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[ { "context": "Ethiopians and Eritreans have been celebrating the reopening of two key crossing points more than 20 years after a border war shut them. Hundreds of people from the two countries hugged each other and some wept as their leaders led celebrations to mark the reopening. Ethiopia also announced that its troops would start withdrawing from the border area. These are the latest moves in the rapprochement between the ex-enemies. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki signed a peace deal in July, restoring diplomatic and trade relations between the nations. The reopening at Burre gives landlocked Ethiopia access to the sea. Another border post, near the Ethiopian town of Zalambessa, also reopened. It coincided with the Ethiopian New Year, adding to the festive atmosphere. \"It's a wonderful day. I cam here to meet my relatives who I haven't seen for 20 years. We are so happy,\" Ethiopian Emmanuel Haile told BBC Tigrinya's Girmay Gebru in Zalambessa. \"I have met my mother and my siblings after 24 years,\" another woman said. \"I am so happy. I can't express my joy.\" The war, fought over the exact location of the boundary between Ethiopia and Eritrea, began in May 1998 and left tens of thousands of people dead. It ended in 2000 with the signing of the Algiers agreement. But peace was never fully restored as Ethiopia refused to implement a ruling by a border commission established by the agreement. Families divided by the conflict are now able to visit each other after more than two decades. Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1991 but members of the same family continued to live on both sides of the border as the two countries enjoyed good relations until 1998. The crossing at Zalambessa is on the main trade route linking the capital of Ethiopia's northern Tigray region with Eritrea's capital, Asmara. Its closure damaged trade, and consequently the economy in the border region suffered. The reopening of the border at Burre should allow Ethiopia to access Eritrea's southern port of Assab. This is just the latest in a series of rapid changes as relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have thawed. In July, Mr Abiy and Mr Isaias signed a declaration saying that the \"state of war\" between the two countries was over. Since then, phone calls and flights between the two countries resumed, and last week a ship registered in Ethiopia arrived in an Eritrean port. The two countries have also reopened their embassies in each others' capital cities. For now, only the land crossings at Zalambessa and Burre have reopened. The details about other parts of the 1,000km (620 miles) border still need to be worked out. The town of Badme, the flashpoint for the 1998-2000 conflict, was ruled to be in Eritrea by the border commission set up by the Algiers peace agreement. But until recently Ethiopia, which still administers Badme, refused to accept this. That changed when the two leaders met, but the town has not yet been handed to Eritrea. Prime Minister Abiy announced that Ethiopian soldiers would start pulling out from border areas, in compliance with the Algiers peace deal, but it is not clear when this will affect Badme. The border town was one of the main theatres of the conflict. During the two-year war, Zalambessa was occupied by Eritrean forces and, in the fighting, much of it was destroyed. But Eritrea has never contested that it is part of Ethiopia and its status is not controversial. The rivalry affected the whole region, with Ethiopia and Eritrea normally taking opposite positions whatever the question. They took rival sides in Somalia's long conflict - Eritrea was accused of backing Islamist groups, while Ethiopia, a US ally, supported the internationally recognised government. That is now changing and last week Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia signed a cooperation agreement to restore peace and stability to the region. Eritrea and Djibouti also agreed to normalise relations after a dispute over their border had threatened to break out into war.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2049, "answer_start": 1442, "text": "Families divided by the conflict are now able to visit each other after more than two decades. Eritrea won independence from Ethiopia in 1991 but members of the same family continued to live on both sides of the border as the two countries enjoyed good relations until 1998. The crossing at Zalambessa is on the main trade route linking the capital of Ethiopia's northern Tigray region with Eritrea's capital, Asmara. Its closure damaged trade, and consequently the economy in the border region suffered. The reopening of the border at Burre should allow Ethiopia to access Eritrea's southern port of Assab." } ], "id": "9700_0", "question": "What is the significance of the reopening?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2505, "answer_start": 2050, "text": "This is just the latest in a series of rapid changes as relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea have thawed. In July, Mr Abiy and Mr Isaias signed a declaration saying that the \"state of war\" between the two countries was over. Since then, phone calls and flights between the two countries resumed, and last week a ship registered in Ethiopia arrived in an Eritrean port. The two countries have also reopened their embassies in each others' capital cities." } ], "id": "9700_1", "question": "What else has changed between the two countries?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3184, "answer_start": 2506, "text": "For now, only the land crossings at Zalambessa and Burre have reopened. The details about other parts of the 1,000km (620 miles) border still need to be worked out. The town of Badme, the flashpoint for the 1998-2000 conflict, was ruled to be in Eritrea by the border commission set up by the Algiers peace agreement. But until recently Ethiopia, which still administers Badme, refused to accept this. That changed when the two leaders met, but the town has not yet been handed to Eritrea. Prime Minister Abiy announced that Ethiopian soldiers would start pulling out from border areas, in compliance with the Algiers peace deal, but it is not clear when this will affect Badme." } ], "id": "9700_2", "question": "What will happen at other parts of the border?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3459, "answer_start": 3185, "text": "The border town was one of the main theatres of the conflict. During the two-year war, Zalambessa was occupied by Eritrean forces and, in the fighting, much of it was destroyed. But Eritrea has never contested that it is part of Ethiopia and its status is not controversial." } ], "id": "9700_3", "question": "What happened to Zalambessa during the war?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4031, "answer_start": 3460, "text": "The rivalry affected the whole region, with Ethiopia and Eritrea normally taking opposite positions whatever the question. They took rival sides in Somalia's long conflict - Eritrea was accused of backing Islamist groups, while Ethiopia, a US ally, supported the internationally recognised government. That is now changing and last week Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia signed a cooperation agreement to restore peace and stability to the region. Eritrea and Djibouti also agreed to normalise relations after a dispute over their border had threatened to break out into war." } ], "id": "9700_4", "question": "What other changes have happened in the region?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Boris Johnson was \"too eager by far to get a deal at any cost,\" the Democratic Unionist Party deputy leader Nigel Dodds has said. A Brexit deal, between the UK and EU, was struck on Thursday before a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels. The DUP said it is \"unable\" to back the proposals in the Commons as they are not in the best interests of NI. The party's support is seen as crucial if the deal is to pass in Parliament before the 31 October deadline. Speaking alongside DUP leader Arlene Foster, Mr Dodds said the Benn Act, which requires the prime minister to ask for an extension if there is no deal by Saturday, had forced Mr Johnson into \"desperation measures\". \"If he'd held his nerve - held out - he would have got better concessions which kept the integrity, both economic and constitutional, of the UK,\" said Mr Dodds. He said the DUP believed that since it had been proved that the Withdrawal Agreement could be changed, it \"should be changed much more for the better\". He added that the issue of consent in the deal is a \"major rewriting of the Belfast Agreement\" adding it was \"something anyone who has any concern for any kind of political process in Northern Ireland should be very, very concerned about\". Mr Dodds also said he expected a \"massive vote\" against Mr Johnson's deal on Saturday, and said the DUP would not be isolated on that. The UK and the EU have been working on the legal text of a deal but it will still need the approval of both the UK and European parliaments. Speaking in Brussels, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier described the consent proposal in the agreement as \"a cornerstone of our newly agreed approach\". \"Four years after entry into force of the protocol, the elected representatives of Northern Ireland will be able to decide by simple majority whether to continue applying relevant union rules in Northern Ireland or not,\" he said. Speaking in Londonderry, the Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith said \"we've abandoned nobody\" when asked if the government had decided not to rely on the DUP's votes. Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar, who is in Brussels for the EU summit, said: \"It's up to the members of the House of Commons now to decide whether they want a deal.\" Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said a deal was a \"least worst option\" that would \"only mitigate the worst effects of Brexit\". \"The deal agreed today is complex and wide-ranging and all aspects need to be considered in their entirety,\" she added. Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Robin Swann said the deal would \"place Northern Ireland on the window ledge of the union\". He said unionist MPs should \"think long and hard\" before voting on the deal, adding: \"What's more important? The pursuit of a puritanical Brexit or the security and integrity of the union?\" SDLP leader Colum Eastwood appealed to the DUP not to \"shoot this down\" because the alternative was a no-deal Brexit that would be a \"threat to our peace process\". \"[The DUP has] a responsibility to the farmers, to the business community, to the ordinary community out there to get this resolved,\" he added. Alliance Party leader and MEP Naomi Long said she wanted the prime minister to put the deal to the public in a referendum. \"If the DUP are not willing to provide the arithmetic to get a deal through Parliament then I think Boris Johnson would be right to go to the public.\" Conservative MP and Brexit supporter Iain Duncan Smith said he would \"reserve judgement\" on the deal until he had read the detail of it. He said: \"There are issues - if the DUP aren't backing it, what are their reasons for not backing it?\" The Brexit deal struck in Brussels would involve Stormont giving ongoing consent to any special arrangements for Northern Ireland. It would not be the unionists' veto demanded by the DUP - instead the arrangements could be approved by a straight majority. Pro-EU parties have a narrow majority at Stormont. It would continue to follow EU rules on food safety and product standards. The DUP has already accepted that Northern Ireland would have to align with some EU rules to avoid a hard border. Northern Ireland would also leave the EU 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 border. Stormont would have to approve those arrangements on an ongoing basis. Approval would involve a straight-forward majority, which would keep the special arrangements in place for four years. Alternatively, if the arrangements are approved by a majority of nationalists and a majority of unionists, they would remain in place for eight years - that would incentivise a cross-community consensus. If the Northern Ireland 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. There is no fallback position in case the two sides cannot find a solution. If a vote was not held - by choice or because the assembly was not sitting - then the government has committed to finding an \"alternative process\". The EU believes that replaces the backstop - which would have lasted \"unless and until\" an alternative was found - with arrangements that are sustainable over time and are democratically supported, as requested by the UK.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3636, "answer_start": 1894, "text": "Speaking in Londonderry, the Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith said \"we've abandoned nobody\" when asked if the government had decided not to rely on the DUP's votes. Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar, who is in Brussels for the EU summit, said: \"It's up to the members of the House of Commons now to decide whether they want a deal.\" Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said a deal was a \"least worst option\" that would \"only mitigate the worst effects of Brexit\". \"The deal agreed today is complex and wide-ranging and all aspects need to be considered in their entirety,\" she added. Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Robin Swann said the deal would \"place Northern Ireland on the window ledge of the union\". He said unionist MPs should \"think long and hard\" before voting on the deal, adding: \"What's more important? The pursuit of a puritanical Brexit or the security and integrity of the union?\" SDLP leader Colum Eastwood appealed to the DUP not to \"shoot this down\" because the alternative was a no-deal Brexit that would be a \"threat to our peace process\". \"[The DUP has] a responsibility to the farmers, to the business community, to the ordinary community out there to get this resolved,\" he added. Alliance Party leader and MEP Naomi Long said she wanted the prime minister to put the deal to the public in a referendum. \"If the DUP are not willing to provide the arithmetic to get a deal through Parliament then I think Boris Johnson would be right to go to the public.\" Conservative MP and Brexit supporter Iain Duncan Smith said he would \"reserve judgement\" on the deal until he had read the detail of it. He said: \"There are issues - if the DUP aren't backing it, what are their reasons for not backing it?\"" } ], "id": "9701_0", "question": "What has the reaction been in NI and the Republic of Ireland?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5383, "answer_start": 3637, "text": "The Brexit deal struck in Brussels would involve Stormont giving ongoing consent to any special arrangements for Northern Ireland. It would not be the unionists' veto demanded by the DUP - instead the arrangements could be approved by a straight majority. Pro-EU parties have a narrow majority at Stormont. It would continue to follow EU rules on food safety and product standards. The DUP has already accepted that Northern Ireland would have to align with some EU rules to avoid a hard border. Northern Ireland would also leave the EU 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 border. Stormont would have to approve those arrangements on an ongoing basis. Approval would involve a straight-forward majority, which would keep the special arrangements in place for four years. Alternatively, if the arrangements are approved by a majority of nationalists and a majority of unionists, they would remain in place for eight years - that would incentivise a cross-community consensus. If the Northern Ireland 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. There is no fallback position in case the two sides cannot find a solution. If a vote was not held - by choice or because the assembly was not sitting - then the government has committed to finding an \"alternative process\". The EU believes that replaces the backstop - which would have lasted \"unless and until\" an alternative was found - with arrangements that are sustainable over time and are democratically supported, as requested by the UK." } ], "id": "9701_1", "question": "What does the deal involve for NI?