making it easier for women. \"But they still gotta fight.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2483, "answer_start": 2193, "text": "BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre. Follow BBC 100 Women on Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation." } ], "id": "9080_0", "question": "What is 100 Women?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The shooting down of an Armenian helicopter on the ceasefire line - known as the Line of Contact that separates Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone - is the worst incident of its kind in more than 20 years of the truce that ended the war of the early 1990s. Three Armenians were killed, and the Azerbaijani officer who shot down the helicopter was given a medal for courage. It is a very disturbing development that follows a serious upsurge of fighting in the summer in which more than 20 soldiers were killed on both sides. The Azerbaijanis blame the Armenians for sending two helicopters to fly over their positions. The Armenians say the helicopter was on a routine training mission and posed no danger. A video taken from the Azerbaijani side shows a missile being fired and one of the two helicopters bursting into flames to shouts of excitement from the Azerbaijani soldiers. There is no military logic to these attacks. A local commander can be responsible for small arms fire, but use of heavier weapons takes a decision from politicians higher up. These attacks are all about showing off your strength. The Azerbaijani side, the losing side in the conflict of 1991-94, has more of a reason to keep the ceasefire unstable so as to remind the world that the line cuts across the internationally recognised territory of Azerbaijan and that territories behind it lie under Armenian military control. However, although the Azerbaijani side is probably responsible for a greater quantity of ceasefire violations, the Armenians also like to demonstrate their power. This is what they did with a deadly three-pronged incursion into Azerbaijani positions on 31 July in which many Azerbaijanis died. It is possible that this shooting down is a revenge attack for that operation. Those with longer memories will recall that an Azerbaijani helicopter carrying officials and mediators was shot down by Armenians in November 1991 not far from where this latest incident happened, in one of the most controversial episodes of the war. There is good reason to be worried. These incidents are an illustration of the increased militarisation of the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire line over the last 20 years - the most militarised zone in Europe. Helicopters, attack aircraft and drones fill the skies while there is heavy artillery behind the lines, where up to 20,000 soldiers sit in World War One-style trenches. Azerbaijan, in particular, is pouring hundreds of millions of dollars of oil and gas revenues into buying heavy weapons. Meanwhile, the international presence is just as it was in 1994: only six monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) observe the ceasefire along a line of 100 miles (160km), plus the increasingly tense international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The two presidents, Ilham Aliev and Serzh Sarkisian, recently resumed face-to-face talks and have met three times since August, most recently in Paris two weeks ago. That is good for the faltering negotiation process, but the mediators are pessimistic about any hopes of a breakthrough, especially given the background of the war in Ukraine that also divides Russia, one of the three negotiators, from France and the United States. This violence is a reminder that the two armies are always one step away from another war and that only their own calculation of what is in their best interests holds them back from starting one. There is every danger now of tit-for-tat retaliations, and the Armenians have already threatened a \"painful\" response to the downing of the helicopter.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2063, "answer_start": 917, "text": "There is no military logic to these attacks. A local commander can be responsible for small arms fire, but use of heavier weapons takes a decision from politicians higher up. These attacks are all about showing off your strength. The Azerbaijani side, the losing side in the conflict of 1991-94, has more of a reason to keep the ceasefire unstable so as to remind the world that the line cuts across the internationally recognised territory of Azerbaijan and that territories behind it lie under Armenian military control. However, although the Azerbaijani side is probably responsible for a greater quantity of ceasefire violations, the Armenians also like to demonstrate their power. This is what they did with a deadly three-pronged incursion into Azerbaijani positions on 31 July in which many Azerbaijanis died. It is possible that this shooting down is a revenge attack for that operation. Those with longer memories will recall that an Azerbaijani helicopter carrying officials and mediators was shot down by Armenians in November 1991 not far from where this latest incident happened, in one of the most controversial episodes of the war." } ], "id": "9081_0", "question": "Revenge attack?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Ryanair flights in and out of UK airports took off as normal this morning despite strikes by pilots, the airline has said. Thousands of passengers were braced for disruption ahead of a 48-hour walkout over pay and conditions. However, the airline said 97% of flights took off on time on Thursday morning, blaming the few delays on air traffic control. On Wednesday, Ryanair lost a last-ditch legal challenge to stop the strikes. But the no-frills carrier has now said it does not expect any disruption for passengers taking off from - or landing at - UK airports on Thursday. Earlier, Ryanair said it would inform passengers of any changes to their flights by email and text message. \"If you have not received any SMS or email from us, your flight is scheduled to operate,\" it said. Customers can also check its website, it said. The airline said it had drafted in pilots from elsewhere in Europe to fill in during strike action. Another 48-hour walkout is planned by members of the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) in early September to coincide with the end of the summer holidays. The pilots are striking over pay and benefits. They have asked Ryanair to change its policies on issues such as pensions, maternity benefits and insurance for pilots who lose their licence. They are also calling on the airline to \"harmonise pay across the UK in a fair, transparent, and consistent structure\". Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, Brian Strutton, the general secretary of Balpa, said the union, which was only recognised by Ryanair 18 months ago, had tried to negotiate a \"comprehensive package\" with the airline. \"Unfortunately Ryanair wouldn't engage with that, they haven't made us any offer at all,\" he said. Asked whether pilots had made demands for captains' salaries to be doubled to more than PS375,000 a year, as Ryanair had claimed, Mr Strutton said: \"It's drivel.\" \"I wouldn't advise anybody to pay too much attention to Ryanair's exaggerations,\" he said, adding that the union had not asked for any specific percentage increases to pay. On Wednesday, Ryanair won a legal challenge to stop its Ireland-based pilots from striking, but more of its pilots fly from the UK, where a court cleared pilots to stage Thursday's strike. In early August, Balpa announced two 48-hour walkouts, one from 22-23 August and another from 2-4 September. But Ryanair turned to the courts in London and Dublin in an attempt to block the industrial action, prompting Balpa to accuse the airline of \"bully boy\" tactics. \"The point actually is to disrupt Ryanair, rather than disrupt passengers,\" Mr Strutton said. \"If they have an operational headache and it costs them a lot of money - but can run their schedule today - then actually that's fine.\" If your flight has been cancelled, you should contact your airline to organise what to do next. An airline should offer a refund or a replacement flight (possibly on another carrier) to your destination.. Generally, if you are part way through a journey, and do not want a replacement flight, you are entitled to a flight back to the airport you originally departed from. Those are the minimum requirements for ticket holders. In some cases, passengers may be entitled to additional cash compensation for the inconvenience - but only if you receive notice that your flight is affected less than 14 days before departure. So, if your flight has been significantly delayed or cancelled because airline staff are striking, then this is considered within the airline's control, according to the Civil Aviation Authority - and therefore passengers can claim this extra compensation under EU rules. Did your Ryanair flight take off on time today or are you experiencing delays or cancellations? Get in touch by emailing [email protected] You can also contact us in the following ways: - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803 - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international) - Please read our terms & conditions", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3643, "answer_start": 2751, "text": "If your flight has been cancelled, you should contact your airline to organise what to do next. An airline should offer a refund or a replacement flight (possibly on another carrier) to your destination.. Generally, if you are part way through a journey, and do not want a replacement flight, you are entitled to a flight back to the airport you originally departed from. Those are the minimum requirements for ticket holders. In some cases, passengers may be entitled to additional cash compensation for the inconvenience - but only if you receive notice that your flight is affected less than 14 days before departure. So, if your flight has been significantly delayed or cancelled because airline staff are striking, then this is considered within the airline's control, according to the Civil Aviation Authority - and therefore passengers can claim this extra compensation under EU rules." } ], "id": "9082_0", "question": "What can I claim if my flight has been affected by the strikes?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Jeffrey Epstein had vast wealth and high-profile connections. But behind the opulence lay a much darker, more sordid story. Here's what you need to know. The 66-year-old was a hedge fund manager known for enjoying the high life. He had a slew of luxury properties around the world and socialised with, among others, Britain's Prince Andrew and US Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton. He was also known for liking young girls. Allegations have emerged in recent years that he abused, trafficked and prostituted dozens of children as young as 13. He was charged in New York in July with sex trafficking and conspiracy and was due to face trial next year. But he was already a convicted sex offender, having pleaded guilty to prostitution charges involving a minor in Florida in 2008. As part of a non-prosecution deal, he avoided a potential 45-year prison sentence and instead undertook a 13 month work release programme - something which recently led to the resignation of US Labour Secretary Alex Acosta. Medical examiners say Epstein died as a result of suicide by hanging in his cell on 10 August. There have been many questions over how he was able to take his own life at New York's highly-secure Metropolitan Correctional Center, especially given the fact he had reportedly attempted to kill himself a few days earlier. As a criminal case against Epstein can no longer go ahead, there have been calls for prosecutors to investigate his associates instead. Lawyers for some of his accusers say they will pursue a claim for compensation from his estate. A will, signed by Epstein two days before his death, revealed he had assets worth at least $577m (PS475m).", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 549, "answer_start": 154, "text": "The 66-year-old was a hedge fund manager known for enjoying the high life. He had a slew of luxury properties around the world and socialised with, among others, Britain's Prince Andrew and US Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton. He was also known for liking young girls. Allegations have emerged in recent years that he abused, trafficked and prostituted dozens of children as young as 13." } ], "id": "9083_0", "question": "Who was Jeffrey Epstein?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1010, "answer_start": 550, "text": "He was charged in New York in July with sex trafficking and conspiracy and was due to face trial next year. But he was already a convicted sex offender, having pleaded guilty to prostitution charges involving a minor in Florida in 2008. As part of a non-prosecution deal, he avoided a potential 45-year prison sentence and instead undertook a 13 month work release programme - something which recently led to the resignation of US Labour Secretary Alex Acosta." } ], "id": "9083_1", "question": "Why was he in prison?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1330, "answer_start": 1011, "text": "Medical examiners say Epstein died as a result of suicide by hanging in his cell on 10 August. There have been many questions over how he was able to take his own life at New York's highly-secure Metropolitan Correctional Center, especially given the fact he had reportedly attempted to kill himself a few days earlier." } ], "id": "9083_2", "question": "What do we know about his death?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1669, "answer_start": 1331, "text": "As a criminal case against Epstein can no longer go ahead, there have been calls for prosecutors to investigate his associates instead. Lawyers for some of his accusers say they will pursue a claim for compensation from his estate. A will, signed by Epstein two days before his death, revealed he had assets worth at least $577m (PS475m)." } ], "id": "9083_3", "question": "What happens next?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Essex Police has started extradition proceedings to bring a man from Ireland to the UK to face charges of manslaughter over the deaths of 39 people in the back of a lorry. Eamonn Harrison, 22, from Northern Ireland, was arrested in Dublin on a European Arrest Warrant. In Vietnam police have arrested two people over people smuggling. Police in Belfast have also appealed to two brothers wanted in connection with the deaths to hand themselves in. Ronan, 40, and Christopher Hughes, 34, are wanted on suspicion of manslaughter and people trafficking. On Friday, police confirmed they had spoken to Ronan Hughes by phone, but added that they needed to speak to the brothers in person. \"Ronan and Christopher, hand yourselves in,\" said Det Ch Insp Daniel Stoten, who is leading the lorry deaths investigation for Essex Police. \"We need you both to come forward and assist this investigation.\" \"The sooner we can make this happen, the sooner we can progress with our investigation,\" he said. Police have also said that \"at this time\" it believes \"the victims are Vietnamese nationals\", and that they are in contact with the Vietnamese government. \"We are in direct contact with a number of families in Vietnam and the UK, and we believe we have identified families for some of the victims whose journey ended in tragedy on our shores,\" Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith of Essex Police said. \"The confirmatory evidence needed to formally present cases to HM Senior Coroner for her consideration has not yet been obtained.