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Two men named as suspects in the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy in the UK have said they were merely tourists. The men, named as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, told the state-run RT channel they had travelled to Salisbury on the recommendation of friends. The UK believes the men are Russian military intelligence officers who tried to kill Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury last March. Downing Street dismissed the interview. \"The lies and blatant fabrications in this interview given to a Russian state-sponsored TV station are an insult to the public's intelligence,\" Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman said. On Wednesday Russian President Vladimir Putin said \"there is nothing criminal about them\" and called them \"civilians\". The Skripals survived being poisoned by the nerve agent Novichok, but Dawn Sturgess - a woman not connected to the Russian events - died in July having been exposed to the same substance. Appearing nervous and uncomfortable, the men confirmed their names as those announced by the UK investigators - Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov. \"Those are our real names,\" they said. RT is Russia's state-run international broadcaster, and the pair were interviewed by its chief editor, Margarita Simonyan. \"Their passports match and the photos and the information from the British side shows it's these people,\" she said. The men said they worked in the sports nutrition business and had travelled to London for a short holiday, fitting in a couple of day trips to Salisbury. \"Our friends had been suggesting for a long time that we visit this wonderful town,\" Mr Petrov said. They said they only stayed an hour in Salisbury on Saturday 3 March because of the snowy weather conditions, but returned on Sunday 4 March to visit the sights. The two men admitted they may have passed Mr Skripal's house by chance \"but we don't know where it is located,\" Mr Petrov said. When asked about Novichok, they emphatically denied carrying it, or the modified Nina Ricci perfume bottle which UK investigators say contained the substance. \"For normal blokes, to be carrying women's perfume with us, isn't that silly?\" Mr Boshirov asked. The two men told RT their lives had been \"turned upside down\" by the allegations. \"We're afraid to go out, we fear for ourselves, our lives and lives of our loved ones,\" said Mr Boshirov. The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Moscow described the interview as carefully choreographed and bizarre, pointing out that in tone and content it matched the whole Russian response to the case - flat denial mixed with mockery. The British police believe the men to be officers of Russian military intelligence, GRU, who may have travelled on false passports to London from Moscow in March. They say the purpose of the men's visit to Salisbury on 3 March was reconnaissance, and on 4 March they returned to apply Novichok to the Skripals' front door. The UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) says there is enough evidence to convict the two men, although it is not applying to Russia for their extradition because Russia does not extradite its own nationals. However, a European Arrest Warrant has been obtained in case they travel to the EU, and UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid has warned that the men will be caught and prosecuted if they ever step out of Russia. BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera The appearance of the two men looks like the next step in the struggle between London and Moscow to convince their own publics and those around the world about their respective cases. The amount of detail put out by British police last week, and the direct accusation that the men were officers in Russian military intelligence, was something the Kremlin will not have wanted to go unchallenged. And the Russian government will be hoping this interview will generate sympathy at home for what are said to be a pair of sports nutrition salesmen who wanted to see a beautiful English cathedral with its 123-metre spire, but who instead have found themselves accused of being assassins. But the risk for Russia is that the interview raises more questions than it answers and offers more details for sceptics to unpick and challenge. How plausible are the men generally and specifically about their reasons for visiting Salisbury? How plausible is their account of their movements around the town when compared to the CCTV? And given the UK has suggested the names they use are pseudonyms, how convincing are their stories about who they are, including their past, their jobs and their travel? - At around 15:00 GMT on Friday 2 March, the two men arrived at Gatwick Airport - Police say they travelled to London Victoria at 17:40 GMT, and were at Waterloo Station between 18:00 and 19:00 GMT before travelling to their London hotel - At 11:45 GMT on Saturday 3 March, they took a train from Waterloo Station to Salisbury - CCTV footage shows the men in Salisbury around 14:25 GMT - The men say they spent less than an hour in Salisbury, deciding against seeing Stonehenge, Old Sarum and Salisbury Cathedral because of \"muddy slush everywhere\" - CCTV footage shows the men taking a train back to London at 16:11 GMT - On Sunday 4 March, CCTV cameras filmed the men arriving at Salisbury train station at 11:48 GMT - Police say they were then seen on CCTV near the home of Sergei Skripal at 11:58 GMT - The men say they then visited Salisbury Cathedral - CCTV footage shows the men leaving Salisbury station at 13:50 GMT - At 19:28 GMT, the men were at Heathrow Airport for an Aeroflot flight to Moscow Yulia Skripal flew in to the UK from Russia on Saturday 3 March to visit her father, Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent who was living in Salisbury. They had been for lunch at a restaurant in central Salisbury on 4 March when they were found \"in an extremely serious condition\" on a bench outside the restaurant. They spent weeks in intensive care in hospital before recovering. Ms Skripal was discharged from hospital on 9 April and her father on 18 May. They are both now in a secure location. Why Novichok stays deadly for so long UK police are linking the attack to a separate Novichok poisoning on 30 June, when Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley fell ill at a house in Amesbury, about 13km (eight miles) away. Police said they were exposed after handling what they believed to be perfume. Ms Sturgess died in hospital on 8 July.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2599, "answer_start": 961, "text": "Appearing nervous and uncomfortable, the men confirmed their names as those announced by the UK investigators - Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov. \"Those are our real names,\" they said. RT is Russia's state-run international broadcaster, and the pair were interviewed by its chief editor, Margarita Simonyan. \"Their passports match and the photos and the information from the British side shows it's these people,\" she said. The men said they worked in the sports nutrition business and had travelled to London for a short holiday, fitting in a couple of day trips to Salisbury. \"Our friends had been suggesting for a long time that we visit this wonderful town,\" Mr Petrov said. They said they only stayed an hour in Salisbury on Saturday 3 March because of the snowy weather conditions, but returned on Sunday 4 March to visit the sights. The two men admitted they may have passed Mr Skripal's house by chance \"but we don't know where it is located,\" Mr Petrov said. When asked about Novichok, they emphatically denied carrying it, or the modified Nina Ricci perfume bottle which UK investigators say contained the substance. \"For normal blokes, to be carrying women's perfume with us, isn't that silly?\" Mr Boshirov asked. The two men told RT their lives had been \"turned upside down\" by the allegations. \"We're afraid to go out, we fear for ourselves, our lives and lives of our loved ones,\" said Mr Boshirov. The BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Moscow described the interview as carefully choreographed and bizarre, pointing out that in tone and content it matched the whole Russian response to the case - flat denial mixed with mockery." } ], "id": "9702_0", "question": "What do the two Russians say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3333, "answer_start": 2600, "text": "The British police believe the men to be officers of Russian military intelligence, GRU, who may have travelled on false passports to London from Moscow in March. They say the purpose of the men's visit to Salisbury on 3 March was reconnaissance, and on 4 March they returned to apply Novichok to the Skripals' front door. The UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) says there is enough evidence to convict the two men, although it is not applying to Russia for their extradition because Russia does not extradite its own nationals. However, a European Arrest Warrant has been obtained in case they travel to the EU, and UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid has warned that the men will be caught and prosecuted if they ever step out of Russia." } ], "id": "9702_1", "question": "What are the UK allegations?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6415, "answer_start": 5572, "text": "Yulia Skripal flew in to the UK from Russia on Saturday 3 March to visit her father, Sergei Skripal, a former Russian double agent who was living in Salisbury. They had been for lunch at a restaurant in central Salisbury on 4 March when they were found \"in an extremely serious condition\" on a bench outside the restaurant. They spent weeks in intensive care in hospital before recovering. Ms Skripal was discharged from hospital on 9 April and her father on 18 May. They are both now in a secure location. Why Novichok stays deadly for so long UK police are linking the attack to a separate Novichok poisoning on 30 June, when Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley fell ill at a house in Amesbury, about 13km (eight miles) away. Police said they were exposed after handling what they believed to be perfume. Ms Sturgess died in hospital on 8 July." } ], "id": "9702_2", "question": "What happened to the Skripals?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Tens of thousands of foreign nationals have travelled to Syria and neighbouring Iraq to fight for the Islamic State (IS) group. With the end of the IS territorial \"caliphate\" imminent, the US has led calls to repatriate the hundreds of men, women and children who have been detained on the battlefield. However, many countries have so far been reluctant to do so. Jihadists began travelling to Iraq in 2003 when a US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime triggered a Sunni insurgency. Hundreds are thought to have joined al-Qaeda in Iraq, a precursor to IS. Many more went to Syria after a civil war erupted there in 2011. Their presence complicated the conflict and helped make it overtly sectarian in nature, pitching the country's Sunni majority against President Bashar al-Assad's Shia Alawite sect. There was a huge surge in arrivals after IS seized control of swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014 and urged Muslims to migrate to their new \"caliphate\". The United Nations has said that more than 40,000 foreign fighters from 110 countries may have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join terrorist groups. A July 2018 study by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King's College London based on official, academic and other data concluded that 41,490 people - 32,809 men, 4,761 women, and 4,640 children - from 80 countries were affiliated with IS specifically. Researchers found 18,852 came from the Middle East and North Africa, 7,252 from Eastern Europe, 5,965 from Central Asia, 5,904 from Western Europe, 1,010 from Eastern Asia, 1,063 from South-East Asia, 753 from the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, 447 from Southern Asia, and 244 from Sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 850 people from the UK were among them, including 145 women and 50 children. The US-led Global Coalition to Defeat IS, which has provided air support and military advisers to local forces in Iraq and Syria since 2014, has said it believes the vast majority of IS militants are dead or in custody. But it has declined to speculate on the number of foreign fighters who may have been killed. The head of MI5 said in October 2017 that more than 130 Britons who had travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight with IS had died. An official from a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said on 18 February that it had about 800 foreign fighters from almost 50 countries in its prisons. At least 700 women and 1,500 children were being held at camps for displaced people, Abdul Karim Omar added. Few of the SDF's detainees have been identified. But El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey are among six from the UK to have been named. The pair are alleged to have been part of an IS execution cell dubbed \"the Beatles\" that beheaded at least 27 Western hostages. Mr Omar reiterated that the SDF wanted the foreign fighters to be repatriated. He warned that they were a \"time bomb\", saying an attack on northern Syria by Turkey - which has vowed to crush a Kurdish militia that dominates the SDF - could spark chaos and allow the jihadist to escape. However, their home countries have raised concerns about bringing hardened IS members back and the challenges of gathering evidence to support prosecutions. There are believed to be another 1,000 foreign fighters of various, sometimes undetermined, nationalities under arrest in Iraq, according to the UN. It is not clear whether that figure includes women and children. But a group of more than 1,300 of them are known to have been detained near Tal Afar in 2017. Human Rights Watch said at least 72 of those women had been put on trial by June 2018, accused of illegal entry and being a member of, or assisting, IS. Most of them, it added, had been found guilty and sentenced to death or to life in prison. They were from a number of countries, including Turkey, Russia, France and Germany. Children aged nine and above have also been prosecuted. After five years of fierce and bloody battles, Syrian and Iraqi forces, backed by world powers, have driven IS out of almost all of the territory it once controlled. However, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council at the start of February 2018 that IS was reported to still control between 14,000 and 18,000 militants in Iraq and Syria, including up to 3,000 foreigners. Mr Guterres published his findings as the SDF launched an offensive to capture the last pocket of territory controlled by IS in Syria. Foreigners who have fled the fighting around the village of Baghuz and been detained by the SDF include the British teenager Shamima Begum, who was 15 when she ran away from her home to join IS. ICSR researchers found that at least 7,366 foreigners affiliated with IS had travelled back to their own countries, including 256 women and up to 1,180 children. By June 2018, 3,906 had returned to countries in the Middle East and North Africa, 1,765 to Western Europe, 784 to Eastern Europe, 338 to Central Asia, 308 to South-Eastern Asia, 156 to Southern Asia, 97 to the Americas, Australia and New Zealand, and 12 to Sub-Saharan Africa. Of the 425 who returned to the UK, only two women and four children were confirmed, according to the ICSR. The UN has expressed concern about returnees becoming active again on release from prison or for other reasons. It has also said radicalised women and traumatised minors may pose a threat. More than 2,000 children of foreign fighters are being detained at prisons in Iraq and at three SDF-run camps in Syria, often in poor conditions with a lack of access to education and basic services. Most of the children are being held with their mothers. Many of their fathers are detained elsewhere, missing or dead. Some of the children have meanwhile been orphaned. The majority of the children have not been charged with any crime, according to Human Rights Watch. But most of their home countries have resisted calls to repatriate them. Officials have said traumatised children may be security threats, or that it is difficult to verify their nationalities. The UN has warned that the children may be at risk of becoming stateless, despite having citizenship or a claim to citizenship of a country. It has called for all children under 18 to be repatriated immediately and for the development of specialised child-protection programmes to ensure their full reintegration into society in their home countries. In January, two Trinidadian boys taken to Syria by their father were released from an SDF camp and repatriated with the help of Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 966, "answer_start": 364, "text": "Jihadists began travelling to Iraq in 2003 when a US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime triggered a Sunni insurgency. Hundreds are thought to have joined al-Qaeda in Iraq, a precursor to IS. Many more went to Syria after a civil war erupted there in 2011. Their presence complicated the conflict and helped make it overtly sectarian in nature, pitching the country's Sunni majority against President Bashar al-Assad's Shia Alawite sect. There was a huge surge in arrivals after IS seized control of swathes of Syria and Iraq in 2014 and urged Muslims to migrate to their new \"caliphate\"." } ], "id": "9703_0", "question": "Why did they want to go to Syria and Iraq?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1797, "answer_start": 967, "text": "The United Nations has said that more than 40,000 foreign fighters from 110 countries may have travelled to Syria and Iraq to join terrorist groups. A July 2018 study by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King's College London based on official, academic and other data concluded that 41,490 people - 32,809 men, 4,761 women, and 4,640 children - from 80 countries were affiliated with IS specifically. Researchers found 18,852 came from the Middle East and North Africa, 7,252 from Eastern Europe, 5,965 from Central Asia, 5,904 from Western Europe, 1,010 from Eastern Asia, 1,063 from South-East Asia, 753 from the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, 447 from Southern Asia, and 244 from Sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 850 people from the UK were among them, including 145 women and 50 children." } ], "id": "9703_1", "question": "How many foreigners joined IS?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2237, "answer_start": 1798, "text": "The US-led Global Coalition to Defeat IS, which has provided air support and military advisers to local forces in Iraq and Syria since 2014, has said it believes the vast majority of IS militants are dead or in custody. But it has declined to speculate on the number of foreign fighters who may have been killed. The head of MI5 said in October 2017 that more than 130 Britons who had travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight with IS had died." } ], "id": "9703_2", "question": "How many are dead?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3950, "answer_start": 2238, "text": "An official from a US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said on 18 February that it had about 800 foreign fighters from almost 50 countries in its prisons. At least 700 women and 1,500 children were being held at camps for displaced people, Abdul Karim Omar added. Few of the SDF's detainees have been identified. But El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey are among six from the UK to have been named. The pair are alleged to have been part of an IS execution cell dubbed \"the Beatles\" that beheaded at least 27 Western hostages. Mr Omar reiterated that the SDF wanted the foreign fighters to be repatriated. He warned that they were a \"time bomb\", saying an attack on northern Syria by Turkey - which has vowed to crush a Kurdish militia that dominates the SDF - could spark chaos and allow the jihadist to escape. However, their home countries have raised concerns about bringing hardened IS members back and the challenges of gathering evidence to support prosecutions. There are believed to be another 1,000 foreign fighters of various, sometimes undetermined, nationalities under arrest in Iraq, according to the UN. It is not clear whether that figure includes women and children. But a group of more than 1,300 of them are known to have been detained near Tal Afar in 2017. Human Rights Watch said at least 72 of those women had been put on trial by June 2018, accused of illegal entry and being a member of, or assisting, IS. Most of them, it added, had been found guilty and sentenced to death or to life in prison. They were from a number of countries, including Turkey, Russia, France and Germany. Children aged nine and above have also been prosecuted." } ], "id": "9703_3", "question": "What about those in custody?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4676, "answer_start": 3951, "text": "After five years of fierce and bloody battles, Syrian and Iraqi forces, backed by world powers, have driven IS out of almost all of the territory it once controlled. However, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council at the start of February 2018 that IS was reported to still control between 14,000 and 18,000 militants in Iraq and Syria, including up to 3,000 foreigners. Mr Guterres published his findings as the SDF launched an offensive to capture the last pocket of territory controlled by IS in Syria. Foreigners who have fled the fighting around the village of Baghuz and been detained by the SDF include the British teenager Shamima Begum, who was 15 when she ran away from her home to join IS." } ], "id": "9703_4", "question": "How many foreigners are still fighting?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5412, "answer_start": 4677, "text": "ICSR researchers found that at least 7,366 foreigners affiliated with IS had travelled back to their own countries, including 256 women and up to 1,180 children. By June 2018, 3,906 had returned to countries in the Middle East and North Africa, 1,765 to Western Europe, 784 to Eastern Europe, 338 to Central Asia, 308 to South-Eastern Asia, 156 to Southern Asia, 97 to the Americas, Australia and New Zealand, and 12 to Sub-Saharan Africa. Of the 425 who returned to the UK, only two women and four children were confirmed, according to the ICSR. The UN has expressed concern about returnees becoming active again on release from prison or for other reasons. It has also said radicalised women and traumatised minors may pose a threat." } ], "id": "9703_5", "question": "Have any returned home?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6591, "answer_start": 5413, "text": "More than 2,000 children of foreign fighters are being detained at prisons in Iraq and at three SDF-run camps in Syria, often in poor conditions with a lack of access to education and basic services. Most of the children are being held with their mothers. Many of their fathers are detained elsewhere, missing or dead. Some of the children have meanwhile been orphaned. The majority of the children have not been charged with any crime, according to Human Rights Watch. But most of their home countries have resisted calls to repatriate them. Officials have said traumatised children may be security threats, or that it is difficult to verify their nationalities. The UN has warned that the children may be at risk of becoming stateless, despite having citizenship or a claim to citizenship of a country. It has called for all children under 18 to be repatriated immediately and for the development of specialised child-protection programmes to ensure their full reintegration into society in their home countries. In January, two Trinidadian boys taken to Syria by their father were released from an SDF camp and repatriated with the help of Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters." } ], "id": "9703_6", "question": "What's happening to the children?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Sydney's outdoor pools are loved by residents and visitors alike. With one iconic swim spot getting a much-debated upgrade, Gary Nunn revisits how the city's pool culture came about. Beyond the famous opera house and bridge, Sydney harbours somewhat of a secret. Its lesser-known claim to fame is that it has more ocean pools (35) than any other city in the world. Cape Town is its closest rival, boasting 19. \"Sydney's big collection of ocean pools in one city is unique,\" says Dr Marie-Louise McDermott, an expert who has written on the subject. She defines ocean pools as man-made public seawater pools situated on a surf coast, so waves can wash over the sides. Sydney's ocean pools, she says, came about as a result of \"rips, sharks and respectability\". In the 19th Century, swimming costumes weren't commonplace - people bathed nude or in clothes they didn't care about getting wet. \"Public bathing was illegal in daylight hours, but you could bathe in private baths,\" Dr McDermott says. This led to gender-segregated bathing hours or pools. It's why Coogee, a beachside suburb, still has McIver's Ladies Baths, built in 1876. Sophia Day, 27, says the ladies' baths, where she often swims with her mother, are a space they feel safe \"especially if we want to swim topless - much more liberating\". Australian beaches often have rips - dangerous narrow currents - so ocean pools were built to improve safety before there was a surf lifesaving culture - where volunteers trained in life saving techniques patrol the beaches. In 1911, gender segregation ended and around the same time, the public bathing ban was lifted. This led to a higher risk of drowning, especially for women and girls who hadn't had the same access to swimming schools as men. \"Ocean pools were an affordable way to provide safe bathing places,\" Dr McDermott says. \"It was also a place to train up new surf lifesavers. The community would raise half the money, the council the other half. They were often the first community facility created for men, women and children to all use together.\" It remains a unique experience, she adds: \"There can be fish, seaweed, bluebottles [jellyfish-like creatures] or a resident octopus in there with you - you have to share with them.\" Dr McDermott notes Cape Town has a similar set-up to Sydney - a city within \"a colonised country with a surf coast, rips and sharks\". But many nations haven't developed the same sea pool culture. \"The English seaside was more about being beside the sea than in it,\" Dr McDermott says. \"A 'bathing machine' carriage would take people into the sea so they weren't seen in a state of undress. In Australia, you couldn't take a horse and cart into a fairly violent surf.\" In North America, meanwhile, there wasn't the same resident-push for such aquatic public infrastructure: \"Their waters were colder, not as many people used the water recreationally and there were less sharks.\" Hannah Lewi, a professor of architecture at the University of Melbourne, says Sydney's coastline \"lent itself to carving out of cliff edges, unlike Melbourne or Perth\". She also cites Australia's competitive swimming success as a factor. Dr McDermott agrees: \"After Australia did wonderfully well at swimming in the 1956 Olympics, lots of pools made themselves Olympic sized - some got bigger, some shrank.\" Ben Jordan, 37, and Lauren Hockey, 30, often visit pools since they moved to Sydney from the UK. Ms Hockey says: \"There's no comparison - you can swim in saltwater in a sheltered spot, often with stunning vistas. Before I moved here I rarely swam. Now I try to make it weekly - often daily in summer.\" They're also great \"for those who don't want to contest waves or worry about what lurks beneath\", she adds. Sydney resident Andrew Ward founded Head Above Water, a group which uses pools to help manage the negative effects of poor mental health. \"I had significant issues last year with my mental health and the swimming community at [northern suburb] Collaroy were remarkably supportive,\" he says. \"Any exercise is good to manage mild depression, but... there's something about being by the sea. The rhythm helps your state of mind, makes all your senses alive.\" Sydney does have its artificial and indoor pools too. It was recently announced that the iconic outdoor North Sydney Olympic Pool will get a $A57.9m (PS32m; $41m) upgrade. The pool, sitting beside the Sydney Harbour Bridge, was opened in 1936 and used in the British Empire Games two years later. It's often seen on Instagram these days, sparkling in the sun. But below the sheen, it's leaking and the floor is raising. Urgent renovations are afoot; North Sydney mayor Jilly Gibson says the finished product will be \"a stunner - an interweaving of historic elements and contemporary design\". But not all residents are happy. Chris Bowden, 39, says: \"I love the shabbiness and old school charm of the pool as it stands today. It has a long history, by Sydney standards. \"You can feel it as you enter the old wooden changing rooms and admire its unique art deco features. So much of Sydney is polished; it's refreshing to retain a space which holds onto some history. Not every surface has to shine.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3334, "answer_start": 2249, "text": "Dr McDermott notes Cape Town has a similar set-up to Sydney - a city within \"a colonised country with a surf coast, rips and sharks\". But many nations haven't developed the same sea pool culture. \"The English seaside was more about being beside the sea than in it,\" Dr McDermott says. \"A 'bathing machine' carriage would take people into the sea so they weren't seen in a state of undress. In Australia, you couldn't take a horse and cart into a fairly violent surf.\" In North America, meanwhile, there wasn't the same resident-push for such aquatic public infrastructure: \"Their waters were colder, not as many people used the water recreationally and there were less sharks.\" Hannah Lewi, a professor of architecture at the University of Melbourne, says Sydney's coastline \"lent itself to carving out of cliff edges, unlike Melbourne or Perth\". She also cites Australia's competitive swimming success as a factor. Dr McDermott agrees: \"After Australia did wonderfully well at swimming in the 1956 Olympics, lots of pools made themselves Olympic sized - some got bigger, some shrank.\"" } ], "id": "9704_0", "question": "What about other countries?