\" Mr Stoten, who is leading the lorry deaths investigation for Essex Police, said the Hughes brothers have links to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. They are also connected to the road haulage and shipping industries. Essex Police have said the brothers are from County Armagh but it is understood they are originally from County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland. They have at least one business address in Northern Ireland. The PSNI stopped and seized a lorry on Thursday, believed to be connected to the Hughes brothers. No further arrests were made. The driver of the lorry in which the bodies were found, Maurice Robinson, appeared in court in Chelmsford on Monday. The 25-year-old, of Laurel Drive, Craigavon, is charged with a string of offences, including 39 counts of manslaughter. Prosecutors alleged that Mr Robinson was part of a \"global ring\" of people smugglers. He was remanded in custody and is due to appear again at the Old Bailey in London later this month. All eight women and 31 men are thought to have been adults except one \"young adult\" woman who, police previously said may have been a teenager. Police initially believed the victims to be Chinese nationals but their efforts to identify them are now focusing on the Vietnamese community. VietHome, a popular Vietnamese community forum in the UK, said it had passed on the pictures of almost 20 people who have been reported missing to detectives. On Friday, the police in Vietnam's Ha Tinh province said that they have charged two unnamed people with \"organising or brokering illegal immigration\". They said the arrests were made after 10 local families reported their children - who were on their way to the UK - missing. Many of the families who have reported missing relatives know the names of the brokers who organised their journeys, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Hanoi. Some are said to be local people familiar to communities which have a tradition of sending people overseas to work. British law enforcement officers have been working with Vietnamese authorities in an attempt to suppress human trafficking over the past number of years, adds our correspondent. Sources in Hanoi say there has been some progress, but people smuggling is still hugely lucrative and thriving in Vietnam. The Vietnamese embassy in London has set up a contact line for people to get in touch. GPS data shows the refrigerated container trailer in which the bodies were found crossed back and forth between the UK and continental Europe in the days before it was found. It was leased from the company Global Trailer Rentals on 15 October. The company said it was \"entirely unaware that the trailer was to be used in the manner in which it appears to have been\". It is not the lorry police seized on 31 October in Northern Ireland. Essex Police said the tractor unit (the front part of the lorry) had entered the UK via Holyhead - an Irish Sea port in Wales - on 20 October, having travelled over from Dublin. Police believe the tractor unit collected the trailer in Purfleet on the River Thames and left the port shortly after 01:05 on 23 October. Police were called to the industrial park where the bodies were discovered about half an hour later. Temperatures in refrigerated units can be as low as -25C (-13F). The lorry now is at a secure site in Essex. Early reports had suggested the lorry may have arrived from Bulgaria but its government has since clarified that while the tractor unit was registered there in 2017 it had not entered the country since.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2511, "answer_start": 2089, "text": "The driver of the lorry in which the bodies were found, Maurice Robinson, appeared in court in Chelmsford on Monday. The 25-year-old, of Laurel Drive, Craigavon, is charged with a string of offences, including 39 counts of manslaughter. Prosecutors alleged that Mr Robinson was part of a \"global ring\" of people smugglers. He was remanded in custody and is due to appear again at the Old Bailey in London later this month." } ], "id": "9084_0", "question": "Has anyone been charged?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3893, "answer_start": 2512, "text": "All eight women and 31 men are thought to have been adults except one \"young adult\" woman who, police previously said may have been a teenager. Police initially believed the victims to be Chinese nationals but their efforts to identify them are now focusing on the Vietnamese community. VietHome, a popular Vietnamese community forum in the UK, said it had passed on the pictures of almost 20 people who have been reported missing to detectives. On Friday, the police in Vietnam's Ha Tinh province said that they have charged two unnamed people with \"organising or brokering illegal immigration\". They said the arrests were made after 10 local families reported their children - who were on their way to the UK - missing. Many of the families who have reported missing relatives know the names of the brokers who organised their journeys, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Hanoi. Some are said to be local people familiar to communities which have a tradition of sending people overseas to work. British law enforcement officers have been working with Vietnamese authorities in an attempt to suppress human trafficking over the past number of years, adds our correspondent. Sources in Hanoi say there has been some progress, but people smuggling is still hugely lucrative and thriving in Vietnam. The Vietnamese embassy in London has set up a contact line for people to get in touch." } ], "id": "9084_1", "question": "Who were the victims?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5059, "answer_start": 3894, "text": "GPS data shows the refrigerated container trailer in which the bodies were found crossed back and forth between the UK and continental Europe in the days before it was found. It was leased from the company Global Trailer Rentals on 15 October. The company said it was \"entirely unaware that the trailer was to be used in the manner in which it appears to have been\". It is not the lorry police seized on 31 October in Northern Ireland. Essex Police said the tractor unit (the front part of the lorry) had entered the UK via Holyhead - an Irish Sea port in Wales - on 20 October, having travelled over from Dublin. Police believe the tractor unit collected the trailer in Purfleet on the River Thames and left the port shortly after 01:05 on 23 October. Police were called to the industrial park where the bodies were discovered about half an hour later. Temperatures in refrigerated units can be as low as -25C (-13F). The lorry now is at a secure site in Essex. Early reports had suggested the lorry may have arrived from Bulgaria but its government has since clarified that while the tractor unit was registered there in 2017 it had not entered the country since." } ], "id": "9084_2", "question": "What about the lorry and the trailer?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Sixty people are now thought to be dead or missing after a freight train carrying crude oil derailed and blew up in Quebec, Canadian police say. Earlier, 50 people were unaccounted for after Saturday's blast in Lac-Megantic. There are 15 unidentified bodies. Authorities have launched a criminal investigation into what happened, but they have ruled out terrorism. The boss of the train's US owner is due later to visit the scene, a day after he admitted \"partial responsibility\". At least 30 buildings were razed by the fireball from the explosion that rocked the town on Saturday morning. But the entire town centre is being treated as a crime scene, with several additional streets cordoned off by police tape. Quebec Police Inspector Michel Forget said that while investigators had ruled out terrorism as a motive for the attack, several other options - including criminal negligence - remained under consideration. \"This is an enormous task ahead of us,\" the police inspector said. \"We're not at the stage of arrests.\" Some 200 officers were still conducting searches on Wednesday morning. But police said the effort was taking a toll on some crew members and two people had to be taken off the operation over worries for their physical condition. \"This is a very risky environment,\" said Quebec Provincial Police Sgt Benoit Richard. \"We have to secure the safety of those working there. We have some hotspots on the scene. There is some gas.\" Authorities have asked the relatives of those still missing to provide DNA samples by bringing in toothbrushes, razors and other items. But the authorities have also warned some of the bodies may have been burnt to ashes in the explosion. The train, carrying 72 cars of crude oil, was parked shortly before midnight on Friday in the town of Nantes about seven miles (11km) away. Local firefighters were later called to put out a fire on the train. While tackling that blaze, they shut down a locomotive that an engineer had left running to keep the brakes engaged. Shortly afterwards the train began moving downhill in an 18-minute journey, gathering speed until it derailed in Lac-Megantic and exploded. The fire department and the train's owners have appeared to point the finger at one another over the disaster. Rail World chief executive Edward Burkhardt suggested on Tuesday evening that firefighters shared some blame. \"We don't have total responsibility, but we have partial responsibility,\" he told reporters in Montreal. Earlier this week he told the media he had received hate messages. The train was carrying oil from the Bakken oil region in the US state of North Dakota to a refinery on the east coast of Canada.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2675, "answer_start": 1449, "text": "Authorities have asked the relatives of those still missing to provide DNA samples by bringing in toothbrushes, razors and other items. But the authorities have also warned some of the bodies may have been burnt to ashes in the explosion. The train, carrying 72 cars of crude oil, was parked shortly before midnight on Friday in the town of Nantes about seven miles (11km) away. Local firefighters were later called to put out a fire on the train. While tackling that blaze, they shut down a locomotive that an engineer had left running to keep the brakes engaged. Shortly afterwards the train began moving downhill in an 18-minute journey, gathering speed until it derailed in Lac-Megantic and exploded. The fire department and the train's owners have appeared to point the finger at one another over the disaster. Rail World chief executive Edward Burkhardt suggested on Tuesday evening that firefighters shared some blame. \"We don't have total responsibility, but we have partial responsibility,\" he told reporters in Montreal. Earlier this week he told the media he had received hate messages. The train was carrying oil from the Bakken oil region in the US state of North Dakota to a refinery on the east coast of Canada." } ], "id": "9085_0", "question": "Bodies incinerated?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Barack Obama has made a rare intervention in the 2020 White House race to blast a \"despicable\" racially charged attack ad against Joe Biden. A pro-Trump group put out the clip that twists Mr Obama's own words in order to undermine the Democratic contender. Mr Biden is hoping the black vote in South Carolina's primary on Saturday will revive his campaign. Though Mr Biden was his vice-president, Mr Obama has observed neutrality in the race, refusing to endorse a contender. Joe Biden is one of eight candidates remaining in the contest to become the Democratic candidate who will take on President Donald Trump, a Republican, in November's election. The clip - entitled South Carolina, Joe Biden Can't Be Trusted - was broadcast on TV stations in the southern state before Tuesday night's Democratic debate in Charleston, formerly America's largest slave port. A female narrator introduces audio from former US President Obama's 1995 memoir, Dreams from My Father, in which he reads a quotation from a Chicago barber who had expressed cynicism about Democratic politics. Mr Obama is heard saying: \"Plantation politics. Black people in the worst jobs, the worst housing. Police brutality rampant. \"But when the so-called black committeemen came around election time, we'd all line up and vote the straight Democratic ticket. \"Sell our souls for a Christmas turkey.\" But the hairdresser cited by Mr Obama was talking about the Illinois city's first black mayor, not Mr Biden. Captions flash up on screen during the ad attacking Mr Biden's record on race. He is currently the frontrunner in the South Carolina race, though his campaign is flagging nationally. Mr Obama's lawyers say they will file a cease-and-desist letter to immediately stop televisions stations in South Carolina running the clip. \"This despicable ad is straight out of the Republican disinformation playbook,\" Katie Hill, Obama's communications director, said in a statement. \"And it's clearly designed to suppress turnout among minority voters in South Carolina by taking President Obama's voice out of context and twisting his words to mislead viewers. \"In the interest of truth in advertising, we are calling on TV stations to take this ad down and stop playing into the hands of bad actors who seek to sow division and confusion among the electorate.\" Ms Hill reiterated that Mr Obama \"has several friends in this race, including, of course, his own esteemed vice-president\", but \"has no plans to endorse in the primary\". The clip was put out by the Committee to Defend the President, a political action committee devoted to re-electing Mr Trump. The group is run by a former Republican state legislator from Colorado, Ted Harvey. Mr Harvey told Politico the ad is fair game, arguing that Mr Biden \"is simply giving lip-service for votes\". \"That's the point President Obama made in his book, and we have every right to use his own words - in his own voice - in the political forum,\" he added. Mr Obama was himself criticised in the 2012 presidential election after his supporters ran a misleading attack ad against his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney. The clip said Missouri steel-worker Joe Soptic's wife had died of cancer after he lost his health insurance when his factory was shut by Bain Capital, a private equity firm that Mr Romney had managed. The ad failed to mention Mr Romney was not working at Bain when the factory closed and that Mr Soptic's wife had health insurance through her own job and was diagnosed with cancer five years after her husband was laid off. Several ads released only this year have provoked widespread cries of disinformation, a sensitive issue in the US after alleged Russian efforts to sow political division online in the lead-up to the 2016 White House vote won by Mr Trump. Twitter and Facebook this month refused House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's request to take down a Trump attack ad that was edited to show her repeatedly tearing up his State of the Union address to Congress. Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg was also criticised for an attack ad that doctored TV debate footage to show his rivals speechless after he asked if any of them had ever started a business. And the race-baiting campaign clip distributed by George HW Bush's supporters about a black convict, Willie Horton, is one of the most infamous attack ads of all time. The Federal Trade Commission is empowered to sue or fine any advertiser who puts out a misleading ad, but the agency can only regulate commerce. Political speech is protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, granting attack ads wide latitude to say just about anything. The Federal Communications Commission rules that broadcasters cannot censor a candidate.