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "There are two competing visions of how goods will flow in and out of the UK after Brexit. Either the M20 will become a lorry park as endless customs checks at Dover choke the motorway. Or technology will help create frictionless borders and exporters will hardly notice any change. The truth, according to those who have studied the issue, is somewhere between the two. So, can technology solve the border puzzle? Right now there are no customs checks at Dover or other borders with EU countries. After Brexit there will be - unless the idea floated by the UK of an invisible border gets a better reception in Europe than it has today. Whatever the nature of the UK's trading relationship with the EU after we leave, it seems certain that there will be added bureaucracy for both companies and the government, but technology should lighten the load. Even if there are no tariff barriers between the UK and the EU, companies will probably have to show where their goods have originated, otherwise this country could be used to get something like New Zealand lamb onto the continent without any limits. Not necessarily - they can be conducted at factories before the goods depart, and much of the paperwork will in fact be digital, carried out online. If the UK sticks with the EU's safety and quality standards, there will have to be checks to make sure goods match up to those benchmarks and that doesn't have to be done at a port or border. But it will all depend on improved IT systems. Yes, but they are fairly old. Brexit Secretary David Davis says a new system will be in place by early 2019. It appears he is referring to the upgrade of HMRC's customs processing system, Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (Chief), which is more than 20 years old and was due to be replaced even before the Brexit vote. The new system is called CDS - Customs Declaration Service - and is being developed in part by IBM. HMRC admits that it may now have to accommodate five times as many customs declarations as originally envisaged, but says it's confident that it will be ready in time. Not quite. Last month the National Audit Office said HMRC faced \"some significant challenges to deliver the programme within the current timetable\" and gave it an amber risk rating. But even if the system is up and running with all exporters on board, that won't be enough to create a frictionless border. Ports like Dover will need to install new technology, including number plate recognition, to match the lorries driving on and off ferries with the customs declarations lodged in the CDS system. This is not cutting edge technology and is in use elsewhere in the world, but HMRC seems dubious that it will be in place by March 2019 and says it would benefit from an implementation period. More exporters will also be pressed to become AEOs - Authorised Economic Operators - taking advantage of an existing system which many large companies use to speed up the customs process. Other solutions being floated include using the blockchain technology which underpins cryptocurrencies to make the sharing of data about exports much simpler, and employing artificial intelligence to decide where random checks on shipments crossing the borders should be targeted. But with the deadline for getting back control of the UK's borders just 18 months away, such innovative technology ideas are not priorities for the civil servants entrusted with this task. In fact, making sure there are no traffic jams in Dover will be more about the arts of management, politics and the law than technology.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1100, "answer_start": 414, "text": "Right now there are no customs checks at Dover or other borders with EU countries. After Brexit there will be - unless the idea floated by the UK of an invisible border gets a better reception in Europe than it has today. Whatever the nature of the UK's trading relationship with the EU after we leave, it seems certain that there will be added bureaucracy for both companies and the government, but technology should lighten the load. Even if there are no tariff barriers between the UK and the EU, companies will probably have to show where their goods have originated, otherwise this country could be used to get something like New Zealand lamb onto the continent without any limits." } ], "id": "9705_0", "question": "Do we really need border checks?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1488, "answer_start": 1101, "text": "Not necessarily - they can be conducted at factories before the goods depart, and much of the paperwork will in fact be digital, carried out online. If the UK sticks with the EU's safety and quality standards, there will have to be checks to make sure goods match up to those benchmarks and that doesn't have to be done at a port or border. But it will all depend on improved IT systems." } ], "id": "9705_1", "question": "Do they have to be at the geographic border?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2087, "answer_start": 1489, "text": "Yes, but they are fairly old. Brexit Secretary David Davis says a new system will be in place by early 2019. It appears he is referring to the upgrade of HMRC's customs processing system, Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (Chief), which is more than 20 years old and was due to be replaced even before the Brexit vote. The new system is called CDS - Customs Declaration Service - and is being developed in part by IBM. HMRC admits that it may now have to accommodate five times as many customs declarations as originally envisaged, but says it's confident that it will be ready in time." } ], "id": "9705_2", "question": "Don't we already have IT systems for customs?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2393, "answer_start": 2088, "text": "Not quite. Last month the National Audit Office said HMRC faced \"some significant challenges to deliver the programme within the current timetable\" and gave it an amber risk rating. But even if the system is up and running with all exporters on board, that won't be enough to create a frictionless border." } ], "id": "9705_3", "question": "Does everyone think so?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2780, "answer_start": 2394, "text": "Ports like Dover will need to install new technology, including number plate recognition, to match the lorries driving on and off ferries with the customs declarations lodged in the CDS system. This is not cutting edge technology and is in use elsewhere in the world, but HMRC seems dubious that it will be in place by March 2019 and says it would benefit from an implementation period." } ], "id": "9705_4", "question": "Will number plate recognition help?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3576, "answer_start": 2781, "text": "More exporters will also be pressed to become AEOs - Authorised Economic Operators - taking advantage of an existing system which many large companies use to speed up the customs process. Other solutions being floated include using the blockchain technology which underpins cryptocurrencies to make the sharing of data about exports much simpler, and employing artificial intelligence to decide where random checks on shipments crossing the borders should be targeted. But with the deadline for getting back control of the UK's borders just 18 months away, such innovative technology ideas are not priorities for the civil servants entrusted with this task. In fact, making sure there are no traffic jams in Dover will be more about the arts of management, politics and the law than technology." } ], "id": "9705_5", "question": "What about other technologies?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The first privately financed mission to the Moon has lifted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The Israeli robot was put on a path to the lunar body by a Falcon rocket - a trip that will take two months. Beresheet, as it's known, will try to land on the lunar surface, take some pictures and conduct some experiments. That's a challenging prospect. Only government space agencies from the US, Russia and China have previously managed soft touchdowns. SpaceIL, the non-profit behind the project, hopes Beresheet (\"In the beginning\" in Hebrew) will prove an inspiration to all those who follow its progress. \"Exactly in the moment that the Falcon 9 was crossing the horizon, the Moon rose at Cape Canaveral - which I think was quite symbolic to this journey of getting the first Israeli rocket ship to the Moon,\" SpaceIL co-founder Yonatan Winetraub told BBC News. Beresheet grew out of the Google Lunar XPRIZE, which offered financial incentives in 2007 to any non-government-funded team that could pull off a Moon landing. None of the groups that entered the competition managed to meet its deadlines and the offer of prize money was withdrawn, but several of the participants did promise to keep working on their ideas, SpaceIL among them. If the US$100m Beresheet craft can get down safely, it will take photos to send back to Earth and engage in some magnetic investigations. The targeted landing site is in a northern-hemisphere lava plain called Mare Serenitatis, where magnetic anomalies are known to exist. The robot's onboard magnetometer device will acquire measurements - and not just in one location, because Beresheet will, some hours after landing, hop to a new spot. Prof Oded Aharonson, of the Weizmann Institute, leads Beresheet's science team. The Moon does not generate a global magnetic field, but on the surface, various areas or rocks are magnetic at different levels. \"If we can measure the magnetism of these rocks, we can begin to understand how and when this magnetism arose,\" the prof explained. Mr Winetraub added: \"Also, we have another instrument in a collaboration with Nasa. That is a retroreflector (a device that reflects light back to its source) and that will join an array of reflectors that was already put on the Moon by the Apollo missions, and that will be used for their purposes to measure distances and lunar dynamics.\" It's planned for Beresheet to keep operating for about two days on the lunar surface. The success of the mission will depend in large part on the spacecraft's UK-sourced Leros engine. This type of power unit, developed by Nammo in Wescott, Buckinghamshire, is normally found firing on geostationary telecommunications satellites as they lift themselves to the right part of the sky over Earth after coming off the top of a launch rocket. But Nammo's engineers have adapted the Leros for Beresheet, shortening its nozzle and increasing its thrust. The engine will do the job of pushing the robot out to the Moon from Earth, making sure the spacecraft is captured in lunar orbit, and then taking the probe gently down to the surface. The Leros unit will also execute the 500m hop across Mare Serenitatis. One of the attractions of the Leros is that it can handle multiple, so-called \"hot re-starts\", says Nammo propulsion team leader Rob Westcott. \"Normally, when people use our engines they will start them up and leave them running for hours at a time before shutting them down for perhaps days, even weeks,\" he explained. \"This gives an engine plenty of time to cool down. In this case, however, SpaceIL wanted to fire up the engine, stop it, and then fire it again after just a few seconds while it is still very hot. They need this for the landing and hopping phases.\" Whatever happens, Beresheet will go down as a pathfinder. Other privately funded lunar spacecraft are set to follow it. Both the US and European space agencies have stated their intention to use commercial landers to deliver some of their scientific payloads to the Moon. [email protected] and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1241, "answer_start": 864, "text": "Beresheet grew out of the Google Lunar XPRIZE, which offered financial incentives in 2007 to any non-government-funded team that could pull off a Moon landing. None of the groups that entered the competition managed to meet its deadlines and the offer of prize money was withdrawn, but several of the participants did promise to keep working on their ideas, SpaceIL among them." } ], "id": "9706_0", "question": "How was this project initiated?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2364, "answer_start": 1242, "text": "If the US$100m Beresheet craft can get down safely, it will take photos to send back to Earth and engage in some magnetic investigations. The targeted landing site is in a northern-hemisphere lava plain called Mare Serenitatis, where magnetic anomalies are known to exist. The robot's onboard magnetometer device will acquire measurements - and not just in one location, because Beresheet will, some hours after landing, hop to a new spot. Prof Oded Aharonson, of the Weizmann Institute, leads Beresheet's science team. The Moon does not generate a global magnetic field, but on the surface, various areas or rocks are magnetic at different levels. \"If we can measure the magnetism of these rocks, we can begin to understand how and when this magnetism arose,\" the prof explained. Mr Winetraub added: \"Also, we have another instrument in a collaboration with Nasa. That is a retroreflector (a device that reflects light back to its source) and that will join an array of reflectors that was already put on the Moon by the Apollo missions, and that will be used for their purposes to measure distances and lunar dynamics.\"" } ], "id": "9706_1", "question": "What will Beresheet do on the surface?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3736, "answer_start": 2365, "text": "It's planned for Beresheet to keep operating for about two days on the lunar surface. The success of the mission will depend in large part on the spacecraft's UK-sourced Leros engine. This type of power unit, developed by Nammo in Wescott, Buckinghamshire, is normally found firing on geostationary telecommunications satellites as they lift themselves to the right part of the sky over Earth after coming off the top of a launch rocket. But Nammo's engineers have adapted the Leros for Beresheet, shortening its nozzle and increasing its thrust. The engine will do the job of pushing the robot out to the Moon from Earth, making sure the spacecraft is captured in lunar orbit, and then taking the probe gently down to the surface. The Leros unit will also execute the 500m hop across Mare Serenitatis. One of the attractions of the Leros is that it can handle multiple, so-called \"hot re-starts\", says Nammo propulsion team leader Rob Westcott. \"Normally, when people use our engines they will start them up and leave them running for hours at a time before shutting them down for perhaps days, even weeks,\" he explained. \"This gives an engine plenty of time to cool down. In this case, however, SpaceIL wanted to fire up the engine, stop it, and then fire it again after just a few seconds while it is still very hot. They need this for the landing and hopping phases.\"" } ], "id": "9706_2", "question": "What's the British connection?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Tens of thousands of Algerians have been protesting against 81-year-old President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's decision to run for a fifth term on 18 April. It is a rare show of dissent in the North African country, where more than 30% of people aged under 30 are unemployed. Yes, they are the biggest protests against President Bouteflika since he came to power 20 years ago in elections that followed the country's bloody civil war. People have taken to the streets in various cities 10 days after his candidacy for the presidential election was confirmed. The demonstrations are being organised on social media - and while the trigger has been Mr Bouteflika's re-election bid, anger is also being expressed about perceived deep-rooted corruption among the ruling elite. In particular it is young people, who have not usually expressed an interest in Algeria's party politics. University students have joined in as well as lawyers. Even journalists working at the public broadcaster took part in one protest. They denounced the censorship imposed by managers that has led to the protests not being covered on state TV and radio. The protests have been growing in strength this week. Only one opposition politician is so far taking advantage of the situation - Ali Benflis, a former prime minister and Mr Bouteflika's fiercest rival, has been participating in the rallies. Djamila Bouhired, a respected heroine of the independence war against former colonial power France, has also been seen with the protesters. Tear gas has been fired during some protests, but Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia has praised the generally peaceful demonstrations, highlighting the moment when protesters offered roses to police officers. But he warned that the uprising in Syria in 2011, which later descended into a brutal conflict, \"started with exchanges of roses\". The ruling coalition of the National Liberation Front (FLN) and the National Democratic Rally (RND) clearly did not expect such resistance to Mr Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term. They have until Sunday to review their choice of candidate and propose an alternative to the ailing Mr Bouteflika. But this is not very likely to happen. For nearly two decades Mr Bouteflika's government managed to maintain social stability thanks to soaring oil prices. This enabled it to invest in huge infrastructure projects, like big housing estates with affordable homes and tram networks across the country. Thousands of young people also benefited from a generous loan scheme, organised by ANSEJ, a national agency supporting small businesses, and were not expected to repay the grants. But the economy has been floundering since oil prices started to dive a few years ago. The government no longer has the means to fund generous schemes and unemployment has become a big problem. No, people are also upset by a drug-trafficking scandal that shook the establishment last year leading to the sackings of some top officials. It involved the seizure from a container ship of more than 700kg (1,540lb) of cocaine reportedly destined for a prominent businessman. There is also resentment about the power of a growing number of business magnates, who are close to the government. An example of their influence came in 2017 when then-Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune tried to tackle Algeria's trade deficit. He banned the import of some products, which the businessmen did not like, and he was sacked within two months. He is rarely seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013 and is currently undergoing medical checks in Switzerland. Mr Bouteflika first took office when Algeria was embroiled in a brutal civil war with Islamist insurgents, and is credited with curbing the conflict and restoring economic stability. He amended the constitution in 2008 to remove the two-term limit on the presidency, effectively giving himself the option of remaining head of state for life. Mr Bouteflika won presidential elections in 2014 despite doing no personal campaigning. The credibility of that election was questioned but no opposition figure has so far won enough popular support to take him on. This time round Mr Benflis may have a chance although he has not yet decided if he will run and has been defeated twice before.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 766, "answer_start": 270, "text": "Yes, they are the biggest protests against President Bouteflika since he came to power 20 years ago in elections that followed the country's bloody civil war. People have taken to the streets in various cities 10 days after his candidacy for the presidential election was confirmed. The demonstrations are being organised on social media - and while the trigger has been Mr Bouteflika's re-election bid, anger is also being expressed about perceived deep-rooted corruption among the ruling elite." } ], "id": "9707_0", "question": "Are the demonstrations a surprise?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1507, "answer_start": 767, "text": "In particular it is young people, who have not usually expressed an interest in Algeria's party politics. University students have joined in as well as lawyers. Even journalists working at the public broadcaster took part in one protest. They denounced the censorship imposed by managers that has led to the protests not being covered on state TV and radio. The protests have been growing in strength this week. Only one opposition politician is so far taking advantage of the situation - Ali Benflis, a former prime minister and Mr Bouteflika's fiercest rival, has been participating in the rallies. Djamila Bouhired, a respected heroine of the independence war against former colonial power France, has also been seen with the protesters." } ], "id": "9707_1", "question": "Who is protesting?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2176, "answer_start": 1508, "text": "Tear gas has been fired during some protests, but Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia has praised the generally peaceful demonstrations, highlighting the moment when protesters offered roses to police officers. But he warned that the uprising in Syria in 2011, which later descended into a brutal conflict, \"started with exchanges of roses\". The ruling coalition of the National Liberation Front (FLN) and the National Democratic Rally (RND) clearly did not expect such resistance to Mr Bouteflika's bid for a fifth term. They have until Sunday to review their choice of candidate and propose an alternative to the ailing Mr Bouteflika. But this is not very likely to happen." } ], "id": "9707_2", "question": "How have the authorities responded?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2811, "answer_start": 2177, "text": "For nearly two decades Mr Bouteflika's government managed to maintain social stability thanks to soaring oil prices. This enabled it to invest in huge infrastructure projects, like big housing estates with affordable homes and tram networks across the country. Thousands of young people also benefited from a generous loan scheme, organised by ANSEJ, a national agency supporting small businesses, and were not expected to repay the grants. But the economy has been floundering since oil prices started to dive a few years ago. The government no longer has the means to fund generous schemes and unemployment has become a big problem." } ], "id": "9707_3", "question": "Why hasn't there been unrest before?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3446, "answer_start": 2812, "text": "No, people are also upset by a drug-trafficking scandal that shook the establishment last year leading to the sackings of some top officials. It involved the seizure from a container ship of more than 700kg (1,540lb) of cocaine reportedly destined for a prominent businessman. There is also resentment about the power of a growing number of business magnates, who are close to the government. An example of their influence came in 2017 when then-Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune tried to tackle Algeria's trade deficit. He banned the import of some products, which the businessmen did not like, and he was sacked within two months." } ], "id": "9707_4", "question": "Is the economy the only problem?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4251, "answer_start": 3447, "text": "He is rarely seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013 and is currently undergoing medical checks in Switzerland. Mr Bouteflika first took office when Algeria was embroiled in a brutal civil war with Islamist insurgents, and is credited with curbing the conflict and restoring economic stability. He amended the constitution in 2008 to remove the two-term limit on the presidency, effectively giving himself the option of remaining head of state for life. Mr Bouteflika won presidential elections in 2014 despite doing no personal campaigning. The credibility of that election was questioned but no opposition figure has so far won enough popular support to take him on. This time round Mr Benflis may have a chance although he has not yet decided if he will run and has been defeated twice before." } ], "id": "9707_5", "question": "Where is the president?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Turkey says it will extradite a US citizen suspected of being an Islamic State militant after he was refused entry to Greece and stranded on the border between the two countries. The alleged militant will be extradited to the US. He has been named by Turkey's Demiroren News Agency as Muhammed Darwis B and is said to be a US citizen of Jordanian descent. Turkey is currently expelling a number of foreign Islamic State fighters. The country's interior ministry said it had started the process of extraditing the man and the US had agreed to take him back. \"Upon guarantees that he will be taken back by the United States and that travel documents will be procured, the necessary proceedings have been started to send him to the United States,\" the Turkish statement said. He was deported from Turkey on Monday as part of a drive to repatriate captured jihadist fighters held in its prisons. A Turkish official told AFP news agency that he had refused to be returned to the US and instead asked to be sent to Greece. However Greek police said they refused him entry when he tried to cross the border near the Greek town of Kastanies. The fate of foreign IS fighters has been a key question since the defeat of the group in territory it controlled in Syria and Iraq. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says 2,500 such militants are in prison in Turkey. According to the George Washington University Program on Extremism, 82 Americans are known to have travelled abroad to join jihadist groups since 2012. Of those, 19 have returned - 15 men and four women - and 13 have been charged. A spokesperson from the US State Department said it was \"aware of reports of the detainment of a US citizen by Turkish authorities\" but had no further comment due to privacy considerations. Turkey's interior ministry said it had also deported a Dane alleged to be an IS member on Monday. Danish authorities said their citizen had been arrested on arrival in Copenhagen. Germany said one of its citizens had also been expelled. Turkey said more than 20 other European suspects, including 11 French citizens, two Irish nationals and several more Germans, are in the process of being repatriated to their countries of origin. Turkey has not confirmed whether those being repatriated were seized in Syria or in Turkish territory. Some IS members and their relatives were captured in north-eastern Syria in October, when Turkey launched a cross-border operation against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) there. At the time, the SDF said it was holding more than 12,000 suspected IS members in seven prisons in the area, at least 4,000 of them foreign nationals. Relatives of suspected IS militants were also being held at a number of camps for displaced people - the largest of which, al-Hol, housed almost 70,000 people. Turkey has long accused Western countries of refusing to take responsibility for citizens who joined Islamic State. Germany, Denmark and the UK have repeatedly stripped people of citizenship for allegedly joining jihadist groups abroad in a bid to block their return. The UK is said to have withdrawn citizenship from more than 100 people - among them the IS recruit Shamima Begum, who left London as a teenager. It is unclear whether Turkey will be able to repatriate IS suspects who have had their home citizenships revoked. Last month the White House said it had urged \"France, Germany, and other European nations, from which many captured ISIS fighters came, to take them back, but they did not want them and refused\". The White House said Turkey would now be responsible for all ISIS fighters captured in the area. On Tuesday UN chief Antonio Guterres called for international co-operation to resolve issues around foreign jihadists, saying it was not up to Syria and Iraq \"to solve the problem for everyone\". A French foreign ministry source told AFP news agency last week that suspected jihadists were often returned to France from Turkey under a 2014 agreement. \"Jihadists and their families are regularly sent back to France and arrested as they leave the plane. Most of the time it is done secretly. The news is not published, or released much later,\" the source said. Germany's interior ministry said this week that \"it did not wish to oppose the return of German citizens\". A German foreign ministry official confirmed that legal proceedings involving at least three men, five women and two children were under way in Turkey. On Monday a court in the Netherlands ruled that the country should take back the children of Dutch women who joined IS - but not necessarily their mothers. Some 23 Dutch women and their 56 children are currently being held in detention camps in Syria, AFP reports.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2816, "answer_start": 1777, "text": "Turkey's interior ministry said it had also deported a Dane alleged to be an IS member on Monday. Danish authorities said their citizen had been arrested on arrival in Copenhagen. Germany said one of its citizens had also been expelled. Turkey said more than 20 other European suspects, including 11 French citizens, two Irish nationals and several more Germans, are in the process of being repatriated to their countries of origin. Turkey has not confirmed whether those being repatriated were seized in Syria or in Turkish territory. Some IS members and their relatives were captured in north-eastern Syria in October, when Turkey launched a cross-border operation against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) there. At the time, the SDF said it was holding more than 12,000 suspected IS members in seven prisons in the area, at least 4,000 of them foreign nationals. Relatives of suspected IS militants were also being held at a number of camps for displaced people - the largest of which, al-Hol, housed almost 70,000 people." } ], "id": "9708_0", "question": "Who else has Turkey deported?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4719, "answer_start": 3832, "text": "A French foreign ministry source told AFP news agency last week that suspected jihadists were often returned to France from Turkey under a 2014 agreement. \"Jihadists and their families are regularly sent back to France and arrested as they leave the plane. Most of the time it is done secretly. The news is not published, or released much later,\" the source said. Germany's interior ministry said this week that \"it did not wish to oppose the return of German citizens\". A German foreign ministry official confirmed that legal proceedings involving at least three men, five women and two children were under way in Turkey. On Monday a court in the Netherlands ruled that the country should take back the children of Dutch women who joined IS - but not necessarily their mothers. Some 23 Dutch women and their 56 children are currently being held in detention camps in Syria, AFP reports." } ], "id": "9708_1", "question": "How will the repatriations work?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "In the wake of US-led air strikes on an Islamic State (IS) convoy near the Iraqi city of Mosul on Friday, media have been awash with rumours that IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed or injured. The apparent silence of IS sources on the issue could be evidence that something has happened to al-Baghdadi. But there was a similar lack of official IS denial of rumours that the group's spokesman, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, had been killed in air strikes earlier this year - something that later turned out to be unfounded. A Twitter account purportedly belonging to Adnani has claimed Baghdadi should be on his way to a speedy recovery, but the account is almost certainly fake, as it refers to Adnani in the third person at one point. Were it real, Twitter would have deleted it some time ago, having cracked down on all traces of an official IS presence on its platform. Regardless of the veracity of the present reports, it is of interest to assess what impact Baghdadi's death would have on the fortunes of IS. IS is heavily invested in the image of Baghdadi, who had projected himself as a caliph for a year before a caliphate was declared in June 2014. One of the signs of this was Baghdadi's original declaration rebranding the group as Isis - the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant- in April 2013, an evolution from the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI). Isis implied an Islamic state entity whose presence in Iraq and Syria was a mere geographic accident, and subject to future expansion. ISI on the other hand, had implied an independent emirate that could perhaps be subsumed into the long-term global project of al-Qaeda. The shift from ISI to Isis was marked with slogans such as \"the promised project of the caliphate\" and songs like \"Close ranks and pledge allegiance to Baghdadi\". Thus, IS's basis for claiming to be a state and caliphate is closely tied to Baghdadi's persona, which initially thrived on hiding behind audio messages. Key also to Baghdadi's legitimacy in the eyes supporters is his claimed lineage from the Prophet Muhammad's family and tribe, as well as scholarly knowledge of religious jurisprudence. The problem then is to find a viable successor to Baghdadi in the event of his death. No other figure in IS is publicly cultivated to claim the position of caliph, with credentials of education in Islamic law. In addition, the persona of Baghdadi is credited with ISI's rise, to a transnational entity that controls contiguous territory and has all the trappings of a state. Senior figures within IS - such as members of the Shura Council, which supposedly gave legitimacy to the caliphate declaration - remain otherwise unknown. Nothing suggests that other high-ranking IS figures, such as Adnani and field commanders such as Omar Shishani and Shaker Abu Waheeb, are being projected as potential successors to Baghdadi. Therefore IS could find itself in disarray in the event of Baghdadi's death if it cannot immediately achieve consensus on a successor who can live up to his legacy and command allegiance from the world's Muslims. Indeed, the group's rank-and-file is by no means monolithic. Many members - particularly from likeminded jihadi groups such as Jamaat Ansar al-Islam- have pledged allegiance on the notion that IS is a \"winning horse\" that can project itself as a caliphate. If that credibility disappears, the pledges of allegiance, which it should be noted are made to Baghdadi as \"caliph of the Muslims\", could well vanish. Members would then revert to their original group identities, reducing Islamic State's ranks.