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1658, "answer_start": 652, "text": "The clip - entitled South Carolina, Joe Biden Can't Be Trusted - was broadcast on TV stations in the southern state before Tuesday night's Democratic debate in Charleston, formerly America's largest slave port. A female narrator introduces audio from former US President Obama's 1995 memoir, Dreams from My Father, in which he reads a quotation from a Chicago barber who had expressed cynicism about Democratic politics. Mr Obama is heard saying: \"Plantation politics. Black people in the worst jobs, the worst housing. Police brutality rampant. \"But when the so-called black committeemen came around election time, we'd all line up and vote the straight Democratic ticket. \"Sell our souls for a Christmas turkey.\" But the hairdresser cited by Mr Obama was talking about the Illinois city's first black mayor, not Mr Biden. Captions flash up on screen during the ad attacking Mr Biden's record on race. He is currently the frontrunner in the South Carolina race, though his campaign is flagging nationally." } ], "id": "9086_0", "question": "What does the ad say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2495, "answer_start": 1659, "text": "Mr Obama's lawyers say they will file a cease-and-desist letter to immediately stop televisions stations in South Carolina running the clip. \"This despicable ad is straight out of the Republican disinformation playbook,\" Katie Hill, Obama's communications director, said in a statement. \"And it's clearly designed to suppress turnout among minority voters in South Carolina by taking President Obama's voice out of context and twisting his words to mislead viewers. \"In the interest of truth in advertising, we are calling on TV stations to take this ad down and stop playing into the hands of bad actors who seek to sow division and confusion among the electorate.\" Ms Hill reiterated that Mr Obama \"has several friends in this race, including, of course, his own esteemed vice-president\", but \"has no plans to endorse in the primary\"." } ], "id": "9086_1", "question": "How did Obama respond?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2966, "answer_start": 2496, "text": "The clip was put out by the Committee to Defend the President, a political action committee devoted to re-electing Mr Trump. The group is run by a former Republican state legislator from Colorado, Ted Harvey. Mr Harvey told Politico the ad is fair game, arguing that Mr Biden \"is simply giving lip-service for votes\". \"That's the point President Obama made in his book, and we have every right to use his own words - in his own voice - in the political forum,\" he added." } ], "id": "9086_2", "question": "Where is the ad from?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4387, "answer_start": 2967, "text": "Mr Obama was himself criticised in the 2012 presidential election after his supporters ran a misleading attack ad against his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney. The clip said Missouri steel-worker Joe Soptic's wife had died of cancer after he lost his health insurance when his factory was shut by Bain Capital, a private equity firm that Mr Romney had managed. The ad failed to mention Mr Romney was not working at Bain when the factory closed and that Mr Soptic's wife had health insurance through her own job and was diagnosed with cancer five years after her husband was laid off. Several ads released only this year have provoked widespread cries of disinformation, a sensitive issue in the US after alleged Russian efforts to sow political division online in the lead-up to the 2016 White House vote won by Mr Trump. Twitter and Facebook this month refused House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's request to take down a Trump attack ad that was edited to show her repeatedly tearing up his State of the Union address to Congress. Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg was also criticised for an attack ad that doctored TV debate footage to show his rivals speechless after he asked if any of them had ever started a business. And the race-baiting campaign clip distributed by George HW Bush's supporters about a black convict, Willie Horton, is one of the most infamous attack ads of all time." } ], "id": "9086_3", "question": "Are unfair attack ads common?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4760, "answer_start": 4388, "text": "The Federal Trade Commission is empowered to sue or fine any advertiser who puts out a misleading ad, but the agency can only regulate commerce. Political speech is protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution, granting attack ads wide latitude to say just about anything. The Federal Communications Commission rules that broadcasters cannot censor a candidate." } ], "id": "9086_4", "question": "How do they get away with it?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "New York's attorney general is suing the Trump Foundation, as well as Donald Trump and his children, alleging \"extensive and persistent\" lawbreaking. Barbara Underwood said the charitable foundation had engaged in \"unlawful political co-ordination\" designed to influence the 2016 election. The lawsuit seeks to dissolve the foundation and $2.8m (PS2.1m) in restitution. The foundation denied the charges, calling them politically motivated. The president hit back at the lawsuit on Twitter, saying that \"sleazy New York Democrats\" were \"doing everything they can to sue me\". He vowed he would not settle the case. The attorney general is also seeking to bar the president and three of his adult children, Donald Jr, Eric and Ivanka, from serving on the board of any New York-based charity, \"in light of misconduct and total lack of oversight\". She has referred the case to the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Election Commission, she says. Ms Underwood filed a petition at the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan on Thursday, Mr Trump's 72nd birthday. It accuses the foundation and its directors - Mr Trump and his three eldest children - of unlawfully co-ordinating with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated self-dealing transactions, and violating laws under which non-profit organisations must operate. In a statement, Ms Underwood said Mr Trump had illegally instructed the foundation to provide support to his presidential campaign by using the foundation's name and funds it raised to promote the campaign. The petition also claims that Mr Trump used charitable assets to pay off legal obligations, to promote his own businesses and to purchase personal items, including a painting of himself. The Trump Foundation issued a statement denying the charges and accusing the attorney general of holding its $1.7 million in remaining funds \"hostage for political gain\". Ms Underwood is a Democrat. The president described the suit as \"ridiculous\". The younger Trumps have yet to comment publicly. The lawsuit announced on Thursday is the culmination of a two-year investigation, which began under the previous New York attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, Ms Underwood said. Mr Schneiderman resigned last month after several former girlfriends accused him of physical abuse. In October 2016 Mr Schneiderman ordered the Trump Foundation to stop fundraising in New York, after finding it had no proper registration. President-elect Trump vowed to shut the charitable foundation down in December 2016, to avoid \"even the appearance\" of any conflict of interest. The Trump Foundation lawsuit adds to Mr Trump's legal challenges, which include a wide-ranging special counsel investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Special Counsel Robert Mueller has indicted several of Mr Trump's associates and raided the home and office of the president's long-time lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen. Read more Anthony Zurcher, North America reporter New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood has opened a new front in the ongoing criminal investigations into Donald Trump and his empire. Allegations of misdeeds connected to the Trump Foundation had swirled during the 2016 presidential elections, but the topic had been overshadowed during the early days of the Trump presidency. That may be about to change. Administration officials, from the president on down, will certainly attempt to brand this as yet another politically motivated investigation of an ideological adversary - new witches but the same hunt. Nevertheless, as New York Attorney General, Ms Underwood has significant investigatory and prosecutorial power, and if she starts looking into some of Mr Trump's more questionable charitable activities, there's no telling what she might turn up. At the very least, it appears the Trump world's celebrations of former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's disgrace were a bit premature. Ms Underwood may not be as outspokenly anti-Trump as her predecessor, but she appears to be equally - or more - aggressive where it counts, in the courtroom. Thursday's 41-page document filed with the NY Supreme Court spells out a range of alleged violations of laws concerning non-profit organisations, dating back more than a decade. The investigation apparently found that the foundation was \"little more than an empty shell that functions with no oversight by its board of directors\". The board had not met since 1999, despite being legally required to meet annually, and did not oversee the foundation's activities \"in any way\", the document says. Mr Trump, who has not contributed any personal funds to the foundation since 2008, was the sole signatory on the foundation's bank accounts and approved all of its grants. Several pages of the document focus on a charity fundraiser for veterans in Iowa in January 2016, which Mr Trump chose to hold instead of taking part in a TV debate with other Republican presidential hopefuls ahead of the influential state's caucuses. More than $2.8m was donated to the Trump Foundation at that event. The petition alleges that those funds raised from the public were used to promote Mr Trump's campaign for the presidency, in particular in the Iowa nominating caucuses. The lawsuit also claims that the foundation paid $100,000 (PS75,000) to settle legal claims against Mr Trump's Mar-A-Lago resort, $158,000 to settle claims against one of his golf clubs, and $10,000 to purchase a painting of Mr Trump to hang at another of his golf clubs. The purchase of the painting was an example of one of \"at least five self-dealing transactions\" which violate tax regulations on non-profit charities, the statement said. \"As our investigation reveals, the Trump Foundation was little more than a cheque book for payments from Mr Trump or his businesses to nonprofits, regardless of their purpose of legality,\" Ms Underwood said. \"This is not how private foundations should function.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1713, "answer_start": 949, "text": "Ms Underwood filed a petition at the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan on Thursday, Mr Trump's 72nd birthday. It accuses the foundation and its directors - Mr Trump and his three eldest children - of unlawfully co-ordinating with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated self-dealing transactions, and violating laws under which non-profit organisations must operate. In a statement, Ms Underwood said Mr Trump had illegally instructed the foundation to provide support to his presidential campaign by using the foundation's name and funds it raised to promote the campaign. The petition also claims that Mr Trump used charitable assets to pay off legal obligations, to promote his own businesses and to purchase personal items, including a painting of himself." } ], "id": "9087_0", "question": "What is the state attorney general alleging?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2011, "answer_start": 1714, "text": "The Trump Foundation issued a statement denying the charges and accusing the attorney general of holding its $1.7 million in remaining funds \"hostage for political gain\". Ms Underwood is a Democrat. The president described the suit as \"ridiculous\". The younger Trumps have yet to comment publicly." } ], "id": "9087_1", "question": "What have the Trump Foundation and the Trumps said?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2925, "answer_start": 2012, "text": "The lawsuit announced on Thursday is the culmination of a two-year investigation, which began under the previous New York attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, Ms Underwood said. Mr Schneiderman resigned last month after several former girlfriends accused him of physical abuse. In October 2016 Mr Schneiderman ordered the Trump Foundation to stop fundraising in New York, after finding it had no proper registration. President-elect Trump vowed to shut the charitable foundation down in December 2016, to avoid \"even the appearance\" of any conflict of interest. The Trump Foundation lawsuit adds to Mr Trump's legal challenges, which include a wide-ranging special counsel investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. Special Counsel Robert Mueller has indicted several of Mr Trump's associates and raided the home and office of the president's long-time lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen." } ], "id": "9087_2", "question": "How did this come about?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5944, "answer_start": 4084, "text": "Thursday's 41-page document filed with the NY Supreme Court spells out a range of alleged violations of laws concerning non-profit organisations, dating back more than a decade. The investigation apparently found that the foundation was \"little more than an empty shell that functions with no oversight by its board of directors\". The board had not met since 1999, despite being legally required to meet annually, and did not oversee the foundation's activities \"in any way\", the document says. Mr Trump, who has not contributed any personal funds to the foundation since 2008, was the sole signatory on the foundation's bank accounts and approved all of its grants. Several pages of the document focus on a charity fundraiser for veterans in Iowa in January 2016, which Mr Trump chose to hold instead of taking part in a TV debate with other Republican presidential hopefuls ahead of the influential state's caucuses. More than $2.8m was donated to the Trump Foundation at that event. The petition alleges that those funds raised from the public were used to promote Mr Trump's campaign for the presidency, in particular in the Iowa nominating caucuses. The lawsuit also claims that the foundation paid $100,000 (PS75,000) to settle legal claims against Mr Trump's Mar-A-Lago resort, $158,000 to settle claims against one of his golf clubs, and $10,000 to purchase a painting of Mr Trump to hang at another of his golf clubs. The purchase of the painting was an example of one of \"at least five self-dealing transactions\" which violate tax regulations on non-profit charities, the statement said. \"As our investigation reveals, the Trump Foundation was little more than a cheque book for payments from Mr Trump or his businesses to nonprofits, regardless of their purpose of legality,\" Ms Underwood said. \"This is not how private foundations should function.\"" } ], "id": "9087_3", "question": "What details emerged in the court filing?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Mike Ashley's Sports Direct has agreed to buy the House of Fraser department store chain for PS90m. The deal was announced just hours after the 169-year-old chain went into administration when talks with its creditors failed to reach an agreement. Mr Ashley said his plan was to turn the 59-store chain in to the \"Harrods of the High Street\". It employs 16,000, 5,900 directly and 10,100 in concessions. Administrators said jobs could be \"preserved\". While some stores did not open on time on Friday, initial problems with the website were resolved. There were reports, though, that gift cards were not being accepted. Sports Direct said in a statement: \"The group has acquired all of the UK stores of House of Fraser, the House of Fraser brand and all of the stock in the business.\" Sports Direct already held an 11% stake in the department store chain, which had been intending to close 31 shops under a now-abandoned restructuring plan. House of Fraser's administrators, from accountants EY, said the department store chain had been in \"a race against time to secure sufficient funding to secure its future\" ever since the Chinese firm C.banner pulled out of a rescue deal earlier this month. Before Friday's deal was announced, 6,000 roles were to have been lost. Alan Hudson, one of the four administrators from accountants EY, said the Sports Direct deal \"preserves as many of the jobs of House of Fraser's employees as possible\". \"We hope that this [deal] will give the business the stable financial platform that it requires to flourish in the current retail environment\". But union officials at Unite said staff were entering \"a period of great uncertainty and worry\". Unite regional officer Scott Lennon said: \"Sports Direct is a leopard that has not changed its spots and we hope that its poor record on pay and employment practices are not transferred to the House of Fraser.\" Mr Ashley founded the 750-strong sports fashion chain Sports Direct in 1982. Among the brands it owns are Slazenger, Karrimor, and the sports retailer Lillywhites. It has also encountered controversy. A report by the Business, Innovation and Skills committee in 2016 concluded that the company did not treat its workers like humans, but Sports Direct said its policy was to treat all people with respect. He has a varied portfolio of investments, including in department store Debenhams and the retailer French Connection. In addition, he owns the lingerie chain Agent Provocateur, as well as the clothing chain Flannels, which sells brands such as Burberry London, Fendi and Sophia Webster. Mr Ashley is also the owner of Newcastle United, although he attempted to sell the football club earlier this year. Chinese firm C.banner had been poised to invest in the store after it agreed a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) with its creditors. This would have closed 31 stores and put 6,000 jobs at risk. But it could not raise the financing, leaving House of Fraser seeking new investment. On Thursday, House of Fraser had indicated time was running out when it said it wanted to secure financing by 20 August. This was the date when concessions in the stores were scheduled to be paid. As well as problems with its owners, the chain had too many stores, was slow to develop its internet shopping capability and failed to entice enough shoppers. More may stay open. Mr Ashley said: \"We will do our best to keep as many stores open as possible.\" \"My ambition is to transform House of Fraser into Harrods of the High Street,\" he said, indicating a move upmarket. \"This is a massive step forward and further enhances our strategy of elevation across the group. This will benefit both House of Fraser and Flannels in the luxury sector,\" he added. There had been speculation he might take the opportunity to expand the Sports Direct chain, which he has previously said he wants to transform into \"the Selfridges of sport\". Analysts said he would need to spend more money. Sofie Willmott, senior retail analyst at GlobalData, said: \"To give House of Fraser the best chance of survival, Sports Direct and its owner Mike Ashley must make drastic changes to both its product proposition and store environment to entice shoppers back.\" Kate Hardcastle, from the retail consultancy Insight with Passion, told the BBC a move downmarket was more likely. \"This is a big move and I'm sure lots of people will be breathing a slight sigh of relief that the name House of Fraser isn't disappearing from the High Street altogether,\" she said. \"However, I can't imagine that the business or indeed its offer are going to be similar to that people know or recognise as House of Fraser - this is someone who deals very much in the discount market.\" House of Fraser has two main types of relationships with its suppliers: wholesalers, who get paid whether or not their stock is sold, or concession holders, who are paid after their items are sold. Nigel Lugg, group executive chairman of Prominent Europe, which supplies Chester Barrie menswear to House of Fraser, said it was \"good news\" that the business had been saved. But, he said, suppliers would have hoped the business would avoid administration, so they could be paid in full. \"I can't see the suppliers getting a lot of money out of the system,\" Mr Lugg told the BBC, adding suppliers often received 2p to 3p in the pound in cases of administration. His business would be fine but, he said, \"it could impact into other UK suppliers\". \"There is a lot of money trapped in the system,\" Mr Lugg said. Mr Ashley referred to some suppliers when he announced the deal. He said: \"It is vital that we restore the right level of ongoing relationships with the luxury brands.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1888, "answer_start": 1196, "text": "Before Friday's deal was announced, 6,000 roles were to have been lost. Alan Hudson, one of the four administrators from accountants EY, said the Sports Direct deal \"preserves as many of the jobs of House of Fraser's employees as possible\". \"We hope that this [deal] will give the business the stable financial platform that it requires to flourish in the current retail environment\". But union officials at Unite said staff were entering \"a period of great uncertainty and worry\". Unite regional officer Scott Lennon said: \"Sports Direct is a leopard that has not changed its spots and we hope that its poor record on pay and employment practices are not transferred to the House of Fraser.\"" } ], "id": "9088_0", "question": "What does this mean for jobs?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2697, "answer_start": 1889, "text": "Mr Ashley founded the 750-strong sports fashion chain Sports Direct in 1982. Among the brands it owns are Slazenger, Karrimor, and the sports retailer Lillywhites. It has also encountered controversy. A report by the Business, Innovation and Skills committee in 2016 concluded that the company did not treat its workers like humans, but Sports Direct said its policy was to treat all people with respect. He has a varied portfolio of investments, including in department store Debenhams and the retailer French Connection. In addition, he owns the lingerie chain Agent Provocateur, as well as the clothing chain Flannels, which sells brands such as Burberry London, Fendi and Sophia Webster. Mr Ashley is also the owner of Newcastle United, although he attempted to sell the football club earlier this year." } ], "id": "9088_1", "question": "Who is Mike Ashley?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3335, "answer_start": 2698, "text": "Chinese firm C.banner had been poised to invest in the store after it agreed a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) with its creditors. This would have closed 31 stores and put 6,000 jobs at risk. But it could not raise the financing, leaving House of Fraser seeking new investment. On Thursday, House of Fraser had indicated time was running out when it said it wanted to secure financing by 20 August. This was the date when concessions in the stores were scheduled to be paid. As well as problems with its owners, the chain had too many stores, was slow to develop its internet shopping capability and failed to entice enough shoppers." } ], "id": "9088_2", "question": "What went wrong?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4717, "answer_start": 3336, "text": "More may stay open. Mr Ashley said: \"We will do our best to keep as many stores open as possible.\" \"My ambition is to transform House of Fraser into Harrods of the High Street,\" he said, indicating a move upmarket. \"This is a massive step forward and further enhances our strategy of elevation across the group. This will benefit both House of Fraser and Flannels in the luxury sector,\" he added. There had been speculation he might take the opportunity to expand the Sports Direct chain, which he has previously said he wants to transform into \"the Selfridges of sport\". Analysts said he would need to spend more money. Sofie Willmott, senior retail analyst at GlobalData, said: \"To give House of Fraser the best chance of survival, Sports Direct and its owner Mike Ashley must make drastic changes to both its product proposition and store environment to entice shoppers back.\" Kate Hardcastle, from the retail consultancy Insight with Passion, told the BBC a move downmarket was more likely. \"This is a big move and I'm sure lots of people will be breathing a slight sigh of relief that the name House of Fraser isn't disappearing from the High Street altogether,\" she said. \"However, I can't imagine that the business or indeed its offer are going to be similar to that people know or recognise as House of Fraser - this is someone who deals very much in the discount market.\"" } ], "id": "9088_3", "question": "What does it mean for stores and shoppers?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5693, "answer_start": 4718, "text": "House of Fraser has two main types of relationships with its suppliers: wholesalers, who get paid whether or not their stock is sold, or concession holders, who are paid after their items are sold. Nigel Lugg, group executive chairman of Prominent Europe, which supplies Chester Barrie menswear to House of Fraser, said it was \"good news\" that the business had been saved. But, he said, suppliers would have hoped the business would avoid administration, so they could be paid in full. \"I can't see the suppliers getting a lot of money out of the system,\" Mr Lugg told the BBC, adding suppliers often received 2p to 3p in the pound in cases of administration. His business would be fine but, he said, \"it could impact into other UK suppliers\". \"There is a lot of money trapped in the system,\" Mr Lugg said. Mr Ashley referred to some suppliers when he announced the deal. He said: \"It is vital that we restore the right level of ongoing relationships with the luxury brands.\"" } ], "id": "9088_4", "question": "What does it mean for suppliers?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Sudan's ruling military council and main opposition coalition have agreed on a constitutional declaration which will pave the way for a new period of transitional government. African Union mediator Mohamed Hassan Lebatt made the announcement early on Saturday, without giving any details. Sudan has been in turmoil since the military ousted President Omar al-Bashir in April. Protracted talks over the declaration have been held amid much violence. The long-awaited declaration deal triggered celebrations in Sudan, which has been plunged into months of crisis. Both sides signed a power-sharing accord in July, but demonstrators have been waiting since then for more details about the agreement. Protests first broke out in December after Mr Bashir's government imposed emergency austerity measures. He was then overthrown by the military in April after prolonged protests outside the defence ministry in Khartoum. Demonstrators have since called for authority to be transferred to a civilian administration. The document outlines the terms of a three-year transitional period agreed last month by the military council and opposition leaders. The power-sharing deal envisages a governing body of six civilians and five generals. \"I am announcing to the Sudanese, African and international public opinion that the two delegations have fully agreed on the constitutional declaration,\" Mr Lebatt told reporters on Saturday. He said further meetings would be held to work out the technical details of the signing ceremony, but did not provide any information about the agreement itself. A draft of the declaration seen by Reuters news agency said the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been accused of killing protesters, will now fall under the general command of the armed forces, and the intelligence service will be co-supervised by the sovereign council and the cabinet. The deal on the declaration came after the military council announced that nine RSF soldiers had been dismissed and detained in connection with the killing of protesters, including four schoolchildren, this week. The deaths had prompted mass demonstrations across the country and caused delays in the talks. The military and protesters have reached several agreements, with each side fleshing out new details as they try to overcome suspicion and build a working relationship. They have so far agreed on the following: - Power-sharing will last for 39 months - A sovereign council, cabinet and legislative body will be formed - A general will head the council for the first 21 months, a civilian for the remaining 18 - A prime minister, nominated by the pro-democracy movement, will head the cabinet - The ministers of defence and interior will be chosen by the military. The long transition period is seen as a victory for the pro-democracy movement - the generals had threatened a snap election after the 3 June crackdown. Demonstrators argue that Mr Bashir's regime is so deeply entrenched that it will take time to dismantle its political network and open the way for free and fair elections.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2197, "answer_start": 1010, "text": "The document outlines the terms of a three-year transitional period agreed last month by the military council and opposition leaders. The power-sharing deal envisages a governing body of six civilians and five generals. \"I am announcing to the Sudanese, African and international public opinion that the two delegations have fully agreed on the constitutional declaration,\" Mr Lebatt told reporters on Saturday. He said further meetings would be held to work out the technical details of the signing ceremony, but did not provide any information about the agreement itself. A draft of the declaration seen by Reuters news agency said the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been accused of killing protesters, will now fall under the general command of the armed forces, and the intelligence service will be co-supervised by the sovereign council and the cabinet. The deal on the declaration came after the military council announced that nine RSF soldiers had been dismissed and detained in connection with the killing of protesters, including four schoolchildren, this week. The deaths had prompted mass demonstrations across the country and caused delays in the talks." } ], "id": "9089_0", "question": "What does the declaration say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3086, "answer_start": 2198, "text": "The military and protesters have reached several agreements, with each side fleshing out new details as they try to overcome suspicion and build a working relationship. They have so far agreed on the following: - Power-sharing will last for 39 months - A sovereign council, cabinet and legislative body will be formed - A general will head the council for the first 21 months, a civilian for the remaining 18 - A prime minister, nominated by the pro-democracy movement, will head the cabinet - The ministers of defence and interior will be chosen by the military. The long transition period is seen as a victory for the pro-democracy movement - the generals had threatened a snap election after the 3 June crackdown. Demonstrators argue that Mr Bashir's regime is so deeply entrenched that it will take time to dismantle its political network and open the way for free and fair elections." } ], "id": "9089_1", "question": "What do we know about the transition period?