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2854, "answer_start": 1632, "text": "The shift from ISI to Isis was marked with slogans such as \"the promised project of the caliphate\" and songs like \"Close ranks and pledge allegiance to Baghdadi\". Thus, IS's basis for claiming to be a state and caliphate is closely tied to Baghdadi's persona, which initially thrived on hiding behind audio messages. Key also to Baghdadi's legitimacy in the eyes supporters is his claimed lineage from the Prophet Muhammad's family and tribe, as well as scholarly knowledge of religious jurisprudence. The problem then is to find a viable successor to Baghdadi in the event of his death. No other figure in IS is publicly cultivated to claim the position of caliph, with credentials of education in Islamic law. In addition, the persona of Baghdadi is credited with ISI's rise, to a transnational entity that controls contiguous territory and has all the trappings of a state. Senior figures within IS - such as members of the Shura Council, which supposedly gave legitimacy to the caliphate declaration - remain otherwise unknown. Nothing suggests that other high-ranking IS figures, such as Adnani and field commanders such as Omar Shishani and Shaker Abu Waheeb, are being projected as potential successors to Baghdadi." } ], "id": "9709_0", "question": "Who else?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A 25-year-old New Zealand politician has admitted making \"some people very mad\" by using a viral phrase in parliament. Chloe Swarbrick told an older lawmaker \"OK boomer\" after they interrupted her speech on climate change. There was little reaction in parliament but she soon began trending online. She has also been accused of ageism. A \"boomer\" is shorthand for a baby boomer - someone born between 1946 and 1964. In internet parlance, \"OK boomer\" is a derogatory phrase used primarily by the next generations to show their indignation towards older people deemed indifferent to their concerns. It is used widely on platforms like Twitter and TikTok. \"Boomer is a state of mind,\" Ms Swarbrick told Stuff. \"I think you can see from the way that that meme has evolved that it is symbolic of the collective frustration that young people in particular feel to placing evidence in fact time after time in the debate and in the argument and being met with dogma,\" she said. She also wondered whether by using the phrase so publicly she had inadvertently killed it off. Ms Swarbrick was commenting on the Zero Carbon bill, which aims to reduce net carbon emissions in New Zealand to zero by 2050, when she used the phrase. \"Mr Speaker, how many world leaders, for how many decades have seen and known what is coming but have decided that it is more politically expedient to keep it behind closed doors. My generation and the generations after me do not have that luxury,\" she said. \"In the year 2050, I will be 56 years old. Yet, right now, the average age of this 52nd Parliament is 49 years old.\" At this point in her speech, she was interrupted by an older member of parliament, reported to be opposition spokesman for climate change, Todd Muller. Ms Swarbrick paused, gestured with her right hand and said: \"OK boomer.\" The zero carbon bill at the centre of the debate was voted into law on Thursday, with historic cross-party support. On social media, the Green MP - elected in 2017 - has been hailed as a \"queen\" for using the term. But some critics see \"OK boomer\" as ageist. Fellow New Zealand lawmaker Christopher Bishop expressed that \"unpopular and non-woke opinion\" in a tweet. Mr Muller, on the other hand, wondered how long Ms Swarbrick would remain a \"millennial force for change\". In a post on Facebook, Ms Swarbrick responded to her critics, albeit with more than a hint of sarcasm. \"Today I have learnt that responding succinctly and in perfect jest to somebody heckling you about *your age* as you speak about the impact of climate change on *your generation* with the literal title of their generation makes some people very mad,\" she wrote. \"So I guess millennials ruined humour. That, or we just need to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and abstain from avocados.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1064, "answer_start": 336, "text": "A \"boomer\" is shorthand for a baby boomer - someone born between 1946 and 1964. In internet parlance, \"OK boomer\" is a derogatory phrase used primarily by the next generations to show their indignation towards older people deemed indifferent to their concerns. It is used widely on platforms like Twitter and TikTok. \"Boomer is a state of mind,\" Ms Swarbrick told Stuff. \"I think you can see from the way that that meme has evolved that it is symbolic of the collective frustration that young people in particular feel to placing evidence in fact time after time in the debate and in the argument and being met with dogma,\" she said. She also wondered whether by using the phrase so publicly she had inadvertently killed it off." } ], "id": "9710_0", "question": "What does 'OK boomer' mean?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1934, "answer_start": 1065, "text": "Ms Swarbrick was commenting on the Zero Carbon bill, which aims to reduce net carbon emissions in New Zealand to zero by 2050, when she used the phrase. \"Mr Speaker, how many world leaders, for how many decades have seen and known what is coming but have decided that it is more politically expedient to keep it behind closed doors. My generation and the generations after me do not have that luxury,\" she said. \"In the year 2050, I will be 56 years old. Yet, right now, the average age of this 52nd Parliament is 49 years old.\" At this point in her speech, she was interrupted by an older member of parliament, reported to be opposition spokesman for climate change, Todd Muller. Ms Swarbrick paused, gestured with her right hand and said: \"OK boomer.\" The zero carbon bill at the centre of the debate was voted into law on Thursday, with historic cross-party support." } ], "id": "9710_1", "question": "Why did Ms Swarbrick say 'OK boomer'?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2784, "answer_start": 1935, "text": "On social media, the Green MP - elected in 2017 - has been hailed as a \"queen\" for using the term. But some critics see \"OK boomer\" as ageist. Fellow New Zealand lawmaker Christopher Bishop expressed that \"unpopular and non-woke opinion\" in a tweet. Mr Muller, on the other hand, wondered how long Ms Swarbrick would remain a \"millennial force for change\". In a post on Facebook, Ms Swarbrick responded to her critics, albeit with more than a hint of sarcasm. \"Today I have learnt that responding succinctly and in perfect jest to somebody heckling you about *your age* as you speak about the impact of climate change on *your generation* with the literal title of their generation makes some people very mad,\" she wrote. \"So I guess millennials ruined humour. That, or we just need to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and abstain from avocados.\"" } ], "id": "9710_2", "question": "What reaction has there been?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump has said he would like to solve the North Korea crisis diplomatically, but that a \"major, major conflict\" is possible. China's foreign minister called for negotiation and dialogue. The UN Security Council is meeting to discuss North Korea on Friday and will consider further measures to counter its nuclear and missile programmes. The country has made several military shows of strength in recent weeks but a missile it was testing failed. America sent warships to the region and began installing a controversial anti-missile system in South Korea earlier this week. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Washington would negotiate with North Korea with a view to removing nuclear weapons from the country, not changing the government. He told NPR radio in the US: \"We do not seek regime change, we do not seek a collapse of the regime, we do not seek an accelerated reunification of the peninsula. \"We seek a denuclearised Korean peninsula - and that is entirely consistent with the objectives of others in the region as well.\" North Korea has carried out repeated missile tests in recent months and is threatening to conduct its sixth nuclear test. Mr Tillerson also indicated that he thought China, North Korea's major ally, might be starting to see the regime as a \"liability\" or a security risk. \"What China is beginning to re-evaluate is whether North Korea is any kind of an asset to them, or whether North Korea themselves and the regime have become a liability to China's own security,\" he said. Shortly after being elected, Mr Trump accused China of not doing enough to rein in North Korea and suggested the US could take unilateral action. But Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has warned that tensions on the Korean peninsula risk getting out of control, and ahead of Friday's meeting he said negotiations with North Korea are \"the only right choice\". According to Mr Tillerson, China has told the US it will impose sanctions on North Korea if it conducts further nuclear tests. In a wide-ranging interview inside the Oval Office, Mr Trump praised China's President Xi Jinping for his handling of North Korea, calling him \"a very good man\" who loved his country. He said Mr Xi \"certainly doesn't want to see turmoil and death\". \"He is a very good man and I got to know him very well,\" he said. \"He loves China and he loves the people of China. I know he would like to be able to do something, perhaps it's possible that he can't.\" Mr Trump also said it had been \"very hard\" for Kim Jong-un to take over North Korea at such a young age. He said: \"He's 27 years old. His father dies, took over a regime. So say what you want but that is not easy, especially at that age.\" But he stressed he was \"not giving him credit\", and added: \"I hope he's rational.\" \"There is a chance that we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea. Absolutely,\" said Mr Trump. Other developments have raised tensions in recent weeks: - North Korea executed a failed missile launch and held a massive military parade in an apparent show of strength - The US deployed a group of warships and a submarine to the region - Pyongyang reacted angrily, threatening a \"super-mighty pre-emptive strike\" - The US began installing a controversial $1bn (PS775m) anti-missile system system called Thaad in South Korea - which Mr Trump said South Korea should pay for. Seoul said on Friday there was \"no change\" in its position that the US pays for it - Mr Tillerson and US Vice President Mike Pence visited South Korea, reiterating that \"all options are on the table\" in dealing with the North In February, China banned coal imports from North Korea - one of the country's key exports - and is reportedly also considering restricting oil shipments if Pyongyang continues to behave belligerently. The president reflected on how the demands of his job were greater than his \"previous life\", which he said he had loved. \"You're really into your own little cocoon, because you have such massive protection that you really can't go anywhere,\" he said. \"I like to drive. I can't drive any more.\" On other key topics, Mr Trump said: - He would speak to Mr Xi before again contacting Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen, after China lodged a formal complaint over a phone call he made in December - He said so-called Islamic State must be eradicated and that Islamist extremism had to be defeated - \"and it has to be humiliation\" - He could see no reason why Israel and the Palestinians should not make peace Earlier, Russia's President Vladimir Putin called for the resumption of talks with North Korea. Speaking in Moscow, where he met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, he urged those involved to \"refrain from using belligerent rhetoric\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4751, "answer_start": 3815, "text": "The president reflected on how the demands of his job were greater than his \"previous life\", which he said he had loved. \"You're really into your own little cocoon, because you have such massive protection that you really can't go anywhere,\" he said. \"I like to drive. I can't drive any more.\" On other key topics, Mr Trump said: - He would speak to Mr Xi before again contacting Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen, after China lodged a formal complaint over a phone call he made in December - He said so-called Islamic State must be eradicated and that Islamist extremism had to be defeated - \"and it has to be humiliation\" - He could see no reason why Israel and the Palestinians should not make peace Earlier, Russia's President Vladimir Putin called for the resumption of talks with North Korea. Speaking in Moscow, where he met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, he urged those involved to \"refrain from using belligerent rhetoric\"." } ], "id": "9711_0", "question": "What else did Mr Trump say?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The runner-up in Nigeria's presidential election has rejected the result as a \"throwback to the jackboot era of military dictatorship\". Atiku Abubakar criticised what he called a \"sham election\" and has vowed to go to court. President Muhammadu Buhari, who was re-elected in Saturday's poll, insisted that it had been free and fair. Delays and violence marred the run-up to the election but no independent observer has cited electoral fraud. In the 1980s, Mr Buhari, 76, was one of several military rulers in Nigeria and this election marks the 20th anniversary of the return to civilian rule. Mr Buhari got 15.2 million votes while Mr Abubakar received 11.3 million. Turnout was a record low at just 35.6% and Mr Abubakar, 72, said this was the result of a deliberate policy to prevent his supporters from voting. - 15,191,847 votes for Mr Buhari - 11,262,978 votes for Mr Abubakar - 110,196 votes for Felix Nicholas who came third - 732 votes for Nwangwu Uchenna who came last - 73 presidential candidates He said that troops had been deployed to strongholds of his People's Democratic Party (PDP) to stop people casting their ballots. Mr Abubakar said there had been \"premeditated malpractices\" in many states and wondered how states \"ravaged\" by the Islamist insurgency - in Mr Buhari's strongholds in the north - generated higher voter turnouts than more peaceful states. \"How can total votes in Akwa-Ibom, for instance, be 50% less than what they were in 2015?