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Italian President Sergio Mattarella has asked an ex-IMF economist to form a government as the country faces fresh political turmoil. Carlo Cottarelli became known as \"Mr Scissors\" for his cuts to public spending in Italy. His appointment came after efforts by Italy's two populist parties to form a coalition government collapsed. But the move is a temporary measure and the PM-in-waiting says he will hold new elections by early next year. The prospect of elections as early as September hit European financial markets on Monday with analysts suggesting the move might simply delay a future populist government that wants to renegotiate key eurozone debt agreements. Italy, the EU's fourth-biggest economy, has been without a government since elections in March because no political group can form a majority. Two of the big winners from the vote - Five Star and the League - attempted to join forces but abandoned efforts after the president vetoed their choice of finance minister. Mr Mattarella said he could not appoint the Eurosceptic Paolo Savona to the post, citing concern from investors at home and abroad. The rare move by the president sparked fury from both parties, who say they will reject Mr Cottarelli's nomination in parliament. After the president blocked Mr Savona's appointment, Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio called on parliament to impeach the president. \"Why don't we just say that in this country it's pointless that we vote, as the ratings agencies, financial lobbies decide the governments?\" he asked in a video on Facebook. Mr Di Maio later called for peaceful protests and urged his supporters to unite and \"make some noise\". \"It is important that we do so all together,\" he said. He said walks and rallies would be organised in Italian cities, including an event in Rome on 2 June - a national holiday celebrating when the country became a republic in 1946. Meanwhile the League's chief Matteo Salvini also criticised the president's decision, calling for mass protests and accusing Brussels and Germany of meddling. Although the president's role is largely ceremonial, he enjoys powers such as appointing heads of government and the ability to dissolve parliament that have proven key with Italy seeing frequent political instability and numerous changes of government. After meeting the president, Mr Cottarelli said he would present a programme to parliament, including a budget, to take Italy into new elections \"at the beginning of 2019\". If he was unable to pass a programme, which appears likely at this stage, \"the government would resign immediately... until elections are held after the month of August\", he added. The BBC's James Reynolds in Rome says early elections are exactly what the two populist parties want, giving them a chance to rally support behind their claim that the Italian and the wider European establishments are getting in the way of the will of the people. A source from Five Star told Reuters the party could campaign with the League in a fresh vote.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1246, "answer_start": 668, "text": "Italy, the EU's fourth-biggest economy, has been without a government since elections in March because no political group can form a majority. Two of the big winners from the vote - Five Star and the League - attempted to join forces but abandoned efforts after the president vetoed their choice of finance minister. Mr Mattarella said he could not appoint the Eurosceptic Paolo Savona to the post, citing concern from investors at home and abroad. The rare move by the president sparked fury from both parties, who say they will reject Mr Cottarelli's nomination in parliament." } ], "id": "9090_0", "question": "How did we get here?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2300, "answer_start": 1247, "text": "After the president blocked Mr Savona's appointment, Five Star leader Luigi Di Maio called on parliament to impeach the president. \"Why don't we just say that in this country it's pointless that we vote, as the ratings agencies, financial lobbies decide the governments?\" he asked in a video on Facebook. Mr Di Maio later called for peaceful protests and urged his supporters to unite and \"make some noise\". \"It is important that we do so all together,\" he said. He said walks and rallies would be organised in Italian cities, including an event in Rome on 2 June - a national holiday celebrating when the country became a republic in 1946. Meanwhile the League's chief Matteo Salvini also criticised the president's decision, calling for mass protests and accusing Brussels and Germany of meddling. Although the president's role is largely ceremonial, he enjoys powers such as appointing heads of government and the ability to dissolve parliament that have proven key with Italy seeing frequent political instability and numerous changes of government." } ], "id": "9090_1", "question": "How do the populists see it?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3013, "answer_start": 2301, "text": "After meeting the president, Mr Cottarelli said he would present a programme to parliament, including a budget, to take Italy into new elections \"at the beginning of 2019\". If he was unable to pass a programme, which appears likely at this stage, \"the government would resign immediately... until elections are held after the month of August\", he added. The BBC's James Reynolds in Rome says early elections are exactly what the two populist parties want, giving them a chance to rally support behind their claim that the Italian and the wider European establishments are getting in the way of the will of the people. A source from Five Star told Reuters the party could campaign with the League in a fresh vote." } ], "id": "9090_2", "question": "So what comes next?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Amidst the growing revulsion at the bombardment of Aleppo by Syrian and Russian warplanes and with the number of civilian deaths rising, there is a clamour for something to be done. Would it not be a good thing, many wonder, to take decisive action to try to end the carnage? US Secretary of State John Kerry tried diplomatic means. He wanted to ground Syrian and Russian warplanes by agreement or at least restrict Russian operations to those against so-called Islamic State (IS), and other extremist groups linked to al-Qaeda. His efforts of course failed and the offensive against Aleppo was re-doubled in intensity. If the US wants to change the military dynamics there are really only two broad ways of doing this. Either it has to intervene directly itself - and there is little appetite for that. Or it has to bolster its efforts to train, advise and equip friendly forces on the ground. It has to step up what it is already doing; an approach that has proved problematic. The US has struggled to find so-called moderate allies in Syria who have any capacity to make a difference on the battlefield. Those that are capable - like the Kurds - bring additional problems due to their own regional ambitions. Providing better weaponry to opposition groups is another option - man-portable surface to air missiles would clearly alter at least the Syrian Air Force's calculations - but these weapons could easily leak to extremist groups - the sort of \"blow-back\" that resulted from the initial arming of the Taliban in Afghanistan to fight the Russians. Russian pilots could simply change their tactics to reduce any exposure to such weapons. Remember too that despite its antipathy towards the Assad regime, Washington's main focus in the region is the battle against IS. So what about intervening directly? One frequently touted idea is the imposition of a \"no-fly zone\" that would be monitored and patrolled by US and allied warplanes. In pure logistical terms this would require tens of thousands of personnel and a variety of aircraft from air superiority fighters; to more tankers and more AWACS radar and control aircraft. Without significant additional resources it would be a serious distraction from the on-going campaign against IS and Mosul in particular. But while a no-fly zone sounds attractive as a proposition it has huge problems. Those advocating such a zone should be under no illusions. Last month in a Congressional hearing, General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, was asked what he thought about the imposition of a no-fly zone to halt the barrel-bombing in Aleppo. His response was clear. \"Right now\", said the highest ranking US serving officer, \"for us to control all of the air space in Syria would require us to go to war against Syria and Russia; that's a pretty fundamental decision...\" Russia effectively controls Syrian air space, having deployed highly capable S-400 air defence missiles and radars at its Syrian base. It has now brought in S-300 missiles, which have an additional capability against other missiles. And Russian warships in the Mediterranean could add to the air defence shield. Enforcing a no-fly zone would require a willingness to down Russian and Syrian aircraft in a highly contested environment. Typically any US operation to institute such a zone would require enemy air defences to be destroyed at the outset. A US strike against Russian SAMs (surface to air missiles) is surely unthinkable. Perhaps, though, tough action could call Russia's bluff? Russia did not respond in kind when Turkey shot down one of its planes over northern Syria. But the Turks were defending their own air space, not enforcing a no-fly zone over Syria. And the Russians are in a strong position. Their air defences are in place and additional combat jets could be moved to Syria at short notice. Russian spokesmen have warned the Americans off - making it clear that any attack even on Syrian government forces by the Americans will be viewed as an attack on Russia. So if a no-fly zone is so risky, are there any other options? One, frequently discussed in Ankara, is the imposition of some kind of \"safe zone\" in Syria within which refugees could be protected. This may be easier to achieve. Turkish troops already occupy a zone inside Syria along their own border. This clearly has air cover from Turkish warplanes and, vitally, Turkish troops on the ground. Perhaps this could be an embryonic safe zone though this option too is not without problems and this particular zone would do nothing for Aleppo. No-fly zones, by the way, are no panacea in themselves to end the bloodshed. US warplanes enforcing such a zone over Iraq had to watch as Saddam Hussein's ground forces intensified their attacks on his opponents. Artillery, mortar and tank fire can be just as damaging as bombing. As ever in Syria, there are no easy options for the West. The Democratic contender Hillary Clinton has in the past backed the idea of no-fly zones. But with Russia firmly engaged alongside the Assad regime, any kind of direct US intervention would raise the stakes to a dramatic level.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2269, "answer_start": 980, "text": "The US has struggled to find so-called moderate allies in Syria who have any capacity to make a difference on the battlefield. Those that are capable - like the Kurds - bring additional problems due to their own regional ambitions. Providing better weaponry to opposition groups is another option - man-portable surface to air missiles would clearly alter at least the Syrian Air Force's calculations - but these weapons could easily leak to extremist groups - the sort of \"blow-back\" that resulted from the initial arming of the Taliban in Afghanistan to fight the Russians. Russian pilots could simply change their tactics to reduce any exposure to such weapons. Remember too that despite its antipathy towards the Assad regime, Washington's main focus in the region is the battle against IS. So what about intervening directly? One frequently touted idea is the imposition of a \"no-fly zone\" that would be monitored and patrolled by US and allied warplanes. In pure logistical terms this would require tens of thousands of personnel and a variety of aircraft from air superiority fighters; to more tankers and more AWACS radar and control aircraft. Without significant additional resources it would be a serious distraction from the on-going campaign against IS and Mosul in particular." } ], "id": "9091_0", "question": "Direct intervention?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states have given Qatar an extra two days to accept a list of demands or face further sanctions. They accuse Qatar of destabilising the region by supporting extremism and terrorism - which it denies. They also want Qatar to shut the Al Jazeera TV network, close a Turkish military base and scale down Iran ties. Qatar has responded formally but no details have been released. It has said the demands break international law. The initial deadline for Qatar to agree to the group's 13 demands expired on Sunday. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman al-Thani was in Kuwait on Monday to hand over a formal response in the form of a letter from the emir of Qatar to the emir of Kuwait, the main mediator in the Gulf crisis. In a statement released shortly beforehand, lawyers for Qatar denounced the demands and called for international condemnation. They said the tactics were \"reminiscent of the extreme and punitive conduct of 'bully' states that have historically resulted in war. \"The world must unite immediately to halt the singling out of Qatar for unjustified collective punishment and humiliation and to preserve peace, security and prosperity in the region.\" Qatar has been under unprecedented diplomatic and economic sanctions for weeks from Saudi Arabia and its allies, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain. The four countries, whose foreign ministers will meet on Wednesday to discuss the situation, have accused Qatar of harbouring Islamist groups that they consider terrorist organisations - including the Muslim Brotherhood - and giving them a platform on the Al Jazeera satellite channel, which is funded by the Qatari state. Doha denies the accusations. The imposed restrictions have caused turmoil in Qatar, an oil- and gas-rich nation dependent on imports to meet the basic needs of its population of 2.7 million. As a result, Iran and Turkey have been increasingly supplying it with food and other goods. UAE officials have told the BBC that after the new deadline expires on Tuesday, the offer for Qatar to return to the Arab fold will be off the table, the economic and political sanctions on it will become permanent and Qatar will be ostracised by its closest Arab neighbours. The situation is the worst political crisis among Gulf countries in decades. According to the Associated Press news agency, which obtained a copy of the list, Qatar must also: - Sever all ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been banned in several Arab states - Refuse to naturalise citizens from the four countries and expel those currently on its territory, in what the countries describe as an effort to keep Qatar from meddling in their internal affairs - Hand over all individuals who are wanted by the four countries for terrorism - Stop funding any extremist entities that are designated as terrorist groups by the US - Provide detailed information about opposition figures whom Qatar has funded, ostensibly in Saudi Arabia and the other nations - Align itself politically, economically and otherwise with the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) - Stop funding other news outlets in addition to Al Jazeera, including Arabi21 and Middle East Eye - Pay an unspecified sum in compensation An unnamed official from one of the four countries told Reuters news agency that Qatar was also being asked to sever links with so-called Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah. The demands have not been officially unveiled. Their publication has increased the friction between the two sides. - 5 June: A number of Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of destabilising the region. Measures include closing airspace to Qatar Airways - 8 June: Qatar vows it will \"not surrender\" the independence of its foreign policy amid US calls for Gulf unity - 23 June: Qatar is given 10 days to comply with a 13-point list of demands, including shutting down the Al Jazeera news network, closing a Turkish military base, cutting ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, and curbing diplomatic relations with Iran - 1 July: Qatar's foreign minister says the state has rejected the demands, but is ready to engage in dialogue under the right conditions - 3 July: Saudi Arabia and its allies extend by 48 hours the deadline for Qatar to accept their list of demands", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3581, "answer_start": 2342, "text": "According to the Associated Press news agency, which obtained a copy of the list, Qatar must also: - Sever all ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been banned in several Arab states - Refuse to naturalise citizens from the four countries and expel those currently on its territory, in what the countries describe as an effort to keep Qatar from meddling in their internal affairs - Hand over all individuals who are wanted by the four countries for terrorism - Stop funding any extremist entities that are designated as terrorist groups by the US - Provide detailed information about opposition figures whom Qatar has funded, ostensibly in Saudi Arabia and the other nations - Align itself politically, economically and otherwise with the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) - Stop funding other news outlets in addition to Al Jazeera, including Arabi21 and Middle East Eye - Pay an unspecified sum in compensation An unnamed official from one of the four countries told Reuters news agency that Qatar was also being asked to sever links with so-called Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah. The demands have not been officially unveiled. Their publication has increased the friction between the two sides." } ], "id": "9092_0", "question": "What are the other demands?