\" he asked in his statement. As he accepted his official certificate of election at the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) in the capital, Abuja, he said the election was \"another milestone in Nigeria's democratic development\" reports the AFP news agency. \"From the comment of several observers, both local and foreign, it is obvious that the elections were both free and fair,\" he said. Earlier, he had urged his supporters not to \"gloat or humiliate\" the opposition following his victory. \"No section or group will feel left behind or left out,\" he promised. A former soldier, Mr Buhari led a military regime for 20 months in the 1980s and was first elected president in 2015, becoming the first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent and win the presidency. His record in office is mixed. Mr Buhari's critics say that the very attributes that won over voters four years ago - his strictness and inflexibility - have emerged as liabilities. They accuse him of autocratic leanings as well as a disastrous tendency towards inaction. Mr Buhari's supporters can argue that he has largely delivered on campaign pledges such as tackling corruption and cracking down on the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. But they may struggle to point to concrete achievements in other fields, such as fixing the economy. By Fergal Keane, BBC Africa editor The breadth and depth of corruption is so great, it affects so many aspects of public life that making serious inroads into the problem would require a focus, energy and application that was lacking in President Buhari's first term. The second problem he faces in fighting corruption is having the necessary political support. There is undoubted public backing but Mr Buhari's party is compromised by senior members suspected of enriching themselves through graft. The fear is that across the board the looters will carry on pretty much as normal. Economically, ending the dependency on oil revenues needs to happen at a much faster pace. The World Bank has predicted sluggish economic growth: 2.2% for the coming year in a country with unemployment of more than 20% and nearly half the population living in extreme poverty President Buhari also faces an array of security threats from clashes between farmers and herdsmen in the Middle Belt, continuing instability in the Niger Delta and - most worrying of all - a revived threat from Islamic extremists in the north of the country. Africa's most populous nation and largest economy faces a range of problems including power shortages, corruption, security threats, and an economic slowdown. Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer but corruption and a failure to invest the proceeds from the industry have hampered development. A slow recovery from a recession in 2016 means there are not enough jobs for the large number of young people joining the employment market. About a quarter of the working age population is unemployed. Civil society groups monitoring the election said at least 53 people were killed in political violence over the weekend. Some 130 people have been taken into custody suspected of electoral offences, reports say. The initial vote was postponed early on 16 February, five hours before polls were due to open. Voters were also choosing members of the House of Representatives and Senate.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 814, "answer_start": 668, "text": "Turnout was a record low at just 35.6% and Mr Abubakar, 72, said this was the result of a deliberate policy to prevent his supporters from voting." } ], "id": "9712_0", "question": "What did Mr Abubakar say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2041, "answer_start": 1496, "text": "As he accepted his official certificate of election at the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) in the capital, Abuja, he said the election was \"another milestone in Nigeria's democratic development\" reports the AFP news agency. \"From the comment of several observers, both local and foreign, it is obvious that the elections were both free and fair,\" he said. Earlier, he had urged his supporters not to \"gloat or humiliate\" the opposition following his victory. \"No section or group will feel left behind or left out,\" he promised." } ], "id": "9712_1", "question": "What did Mr Buhari say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2791, "answer_start": 2042, "text": "A former soldier, Mr Buhari led a military regime for 20 months in the 1980s and was first elected president in 2015, becoming the first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent and win the presidency. His record in office is mixed. Mr Buhari's critics say that the very attributes that won over voters four years ago - his strictness and inflexibility - have emerged as liabilities. They accuse him of autocratic leanings as well as a disastrous tendency towards inaction. Mr Buhari's supporters can argue that he has largely delivered on campaign pledges such as tackling corruption and cracking down on the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. But they may struggle to point to concrete achievements in other fields, such as fixing the economy." } ], "id": "9712_2", "question": "Who is Mr Buhari?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4794, "answer_start": 3911, "text": "Africa's most populous nation and largest economy faces a range of problems including power shortages, corruption, security threats, and an economic slowdown. Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer but corruption and a failure to invest the proceeds from the industry have hampered development. A slow recovery from a recession in 2016 means there are not enough jobs for the large number of young people joining the employment market. About a quarter of the working age population is unemployed. Civil society groups monitoring the election said at least 53 people were killed in political violence over the weekend. Some 130 people have been taken into custody suspected of electoral offences, reports say. The initial vote was postponed early on 16 February, five hours before polls were due to open. Voters were also choosing members of the House of Representatives and Senate." } ], "id": "9712_3", "question": "What are the main issues?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has dismissed a third woman's accusation against him of misconduct as \"ridiculous\". The new claim, which is being investigated by the Senate, alleges Judge Kavanaugh committed serious sexual assault in high school. In a statement, the judge said he did not know the accuser, Julie Swetnick, and her allegations \"never happened\". He is set to testify on Thursday over other sexual misconduct claims. In a sworn affidavit, Ms Swetnick alleged that Judge Kavanaugh was involved in the drugging and sexual assault of girls at house parties in the 1980s. She says she was the victim of a gang rape in 1982 at a party attended by the judge. Ms Swetnick is represented by lawyer Michael Avenatti, who has declared his ambition to run for president as a Democrat in 2020. His most famous client is porn actress Stormy Daniels, who says she had an affair with President Donald Trump. Lawyers for the Senate Judiciary Committee say they are reviewing Ms Swetnick's testimony. Mr Avenatti has said his client is willing to testify before the panel. It comes just a day before the first accuser to come forward, Christine Blasey Ford, is due to outline allegations of sexual assault by Brett Kavanaugh at a high school party more than 30 years ago. Another woman, Deborah Ramirez, a former Yale University classmate, has said that the nominee once exposed himself to her at a dormitory party in the 1980s. But the third allegation is more serious than the other two. \"This is ridiculous and from the Twilight Zone,\" Judge Kavanaugh said in a statement shared by the White House on Wednesday, referring to the science fiction television series. \"I don't know who this is and this never happened.\" The president responded to the new claims, calling Mr Avenatti a \"third-rate lawyer who is good at making false accusations\" and a \"lowlife\". In a meeting with the Japanese Prime Minister later on Wednesday, he told reporters: \"I think it ridiculous. It's a con game that they're playing. \"He's a high-quality person. They're bringing people out of the woods. They could do it to anybody. \"It's a horrible con game. I think the people are finding it out. And hopefully over the next couple of days it will be settled up and solved and we will have a Supreme Court justice who will go down as one of our greatest ever.\" Julie Swetnick is a Washington DC resident who has spent her career working for the US federal government, including the US Department of Treasury, the US Mint and the Internal Revenue Service, according to her sworn affidavit. In the legal document released on Wednesday, Ms Swetnick notes she holds several active clearances related to her work for the US government. She says she attended high school in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and has received university degrees from Montgomery College and the University of Maryland. Her lawyer, Mr Avenatti, called her \"courageous, brave and honest\", and appealed for privacy for her and her family. Ms Swetnick's affidavit alleges: - In about 1982, Brett Kavanaugh was present as she was gang raped at a house party after becoming \"incapacitated\", possibly by a sedative, and she was \"unable to fight off the boys raping me\" - Brett Kavanaugh and a friend would try to \"'spike' the 'punch'\" with drugs or alcohol at house parties \"to cause girls to lose their inhibitions and ability to say 'No'\" - She attended a number of house parties where she saw Brett Kavanaugh drink excessively and engage in misconduct towards girls that included \"pressing against him without their consent, 'grinding' against girls, and attempting to remove or shift girls' clothing to expose private body parts\" All 10 Democratic members of Senate Judiciary Committee have called on President Trump to \"immediately withdraw\" Judge Kavanaugh. The panel chairman, Chuck Grassley, has left open the possibility that its members may not vote on the nomination by the end of the week. \"It could take place Friday, or it could not,\" he told reporters in a conference call, reports the Des Moines Register. \"That kind of depends on what happens tomorrow.\" But Republican Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted: \"I have a difficult time believing any person would continue to go to - according to the affidavit - 10 parties over a two-year period where women were routinely gang raped and not report it.\" The White House on Wednesday released a letter sent to the panel signed by 60 of Judge Kavanaugh's classmates refuting Ms Swetnick's allegations. \"We never witnessed any behaviour that even approaches what is described in this allegation,\" the letter reads. \"These shameful attacks must end. This process is a disgrace and is harming good people.\" The letter also states that these peers from Georgetown Prep and its sister schools never witnessed any misconduct on Judge Kavanaugh's part and never met someone named Julie Swetnick. The latest allegation makes Thursday's testimony make or break for the would-be Supreme Court justice. He will give evidence followed by his first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, a California psychology professor. The Senate Judiciary Committee shared Judge Kavanaugh's prepared testimony on the eve of the hearing - before the third allegation emerged. In his statement, the judge will call sexual assault \"horrific\", adding: \"I have never sexually assaulted anyone - not in high school, not in college, not ever. \"The allegation of misconduct is completely inconsistent with the rest of my life. I have always promoted the equality and dignity of women.\" Republicans have hired a female lawyer who specialises in sex crimes to question Prof Ford during the hearing. On Wednesday, she submitted affidavits from four people - including her husband - swearing \"under the penalties of perjury\" that she had detailed her allegations about Judge Kavanaugh to them starting as early as 2013. On Wednesday, her lawyers released the results of a polygraph test she took - attesting that she is telling the truth - after Republicans questioned why she had not yet shared it. Judge Kavanaugh has also shared his high school calendar from the summer of 1982 with the Senate committee as supporting evidence that he did not attend a Maryland party during that time as Prof Ford alleges.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2983, "answer_start": 2344, "text": "Julie Swetnick is a Washington DC resident who has spent her career working for the US federal government, including the US Department of Treasury, the US Mint and the Internal Revenue Service, according to her sworn affidavit. In the legal document released on Wednesday, Ms Swetnick notes she holds several active clearances related to her work for the US government. She says she attended high school in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and has received university degrees from Montgomery College and the University of Maryland. Her lawyer, Mr Avenatti, called her \"courageous, brave and honest\", and appealed for privacy for her and her family." } ], "id": "9713_0", "question": "Who is the new accuser?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3674, "answer_start": 2984, "text": "Ms Swetnick's affidavit alleges: - In about 1982, Brett Kavanaugh was present as she was gang raped at a house party after becoming \"incapacitated\", possibly by a sedative, and she was \"unable to fight off the boys raping me\" - Brett Kavanaugh and a friend would try to \"'spike' the 'punch'\" with drugs or alcohol at house parties \"to cause girls to lose their inhibitions and ability to say 'No'\" - She attended a number of house parties where she saw Brett Kavanaugh drink excessively and engage in misconduct towards girls that included \"pressing against him without their consent, 'grinding' against girls, and attempting to remove or shift girls' clothing to expose private body parts\"" } ], "id": "9713_1", "question": "What does she claim?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4884, "answer_start": 3675, "text": "All 10 Democratic members of Senate Judiciary Committee have called on President Trump to \"immediately withdraw\" Judge Kavanaugh. The panel chairman, Chuck Grassley, has left open the possibility that its members may not vote on the nomination by the end of the week. \"It could take place Friday, or it could not,\" he told reporters in a conference call, reports the Des Moines Register. \"That kind of depends on what happens tomorrow.\" But Republican Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted: \"I have a difficult time believing any person would continue to go to - according to the affidavit - 10 parties over a two-year period where women were routinely gang raped and not report it.\" The White House on Wednesday released a letter sent to the panel signed by 60 of Judge Kavanaugh's classmates refuting Ms Swetnick's allegations. \"We never witnessed any behaviour that even approaches what is described in this allegation,\" the letter reads. \"These shameful attacks must end. This process is a disgrace and is harming good people.\" The letter also states that these peers from Georgetown Prep and its sister schools never witnessed any misconduct on Judge Kavanaugh's part and never met someone named Julie Swetnick." } ], "id": "9713_2", "question": "What's the reaction?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6261, "answer_start": 4885, "text": "The latest allegation makes Thursday's testimony make or break for the would-be Supreme Court justice. He will give evidence followed by his first accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, a California psychology professor. The Senate Judiciary Committee shared Judge Kavanaugh's prepared testimony on the eve of the hearing - before the third allegation emerged. In his statement, the judge will call sexual assault \"horrific\", adding: \"I have never sexually assaulted anyone - not in high school, not in college, not ever. \"The allegation of misconduct is completely inconsistent with the rest of my life. I have always promoted the equality and dignity of women.\" Republicans have hired a female lawyer who specialises in sex crimes to question Prof Ford during the hearing. On Wednesday, she submitted affidavits from four people - including her husband - swearing \"under the penalties of perjury\" that she had detailed her allegations about Judge Kavanaugh to them starting as early as 2013. On Wednesday, her lawyers released the results of a polygraph test she took - attesting that she is telling the truth - after Republicans questioned why she had not yet shared it. Judge Kavanaugh has also shared his high school calendar from the summer of 1982 with the Senate committee as supporting evidence that he did not attend a Maryland party during that time as Prof Ford alleges." } ], "id": "9713_3", "question": "What happens on Thursday?