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "There has been an outcry in Germany after a far-right protester who targeted a German TV crew was exposed as an off-duty police employee. The demonstrator in Dresden had demanded the crew stop filming him, and summoned police who then held the journalists for 45 minutes. The far right was protesting against a visit by Chancellor Angela Merkel. Germany's justice minister said revelations that the man had a job with the police were \"alarming\". Katarina Barley said authorities in the eastern state of Saxony had to investigate urgently what happened, and said press freedom was a vital asset for German society. When Mrs Merkel visited the eastern city on 16 August, a crowd of supporters of the far-right AfD party and the anti-Islam Pegida movement turned out, chanting \"Merkel must go\", \"traitors\" and \"lying press\". Lying press (lugenpresse in German) is a far-right slogan that dates back to the Nazis. At one point a man, wearing a bucket hat in the colours of the German flag, approached a TV crew from public broadcaster ZDF and accused them of breaking the law: \"Stop filming me - you're pointing the camera straight at me, you're committing a crime.\" Filming of protests is allowed under German law. The protester then brought the police to the scene and the crew was held for around 45 minutes while their press cards were checked and the man's complaint against them was registered. The police action prompted accusations of interference in the freedom of the press: allegations that were denied by the state of Saxony's centre-right Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer. Police had been the only people acting seriously on the ZDF video, he argued. It then emerged late on Wednesday in a statement that the man in the hat was an employee with Saxony's criminal police agency. He was not on duty, was taking part in the protest in a private capacity, and was currently on leave, said the state's interior ministry in a statement. A Dresden police spokesman said on German TV on Wednesday night that its workers came from a cross-section of society, so it was quite possible that the force employed Pegida sympathisers. However, a senior politician in the liberal FDP party said working for the government was incompatible with taking part in a far-right protest. Wolfgang Kubicki told Focus Online that the man should lose his job. More broadly, the ZDF reporter who put the video on social media, Arndt Ginzel, accused police of acting as Pegida's \"executive\" by preventing the work of his TV crew. He also wanted to know whether the police employee had gone on leave before or after the video of his rant had been published. ZDF has condemned the actions of police as a clear restriction of reporting freedom.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1941, "answer_start": 614, "text": "When Mrs Merkel visited the eastern city on 16 August, a crowd of supporters of the far-right AfD party and the anti-Islam Pegida movement turned out, chanting \"Merkel must go\", \"traitors\" and \"lying press\". Lying press (lugenpresse in German) is a far-right slogan that dates back to the Nazis. At one point a man, wearing a bucket hat in the colours of the German flag, approached a TV crew from public broadcaster ZDF and accused them of breaking the law: \"Stop filming me - you're pointing the camera straight at me, you're committing a crime.\" Filming of protests is allowed under German law. The protester then brought the police to the scene and the crew was held for around 45 minutes while their press cards were checked and the man's complaint against them was registered. The police action prompted accusations of interference in the freedom of the press: allegations that were denied by the state of Saxony's centre-right Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer. Police had been the only people acting seriously on the ZDF video, he argued. It then emerged late on Wednesday in a statement that the man in the hat was an employee with Saxony's criminal police agency. He was not on duty, was taking part in the protest in a private capacity, and was currently on leave, said the state's interior ministry in a statement." } ], "id": "9093_0", "question": "What happened in Dresden?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2723, "answer_start": 1942, "text": "A Dresden police spokesman said on German TV on Wednesday night that its workers came from a cross-section of society, so it was quite possible that the force employed Pegida sympathisers. However, a senior politician in the liberal FDP party said working for the government was incompatible with taking part in a far-right protest. Wolfgang Kubicki told Focus Online that the man should lose his job. More broadly, the ZDF reporter who put the video on social media, Arndt Ginzel, accused police of acting as Pegida's \"executive\" by preventing the work of his TV crew. He also wanted to know whether the police employee had gone on leave before or after the video of his rant had been published. ZDF has condemned the actions of police as a clear restriction of reporting freedom." } ], "id": "9093_1", "question": "What will happen to the policeman?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "\"It's a long flight,\" one of my fellow lobby journalists asked, \"will you spend any time working up a Plan B in case the vote falls?\" \"Nice try,\" the prime minister answered. And however many ways the question was put to Theresa May during a 20 minute press huddle on board the government's Voyager plane, she was resolutely and determinedly not going to let much slip. What will she do if she can't get her vote through? Is there a plan B? Could there be a Norway-style relationship with the EU? Could there be another referendum? Westminster's awash with speculation and gossip about what might happen next if her Brexit compromise is killed off by her colleagues. It's not surprising. Unless she pulls off a political miracle her plan is on track to, at least at the first time of asking, be rejected by the Commons. That would be the central policy of a minority government being chucked out - an event that even in this strange times, might be the end of her leadership and the end of the government. Of course the defeat might not happen. If it does, the scale of it will be hugely important. If it's only by a few votes, perhaps she would try again. If it was by a thumping 100, I'm not sure she would be able to. That raises the prospect of another last-ditch effort to crank something else out of Brussels, even a new prime minister, or a general election. You can forgive Westminster then perhaps for indulging in rather a lot of speculation - it's not idle gossip, but the hunt for clues about what's next in these vital days. But all Mrs May would really give on the way to Buenos Aires was a slightly more emphatic plea to backbench MPs to think about their constituents, rather than themselves - an obvious, if veiled criticism of her Brexiteer backbenchers who think her plan leaves the UK too closely tied to the EU after Brexit. Goodness knows what she really thinks of them in private. Some of her allies have had pretty colourful words for them of late, many of which are too rude to write down in a respectable blog. But you can imagine the drift, the frustration, at the prime minister's proposal not being seen as \"pure enough\" as one senior politician described it, to pass. \"They'd have bitten our hands off in 2016 for this,\" they said. \"Now it seems nothing will ever be good enough.\" But instead the prime minister gave her familiar lines on why she could not support a customs union-style deal or another referendum, her already familiar mantras about why the deal she has negotiated is the right one. Talk to her confidants in Number 10 and they say her fears about chaos and disruption if the vote fails are genuine, insisting there is no theorising or strategising about what would happen next. One insider suggested at that moment \"Parliament would have their hands on the executive\", downplaying the idea of Number 10's ability to argue for a second vote. But if nothing comes along to change the dynamics, before too long discussions about what happens next may well be ones that the prime minister simply has to have. If she wants to avoid them she may need to find a new script, and fast.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3124, "answer_start": 2311, "text": "But instead the prime minister gave her familiar lines on why she could not support a customs union-style deal or another referendum, her already familiar mantras about why the deal she has negotiated is the right one. Talk to her confidants in Number 10 and they say her fears about chaos and disruption if the vote fails are genuine, insisting there is no theorising or strategising about what would happen next. One insider suggested at that moment \"Parliament would have their hands on the executive\", downplaying the idea of Number 10's ability to argue for a second vote. But if nothing comes along to change the dynamics, before too long discussions about what happens next may well be ones that the prime minister simply has to have. If she wants to avoid them she may need to find a new script, and fast." } ], "id": "9094_0", "question": "A new script?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Researchers have shown that cremated humans at Stonehenge were from the same region of Wales as the stones used in construction. The key question was to understand the geographic origin of the people buried at Stonehenge. The key innovation was finding that high temperatures of cremation can crystallise a skull, locking in the chemical signal of its origin. The findings have been published in the journal Scientific Reports. The first long-term residents of Stonehenge, along with the first stones, arrived about 5,000 years ago. While it is already known that the \"bluestones\" that were first used to build Stonehenge were transported from 150 miles (240 km) away in modern-day Pembrokeshire, almost nothing is known about the people involved. The scientists' work shows that both people and materials were moving between the regions and that, for some of these people, the move was permanent. When their lives ended, their cremated remains were placed under the ancient monument in what is now Wiltshire. Lead author Dr Christophe Snoeck compared the levels of different forms, or isotopes, of the element strontium against a national database to work out where the cremated individuals spent the last years of their lives. Strontium is present in many bedrocks. And different geographical areas have distinctive strontium signatures. So by matching the strontium \"fingerprints\" in human remains to the strontium profiles of different geographical regions, a person's place of origin can be roughly determined. Dr Snoeck, who is now an international expert in cremation following a PhD at the University of Oxford, said that \"about 40% of the cremated individuals did not spend their later lives on the Wessex chalk where their remains were found.\" While the news of Stonehenge has tended to focus on \"how\" and \"why\" it was built, the question of \"who\" built it is often forgotten. With this new method, the authors were able to be precise about where the cremated persons came from. Unfortunately, the cremation destroyed other chemical signals that might tell us who these people were, and their social rank. However, Dr Rick Schulting, senior author on the study, said: \"These must have been important people. Being buried at Stonehenge is the ancient equivalent of being interred in Westminster Abbey today.\" He said: \"The evidence suggests that some of the people buried at Stonehenge must have spent much of their last 10 or so years in Wales. Although we tend to think that immigration is a new thing, these people were obviously able to travel substantial distances across difficult terrain.\" Now that this new technique has been proven to work, the scientists would like to sample other cremated remains at the iconic Stonehenge site to see if the Welsh connection was transient or sustained over many years. The study will also open up research on many other cremated remains that have been found across the UK. They would also like to work out how the remains were cremated, and why cremation is sometimes preferred over burial. The lead scientist, Christophe, has already moved on. Since completing his PhD at Oxford, he has immigrated to Belgium, where he is coordinating a large project on migration and cremation in pre-historic Belgium. Follow Angus on Twitter", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1753, "answer_start": 533, "text": "While it is already known that the \"bluestones\" that were first used to build Stonehenge were transported from 150 miles (240 km) away in modern-day Pembrokeshire, almost nothing is known about the people involved. The scientists' work shows that both people and materials were moving between the regions and that, for some of these people, the move was permanent. When their lives ended, their cremated remains were placed under the ancient monument in what is now Wiltshire. Lead author Dr Christophe Snoeck compared the levels of different forms, or isotopes, of the element strontium against a national database to work out where the cremated individuals spent the last years of their lives. Strontium is present in many bedrocks. And different geographical areas have distinctive strontium signatures. So by matching the strontium \"fingerprints\" in human remains to the strontium profiles of different geographical regions, a person's place of origin can be roughly determined. Dr Snoeck, who is now an international expert in cremation following a PhD at the University of Oxford, said that \"about 40% of the cremated individuals did not spend their later lives on the Wessex chalk where their remains were found.\"" } ], "id": "9095_0", "question": "Why does it matter?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The government's childhood obesity plan has been attacked by health experts, campaigners, MPs and the boss of one of Britain's biggest supermarkets. The British Medical Association said the government had \"rowed back\" on promises, and the CEO of Sainsbury's said the plan did not go far enough. MP Sarah Wollaston said the plan showed \"the hand of big industry lobbyists\", but a minister said it was \"ambitious\". Measures include a voluntary target to cut sugar in children's food and drink. The plan asks the food and drink industry to cut 5% of the sugar in products popular with children over the next year. It says the ultimate target is a 20% sugar cut, with Public Health England monitoring voluntary progress over the next four years. The plan also calls on primary schools to deliver at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day and to help parents and carers ensure children get the same amount at home. What is the UK's most sugary drink? How much sugar is hiding in your food? School sports will also get more funds - boosted by a tax on sugary drinks to come into force in 2018. The childhood obesity strategy also says: - Public Health England (PHE) will set targets for sugar content per 100g, and calorie caps for certain products - PHE will report on whether the industry is reducing sugar content through the voluntary scheme - If insufficient progress is made, the government will consider \"whether alternative levers need to be used\" - A new voluntary \"healthy schools rating scheme\" will be taken into account during school inspections Much of the response to the government's childhood obesity plan has been critical. Even one of the big supermarket chains has suggested it does not go far enough. Mike Coupe, chief executive of Sainsbury's, says there should be a tougher regime including compulsory targets for sugar and mandatory traffic light labelling. The government plan involves a voluntary 20% sugar reduction scheme. Theresa May seems to have concluded that the sugar levy on soft drinks - announced in the Budget in March - was enough government intervention. Health organisations and campaigners are almost universally of the view there should have been wider action. Some, though, acknowledge that the package unveiled today, including a boost for school sport, is a step in the right direction, albeit a small one. More from Hugh's blog Dr Wollaston - who is chairwoman of the health select committee - said it was \"really disappointing\" that \"whole sections from the original draft have been dropped\", including measures on advertising junk food to children and on promotions such as two-for-one deals. She told BBC Radio 5 Live that these could have made a \"real difference really quickly\", and added: \"I'm afraid it does show the hand of big industry lobbyists and that's really disappointing.\" She welcomed measures on cutting sugar in foods and keeping the tax on sugary drinks, but said it would be some time before these took effect. Referring to Prime Minister Theresa May's pledge to tackle heath inequality, Dr Wollaston said the government should not make such promises then - as the \"first litmus test of that\" - put the \"interests of advertising marketers ahead of the interests of children\". Labour's Dianne Abbott tweeted: \"Theresa May has given in to food & drink industry at the expense of our children's health.\" But Jane Ellison, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said the plan was the \"most ambitious programme of reformulation that any developed country has taken\". Ms Ellison, who was formerly the public health minister involved in drawing up the strategy, said the government was acting on the \"best advice\" from public health experts. Asked about concerns the government had \"watered down\" the proposals to limit junk food advertising, she said the UK already had some of the \"toughest restrictions in the world\". A Department of Health spokeswoman added: \"The childhood obesity crisis has been decades in the making and it will take years to sort it. We will measure progress carefully and are not ruling out further action if results are not seen.\" Professor Parveen Kumar, chairwoman of the British Medical Association's board of science, said the government had \"rowed back on its promises by announcing what looks like a weak plan rather than the robust strategy it promised\". \"Although the government proposes targets for food companies to reduce the level of sugar in their products, the fact that these are voluntary and not backed up by regulation, renders them pointless,\" she said. TV chef and food campaigner Jamie Oliver said he was \"in shock\" at the \"disappointing\" plan. \"It contains a few nice ideas, but so much is missing,\" he wrote on Facebook. \"It was set to be one of the most important health initiatives of our time, but look at the words used - 'should, might, we encourage' - too much of it is voluntary, suggestive, where are the mandatory points?\" The Obesity Health Alliance - a coalition of 33 charities, medical royal colleges and campaign groups - said the plan fell \"disappointingly short of what is needed\", with some anticipated measures \"significantly watered down or removed entirely\". Sir Harpal Kumar, chief executive of the charity Cancer Research UK, said the measures were a \"missed opportunity\" in the fight against childhood obesity. Councillor Izzi Seccombe, of the Local Government Association, said it was \"disappointing\" that a number of measures that it had called for - such as giving councils the power to ban junk food adverts near schools - had not been included. Mike Coupe, chief executive of Sainsbury's, said the plan was a \"welcome first step\". But he said: \"We need a holistic approach to tackle childhood obesity, including compulsory measured targets across all nutrients - not just sugar - and mandatory traffic light labelling across all food and drink products, regardless of whether they are consumed inside or outside the home.\" Ian Wright, of the Food and Drink Federation, said: \"Soft drink companies are already making great progress to reduce sugars from their products, having achieved a 16% reduction between 2012 and 2016. \"Indeed, many individual manufacturers have a proud track record of reformulation to remove salt, fat and sugar from food and drinks and this work will continue.\" He said the target to reduce sugar was \"flawed\" because it focused on \"the role of this single nutrient, when obesity is caused by excess calories from any nutrient\". Gavin Partington, of the British Soft Drinks Association, said his industry had been \"singled out\" by the \"punitive\" tax on sugary drinks. He called for more \"holistic\" policy on obesity which did not \"pick on one category\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4115, "answer_start": 2374, "text": "Dr Wollaston - who is chairwoman of the health select committee - said it was \"really disappointing\" that \"whole sections from the original draft have been dropped\", including measures on advertising junk food to children and on promotions such as two-for-one deals. She told BBC Radio 5 Live that these could have made a \"real difference really quickly\", and added: \"I'm afraid it does show the hand of big industry lobbyists and that's really disappointing.\" She welcomed measures on cutting sugar in foods and keeping the tax on sugary drinks, but said it would be some time before these took effect. Referring to Prime Minister Theresa May's pledge to tackle heath inequality, Dr Wollaston said the government should not make such promises then - as the \"first litmus test of that\" - put the \"interests of advertising marketers ahead of the interests of children\". Labour's Dianne Abbott tweeted: \"Theresa May has given in to food & drink industry at the expense of our children's health.\" But Jane Ellison, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, said the plan was the \"most ambitious programme of reformulation that any developed country has taken\". Ms Ellison, who was formerly the public health minister involved in drawing up the strategy, said the government was acting on the \"best advice\" from public health experts. Asked about concerns the government had \"watered down\" the proposals to limit junk food advertising, she said the UK already had some of the \"toughest restrictions in the world\". A Department of Health spokeswoman added: \"The childhood obesity crisis has been decades in the making and it will take years to sort it. We will measure progress carefully and are not ruling out further action if results are not seen.\"" } ], "id": "9096_0", "question": "Has the strategy been 'watered down'?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5580, "answer_start": 4116, "text": "Professor Parveen Kumar, chairwoman of the British Medical Association's board of science, said the government had \"rowed back on its promises by announcing what looks like a weak plan rather than the robust strategy it promised\". \"Although the government proposes targets for food companies to reduce the level of sugar in their products, the fact that these are voluntary and not backed up by regulation, renders them pointless,\" she said. TV chef and food campaigner Jamie Oliver said he was \"in shock\" at the \"disappointing\" plan. \"It contains a few nice ideas, but so much is missing,\" he wrote on Facebook. \"It was set to be one of the most important health initiatives of our time, but look at the words used - 'should, might, we encourage' - too much of it is voluntary, suggestive, where are the mandatory points?\" The Obesity Health Alliance - a coalition of 33 charities, medical royal colleges and campaign groups - said the plan fell \"disappointingly short of what is needed\", with some anticipated measures \"significantly watered down or removed entirely\". Sir Harpal Kumar, chief executive of the charity Cancer Research UK, said the measures were a \"missed opportunity\" in the fight against childhood obesity. Councillor Izzi Seccombe, of the Local Government Association, said it was \"disappointing\" that a number of measures that it had called for - such as giving councils the power to ban junk food adverts near schools - had not been included." } ], "id": "9096_1", "question": "How have experts and campaigners reacted?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6714, "answer_start": 5581, "text": "Mike Coupe, chief executive of Sainsbury's, said the plan was a \"welcome first step\". But he said: \"We need a holistic approach to tackle childhood obesity, including compulsory measured targets across all nutrients - not just sugar - and mandatory traffic light labelling across all food and drink products, regardless of whether they are consumed inside or outside the home.\" Ian Wright, of the Food and Drink Federation, said: \"Soft drink companies are already making great progress to reduce sugars from their products, having achieved a 16% reduction between 2012 and 2016. \"Indeed, many individual manufacturers have a proud track record of reformulation to remove salt, fat and sugar from food and drinks and this work will continue.\" He said the target to reduce sugar was \"flawed\" because it focused on \"the role of this single nutrient, when obesity is caused by excess calories from any nutrient\". Gavin Partington, of the British Soft Drinks Association, said his industry had been \"singled out\" by the \"punitive\" tax on sugary drinks. He called for more \"holistic\" policy on obesity which did not \"pick on one category\"." } ], "id": "9096_2", "question": "What do industry figures say?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The disputed holy site of Ayodhya in northern India should be given to Hindus who want a temple built there, the country's Supreme Court has ruled. The case, which has been bitterly contested for decades by Hindus and Muslims, centres on the ownership of the land in Uttar Pradesh state. Muslims would get another plot of land to construct a mosque, the court said. Many Hindus believe the site is the birthplace of one of their most revered deities, Lord Ram. Muslims say they have worshipped there for generations. At the centre of the row is the 16th Century Babri mosque which was demolished by Hindu mobs in 1992, sparking riots that killed nearly 2,000 people. In the unanimous verdict, the court said that a report by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) provided evidence that the remains of a building \"that was not Islamic\" was beneath the structure of the demolished Babri mosque. The court said that, given all the evidence presented, it had determined that the disputed land should be given to Hindus for a temple to Lord Ram, while Muslims would be given land elsewhere to construct a mosque. It then directed the federal government to set up a trust to manage and oversee the construction of the temple. However, the court added that the demolition of the Babri mosque was against the rule of law. Despite warnings by authorities not to celebrate the verdict, BBC correspondents in court say they heard chants of \"Jai Shree Ram\" (Hail Lord Ram) outside as the judgement was pronounced. \"It's a very balanced judgement and it is a victory for people of India,\" a lawyer for one of the Hindu parties told reporters soon after. Initially, a representative for the Muslim litigants said they were not satisfied and would decide whether to ask for a review after they had read the whole judgement. However, the main group of litigants has now said that it will not appeal against the verdict. Outside the court, the situation has been largely calm. Hundreds of people were detained in Ayodhya on Friday ahead of the verdict, amid fears of violence. Thousands of police officers have also been deployed in the city, while shops and colleges have been shut until Monday. The government issued an order banning the publication of images of the destruction of the Babri mosque. Social media platforms are being monitored for inflammatory content, with police even replying to tweets and asking users to delete them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to the verdict on Twitter and said that it should not be seen as a \"win or loss for anybody\". What was arguably one of the world's most contentious property dispute has finally come to an end. The dispute over the plot has polarised, frustrated and exhausted India. The reason is that this is not a humdrum civil matter. It was touched by faith (Hindus believe the plot was the birthplace of Lord Ram, a revered deity) violence (the demolition of the mosque in 1992) and subterfuge (idols of Lord Ram were placed in the mosque surreptitiously in 1949). Saturday's unanimous judgement by the five most senior judges of the court will hopefully lead to some reconciliation that the country badly needs. The verdict showed \"judicial craftsmanship and statesmanship where the letter of the law was adhered to, but the relief was moulded, taking into account the ground realities,\" lawyer Sanjay Hegde told me. The judges appear to have gone by the evidence laid before it. \"They have applied a plaster. Let's not reopen the wounds,\" Mr Hegde added. Will the verdict lead to a closure of past animosities and help close India's deepening religious fissures? Only time will tell. For the moment, India's main communities need to avoid triumphalism - because eventually there are no victors and vanquished, in what is essentially a contestation of faith. Many Hindus believe the Babri Masjid was actually constructed on the ruins of a Hindu temple that was demolished by Muslim invaders in the 16th Century. Muslims say they offered prayers at the mosque until December 1949 when some Hindus placed an idol of Ram in the mosque and began to worship the idols. The two religious groups have gone to court many times over who should control the site. Since then, there have been calls to build a temple on the spot where the mosque once stood. Hinduism is India's majority religion and is thought to be more than 4,000 years old. India's first Islamic dynasty was established in the early 13th Century. Ever since the Narendra Modi-led Hindu nationalist BJP first came to power in 2014, India has seen deepening social and religious divisions. The call for the construction of a Hindu temple in Ayodhya has grown particularly loud, and has mostly come from MPs, ministers and leaders from the BJP since it took office. Restrictions on the sale and slaughter of cows - considered a holy animal by the majority Hindus - have led to vigilante killings of a number of people, most of them Muslims who were transporting cattle. An uninhibited display of muscular Hindu nationalism in other areas has also contributed to religious tension. Most recently, the country's home minister Amit Shah said he would remove \"illegal migrants\" - understood to be Muslim - from the country through a government scheme that was used recently in the north-eastern state of Assam.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1316, "answer_start": 667, "text": "In the unanimous verdict, the court said that a report by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) provided evidence that the remains of a building \"that was not Islamic\" was beneath the structure of the demolished Babri mosque. The court said that, given all the evidence presented, it had determined that the disputed land should be given to Hindus for a temple to Lord Ram, while Muslims would be given land elsewhere to construct a mosque. It then directed the federal government to set up a trust to manage and oversee the construction of the temple. However, the court added that the demolition of the Babri mosque was against the rule of law." } ], "id": "9097_0", "question": "What did the court say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2556, "answer_start": 1317, "text": "Despite warnings by authorities not to celebrate the verdict, BBC correspondents in court say they heard chants of \"Jai Shree Ram\" (Hail Lord Ram) outside as the judgement was pronounced. \"It's a very balanced judgement and it is a victory for people of India,\" a lawyer for one of the Hindu parties told reporters soon after. Initially, a representative for the Muslim litigants said they were not satisfied and would decide whether to ask for a review after they had read the whole judgement. However, the main group of litigants has now said that it will not appeal against the verdict. Outside the court, the situation has been largely calm. Hundreds of people were detained in Ayodhya on Friday ahead of the verdict, amid fears of violence. Thousands of police officers have also been deployed in the city, while shops and colleges have been shut until Monday. The government issued an order banning the publication of images of the destruction of the Babri mosque. Social media platforms are being monitored for inflammatory content, with police even replying to tweets and asking users to delete them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to the verdict on Twitter and said that it should not be seen as a \"win or loss for anybody\"." } ], "id": "9097_1", "question": "What has the reaction to the verdict been?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4456, "answer_start": 3811, "text": "Many Hindus believe the Babri Masjid was actually constructed on the ruins of a Hindu temple that was demolished by Muslim invaders in the 16th Century. Muslims say they offered prayers at the mosque until December 1949 when some Hindus placed an idol of Ram in the mosque and began to worship the idols. The two religious groups have gone to court many times over who should control the site. Since then, there have been calls to build a temple on the spot where the mosque once stood. Hinduism is India's majority religion and is thought to be more than 4,000 years old. India's first Islamic dynasty was established in the early 13th Century." } ], "id": "9097_2", "question": "What is the row actually about?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5313, "answer_start": 4457, "text": "Ever since the Narendra Modi-led Hindu nationalist BJP first came to power in 2014, India has seen deepening social and religious divisions. The call for the construction of a Hindu temple in Ayodhya has grown particularly loud, and has mostly come from MPs, ministers and leaders from the BJP since it took office. Restrictions on the sale and slaughter of cows - considered a holy animal by the majority Hindus - have led to vigilante killings of a number of people, most of them Muslims who were transporting cattle. An uninhibited display of muscular Hindu nationalism in other areas has also contributed to religious tension. Most recently, the country's home minister Amit Shah said he would remove \"illegal migrants\" - understood to be Muslim - from the country through a government scheme that was used recently in the north-eastern state of Assam." } ], "id": "9097_3", "question": "Have religious tensions eased in India in recent years?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "In our series of letters from African writers, Ghanaian journalist and former government minister Elizabeth Ohene explains the politics - and grammar - behind a new public holiday. I don't know if schoolchildren are still given lines to write as punishment for doing something wrong. If such punishments are still given, then teachers in Ghana surely have their work cut out for them now. I can foresee pupils across the country being instructed to write the line \"I SHALL TAKE PUNCTUATION SERIOUSLY\" many times over. That's because even if we didn't know it before, we now know that the placing of an apostrophe can make a lot of difference. Ghana has got a new public holiday - on 4 August. Since the holiday this year happened to fall on a Sunday, it was celebrated on the following day. This new holiday in our national calendar has been achieved simply by the power of an apostrophe. Some people think we already have far too many public holidays. Then there are those who believe such holidays have nothing to do with productivity - they point to other countries who enjoy more public holidays and are yet are more productive than us. But the fear or joy of having a new holiday is not the bone of contention right now. Rather, it's about our nation's origins. The government has formally declared 4 August a public holiday to commemorate Founders' Day - a celebration of those who founded the state of Ghana. The concept of a Founder's Day (note the placement of the apostrophe) had been introduced by the government of late President John Evans Atta Mills. He declared our first president, Kwame Nkrumah, the founder of Ghana and designated his birthday - 21 September - as Founder's Day. But an argument has ensued over whether we had one single founder, namely Nkrumah, or founders in the plural - being the group of people who started and led the fight for independence. You may also be interested in: President Atta Mills and his political supporters felt strongly that Nkrumah was the unchallenged, unquestioned founder of Ghana. It was Nkrumah who led us to independence and defined our identity, our ideology and our place in the world - they reasoned - and so would not hear of him sharing the honour of founder with anybody else. So, they instituted Founder's Day in 2009 when Mr Atta Mills became president. However there is the other political view in the country. This comes from a contingent that feels equally strongly that the state of Ghana was not founded by one person, but by a group of people, and so the honour should not be given to Nkrumah alone. This group argues that other people had engaged in the struggle for independence before Nkrumah came along, and that they were in fact the ones who invited Nkrumah to leave his life in Britain to join the collective fight. Nkrumah later broke away from that group in 1948 to form his own party, the Convention People's Party (CPP), which then led Ghana to independence. But that should not make him the sole founder, the thinking of this wing goes. But these arguments for plural founders did not find favour, and 21 September - Nkrumah's birthday - was duly introduced as Founder's Day and has been celebrated for the past decade. In 2017, the other wing of politics came into office, and earlier this year, the 21 September public holiday was re-named Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, and 4 August was declared Founders' Day. Plural. The date is significant for two reasons. Firstly, it was on 4 August 1897 that the Aborigines' Rights Protection Society (ARPS) was formed. It had successfully fought off a proposed law, the 1897 Crown Lands Bill, which sought to expropriate all our lands for the benefit of the British Crown. ARPS mobilised the chiefs and the public at large in the then Gold Coast, as Ghana was called under colonial rule, to agitate against the legislation. The pressure group even sent a delegation to the UK to protest against the bill. Consequently, the colonial power withdrew it, and the ownership of our lands was never an issue again during the colonial period. Many see this as the critical fight that saved our country from the type of land ownership problems that bedevilled British colonies in eastern and southern Africa. The other reason why 4 August is significant is that it was on that date in 1947, 50 years on from the founding of the ARPS, that Ghana's first political party made its public debut. Called the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), it was from this party that Nkrumah broke away to form the socialist CPP. The rest, as the saying goes, is history: Nkrumah was overthrown in a military coup in 1966, long periods of military rule were punctuated by the short-lived Second and Third Republics. Constitutional rule was re-established in 1993. It was the third head of state under the Fourth Republic, President Atta Mills, who wanted to celebrate Nkrumah as Ghana's founder. His party lost the 2016 election and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo wanted to celebrate a collection of founders. Simply by moving the apostrophe from before the \"s\" to after the \"s\", we've moved from Founder's Day - one person - to Founders' Day - a collective. I used to be rather sloppy with punctuation. Now I know better. An apostrophe is all it takes to win this particular political battle. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1881, "answer_start": 1267, "text": "The government has formally declared 4 August a public holiday to commemorate Founders' Day - a celebration of those who founded the state of Ghana. The concept of a Founder's Day (note the placement of the apostrophe) had been introduced by the government of late President John Evans Atta Mills. He declared our first president, Kwame Nkrumah, the founder of Ghana and designated his birthday - 21 September - as Founder's Day. But an argument has ensued over whether we had one single founder, namely Nkrumah, or founders in the plural - being the group of people who started and led the fight for independence." } ], "id": "9098_0", "question": "Founder or founders?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Comedian Samantha Bee has apologised after insulting Ivanka Trump with an obscene phrase on her television show. Bee was lambasting the White House adviser and US first daughter over the immigration policy of her father President Donald Trump. Conservatives demanded Bee be fired like Roseanne Barr, whose sitcom was cancelled this week after she posted a racist tweet. Bee acknowledged on Thursday she had \"crossed a line\" with her language. On her political commentary show Full Frontal, Bee attacked the president's daughter over a long-standing US policy of separating undocumented immigrant children from their families. Presenting Obama-era photos of such young people sleeping in cages, Bee said: \"Tearing children away from their parents is so evil, it's the inciting incident in almost every movie we've ever cared about.\" She said Ms Trump had been \"oblivious\" recently to post an Instagram photo of herself hugging her child. \"You know, Ivanka, that's a beautiful photo of you and your child, but let me just say, one mother to another, do something about your dad's immigration practices,\" Bee said. She then called Ms Trump a \"feckless [expletive]\", employing an offensive term for part of the female anatomy. Bee urged the first daughter to confront her father about the policy. \"He listens to you,\" she said. \"Put on something tight and low-cut and tell your father to [expletive] stop it. Tell him it was an Obama thing and see how it goes, OK?\" The immigration issue has risen to the fore recently since it was reported that US authorities had been unable to contact almost 1,500 unaccompanied children placed in the care of sponsors. The Trump administration has also been criticised for its policy of separating children from parents who cross the US-Mexico border illegally. The hashtag #Wherearethechildren has been used hundreds of thousands of times on Twitter. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders called Bee's language \"vile and vicious\". \"Her disgusting comments and show are not fit for broadcast,\" she added, demanding the cable network apologise. TBS, which airs Full Frontal, duly obliged by agreeing that Bee's language was \"vile and inappropriate\". \"Those words should not have been aired. It was our mistake too, and we regret it,\" said the network's statement. Shortly beforehand, car retail website Autotrader.com announced it was pulling its ads from the show. Bee's outburst comes amid a public debate over incendiary language by TV personalities. ABC cancelled the sitcom Roseanne this week after its star likened an African-American former aide to President Barack Obama to an ape. The chief executive of Disney, which owns ABC, said sorry to the ex-adviser, Valerie Jarrett. That has led President Trump to demand an apology for all the \"horrible\" things said about him by the entertainment conglomerate's TV personalities. First Lady Melania Trump has said \"the double standard is truly astounding\", conservative news organisation the Daily Caller reported. Barr also weighed in on the situation on Twitter.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3053, "answer_start": 1885, "text": "White House press secretary Sarah Sanders called Bee's language \"vile and vicious\". \"Her disgusting comments and show are not fit for broadcast,\" she added, demanding the cable network apologise. TBS, which airs Full Frontal, duly obliged by agreeing that Bee's language was \"vile and inappropriate\". \"Those words should not have been aired. It was our mistake too, and we regret it,\" said the network's statement. Shortly beforehand, car retail website Autotrader.com announced it was pulling its ads from the show. Bee's outburst comes amid a public debate over incendiary language by TV personalities. ABC cancelled the sitcom Roseanne this week after its star likened an African-American former aide to President Barack Obama to an ape. The chief executive of Disney, which owns ABC, said sorry to the ex-adviser, Valerie Jarrett. That has led President Trump to demand an apology for all the \"horrible\" things said about him by the entertainment conglomerate's TV personalities. First Lady Melania Trump has said \"the double standard is truly astounding\", conservative news organisation the Daily Caller reported. Barr also weighed in on the situation on Twitter." } ], "id": "9099_0", "question": "What's the fallout?" } ] } ]