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "With tensions rising on the Korean peninsula, the possibility of a missile or nuclear weapon landing in South Korea and Japan has now become more real. Both the US and North Korea have been trading heated rhetoric since the US announced it would deploy a group of warships to the region. Pyongyang has reacted furiously and threatened a pre-emptive strike. Observers say that while North Korea is working towards achieving full nuclear missile capability, it is highly doubtful that it has a working long-range missile that could hit the US. Several of its recent missile tests, including one earlier this month, have failed. One view is that North Korea's threats is just posturing and it is unlikely to follow through with an actual attack. But if North Korea were to actually launch a strike, neighbouring South Korea and Japan could be top targets. Pyongyang appears to have working missiles that could hit those countries. Both countries have anti-missile defence systems - some supplied by the US - that could thwart incoming rockets. Japan's system employs Aegis destroyer ships and land-based Patriot PAC-3 units, according to its defence ministry. In South Korea, the US is in the midst of deploying its controversial Thaad anti-missile defence system. Both countries are also currently conducting pre-planned joint military exercises with the US. Japanese authorities also issued guidelines last Friday to the public on how to survive a missile attack. They say it would only take minutes for a missile to reach Japan and urged citizens to seek shelter in buildings or underground. Citizens have been told that if a missile lands nearby, they should cover their mouths and noses and run away - if indoors they should stay away from windows to avoid injuries from shattering glass. They would be alerted about an incoming attack on TV, mobile phones, radio and outdoor loudspeaker systems via a system called J-Alert. One prefecture government conducted an evacuation drill last month and several local officials are now calling for nationwide drills, The Japan Times. reported. Meanwhile in South Korea, which is more used to the North's threats, the mood appears to be less tense with little sign of ramped-up civil defence preparations. Authorities regularly conduct evacuation drills and also have an emergency alert system. Due to its location just 56km (35 miles) from the North Korean border, the South Korean capital Seoul is also vulnerable to artillery fire. On Tuesday North Korea conducted a large-scale firing drill to mark its army's 85th founding anniversary. Analysts say the country has more than 20,000 artillery pieces and the BBC's Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban says its capability would be hard to neutralise. Last month Pyongyang launched several missiles into the Sea of Japan, with three landing in Japanese waters. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called it a \"new stage of threat\". Japanese authorities have also said that a North Korean long-range rocket launched in February 2016 passed over islands in Okinawa prefecture, travelling 1,600km (994 miles) within 10 minutes. South Korea meanwhile has a long history of border skirmishes with the North. One of the most serious incidents in recent years took place in 2010, when North Korea shelled the island of Yeonpyeong at the two countries' maritime border, killing several soldiers and civilians. That same year saw the sinking of a South Korean navy ship in the same area, killing 46 sailors. The incident was attributed to a North Korean torpedo launched from a submarine. In 2015 Pyongyang also fired a rocket towards the South Korean town of Yeoncheon on the western border, prompting an evacuation.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 927, "answer_start": 357, "text": "Observers say that while North Korea is working towards achieving full nuclear missile capability, it is highly doubtful that it has a working long-range missile that could hit the US. Several of its recent missile tests, including one earlier this month, have failed. One view is that North Korea's threats is just posturing and it is unlikely to follow through with an actual attack. But if North Korea were to actually launch a strike, neighbouring South Korea and Japan could be top targets. Pyongyang appears to have working missiles that could hit those countries." } ], "id": "9714_0", "question": "How likely is a nuclear or missile strike?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2738, "answer_start": 928, "text": "Both countries have anti-missile defence systems - some supplied by the US - that could thwart incoming rockets. Japan's system employs Aegis destroyer ships and land-based Patriot PAC-3 units, according to its defence ministry. In South Korea, the US is in the midst of deploying its controversial Thaad anti-missile defence system. Both countries are also currently conducting pre-planned joint military exercises with the US. Japanese authorities also issued guidelines last Friday to the public on how to survive a missile attack. They say it would only take minutes for a missile to reach Japan and urged citizens to seek shelter in buildings or underground. Citizens have been told that if a missile lands nearby, they should cover their mouths and noses and run away - if indoors they should stay away from windows to avoid injuries from shattering glass. They would be alerted about an incoming attack on TV, mobile phones, radio and outdoor loudspeaker systems via a system called J-Alert. One prefecture government conducted an evacuation drill last month and several local officials are now calling for nationwide drills, The Japan Times. reported. Meanwhile in South Korea, which is more used to the North's threats, the mood appears to be less tense with little sign of ramped-up civil defence preparations. Authorities regularly conduct evacuation drills and also have an emergency alert system. Due to its location just 56km (35 miles) from the North Korean border, the South Korean capital Seoul is also vulnerable to artillery fire. On Tuesday North Korea conducted a large-scale firing drill to mark its army's 85th founding anniversary. Analysts say the country has more than 20,000 artillery pieces and the BBC's Diplomatic Editor Mark Urban says its capability would be hard to neutralise." } ], "id": "9714_1", "question": "So are they scared?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3685, "answer_start": 2739, "text": "Last month Pyongyang launched several missiles into the Sea of Japan, with three landing in Japanese waters. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called it a \"new stage of threat\". Japanese authorities have also said that a North Korean long-range rocket launched in February 2016 passed over islands in Okinawa prefecture, travelling 1,600km (994 miles) within 10 minutes. South Korea meanwhile has a long history of border skirmishes with the North. One of the most serious incidents in recent years took place in 2010, when North Korea shelled the island of Yeonpyeong at the two countries' maritime border, killing several soldiers and civilians. That same year saw the sinking of a South Korean navy ship in the same area, killing 46 sailors. The incident was attributed to a North Korean torpedo launched from a submarine. In 2015 Pyongyang also fired a rocket towards the South Korean town of Yeoncheon on the western border, prompting an evacuation." } ], "id": "9714_2", "question": "Has North Korea attacked before?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The improbable election of Donald Trump in 2016, coming just months after the Brexit referendum, added another element of uncertainty into the Irish economy. Since taking office, he has radically overhauled US tax rules, shaken the foundations of global trade by slapping steep tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of goods from the EU, Canada, Mexico and China, and repeatedly expressed support for Brexit. Just this week, he advocated the UK leave the EU without a deal - and said Nigel Farage should be involved in the negotiations. The president lands in the Republic of Ireland later on Wednesday for a two day visit that will include a stop-over at his golf resort in Doonbeg, County Clare, and a meeting with Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Leo Varadkar. Given the hugely important economic ties between Ireland and the US, trade, jobs and Brexit are likely to dominate the agenda. Big, big, big. The US is the single largest source of foreign direct investment in Ireland, with more than 700 American companies employing an estimated 160,000 people. \"The United States accounts for about 70% of the foreign investment into Ireland and it continues to be a very strong source market across a number of sectors,\" says Kevin Sammon, director of global communications at IDA Ireland, Ireland's state agency responsible for attracting inward investment. \"US businesses have been locating in Ireland for over 100 years and, judging by recent investment numbers, they continue to see Ireland as a reliable partner for them in Europe.\" Some of those companies are among the world's largest, including technology giants like Facebook, Apple, Google and Microsoft, as well as a slew of drug companies such as Pfizer and healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson. Experts say they've been lured to Ireland by a combination of factors, including its well-educated, multi-cultural workforce, easy access to the EU market and, of course, the relatively low 12.5% corporate tax offering. That's attracted the ire of President Trump. He has, on a number of occasions, name-checked Ireland as a destination of choice for US companies seeking a low-tax base. Ireland has also made headlines internationally for the aggressive tax planning of some of the companies that have made the country their home, and their use of tax loopholes. President Trump unveiled a sweeping tax reform plan in 2017 to encourage US companies to bring earnings back to the US. Last St Patrick's Day, he quipped that the Irish were \"sharp, they're smart, they're great\". \"And they're brutal enemies.\" It's not all one-way, though. There are about 800 Irish companies active in the US market, employing 100,000 US citizens across the country, according to the American Chamber of Commerce. \"Ireland is now the ninth largest investor in the United States,\" says Mark Redmond, head of the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland. \"It's very much a two-way street. The US administration would have a strong focus in encouraging Irish companies to create more jobs in the States.\" Yes and no. The US is also a significant location for Irish goods exports, pipped only by the EU as a whole. \"You cannot overstate the importance of the US-Irish relationship for the Irish economy,\" says Prof Ron Davies, head of economics at University College Dublin. \"The multinationals are a big part of it, and maybe they don't pay as much tax as some people think they should, but they still pay a significant amount in terms of tax.\" Since Ireland's recovery began following its crippling recession, its corporation tax take has dramatically surged. It increased by 26% last year to EUR10.4bn (PS9.2bn), driven by higher and increased payments from manufacturing companies and big multinational firms. The share of corporation tax paid by the top 10 corporate taxpayers now accounts for 45% of all the tax paid. \"There is a special relationship there that has massive economic benefits,\" adds Prof Davies. But it also, arguably, leaves Ireland vulnerable to outside economic shocks. Changes in the global trade order for one - something which President Trump has set his eyes on. In March 2018, he said trade wars were good, tweeting that the US was \"losing billions of dollars on trade\" and would find a trade war \"easy to win\". During his election campaign, he spoke aggressively about trade, US agreements and even some of the country's trading partners. Since the late 1940s, the global trend has been towards reducing or eliminating barriers to trade and global commerce. But Mr Trump is sceptical about that policy. Economists have warned that, given the open nature of Ireland's economy, that could spell trouble. \"What he's talking about doing to international trade norms, that is going to have a very swift, very direct impact on Ireland,\" says Prof Davies. \"He can't pick a trade war with Ireland because we're part of the EU, but do I think he can pick a trade war with the European Union? Sure, it seems to be his thing.\" The Irish economy performed strongly once again in 2018, and the IDA says there has yet to be an impact on US investment flows into Ireland. But its chief executive, Martin Shanahan, has urged caution and says Ireland cannot be complacent. He said there had been a slowdown in decision-making from potential US investors. \"Ireland is a small open trading economy, and increased nationalism and protectionism is likely to have an impact on future FDI figures,\" he said last year. Prof Davies says the president's support for Brexit is a negative for Ireland. \"For me the biggest worrying aspect is his sticking his fingers in Brexit, encouraging Boris Johnson, saying Nigel Farage should have a place at the [negotiating] table, because as the UK goes, so does Ireland,\" he says. That could mean a greater risk of a hard Brexit, he says, arguing that would be \"extraordinarily bad news for Ireland\". But Mr Redmond says there are still \"very significant\" job announcements from US firms right across Ireland. \"Seven out of 10 of the leadership of US multinationals in Ireland say that Ireland is a better place to invest than it was three years ago. So there is huge ambition and huge expansion going on,\" he says. \"We've never seen the level of ambition in both directions in terms of business investment.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3034, "answer_start": 891, "text": "Big, big, big. The US is the single largest source of foreign direct investment in Ireland, with more than 700 American companies employing an estimated 160,000 people. \"The United States accounts for about 70% of the foreign investment into Ireland and it continues to be a very strong source market across a number of sectors,\" says Kevin Sammon, director of global communications at IDA Ireland, Ireland's state agency responsible for attracting inward investment. \"US businesses have been locating in Ireland for over 100 years and, judging by recent investment numbers, they continue to see Ireland as a reliable partner for them in Europe.\" Some of those companies are among the world's largest, including technology giants like Facebook, Apple, Google and Microsoft, as well as a slew of drug companies such as Pfizer and healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson. Experts say they've been lured to Ireland by a combination of factors, including its well-educated, multi-cultural workforce, easy access to the EU market and, of course, the relatively low 12.5% corporate tax offering. That's attracted the ire of President Trump. He has, on a number of occasions, name-checked Ireland as a destination of choice for US companies seeking a low-tax base. Ireland has also made headlines internationally for the aggressive tax planning of some of the companies that have made the country their home, and their use of tax loopholes. President Trump unveiled a sweeping tax reform plan in 2017 to encourage US companies to bring earnings back to the US. Last St Patrick's Day, he quipped that the Irish were \"sharp, they're smart, they're great\". \"And they're brutal enemies.\" It's not all one-way, though. There are about 800 Irish companies active in the US market, employing 100,000 US citizens across the country, according to the American Chamber of Commerce. \"Ireland is now the ninth largest investor in the United States,\" says Mark Redmond, head of the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland. \"It's very much a two-way street. The US administration would have a strong focus in encouraging Irish companies to create more jobs in the States.\"" } ], "id": "9715_0", "question": "How extensive is the US-Irish economic relationship?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4023, "answer_start": 3035, "text": "Yes and no. The US is also a significant location for Irish goods exports, pipped only by the EU as a whole. \"You cannot overstate the importance of the US-Irish relationship for the Irish economy,\" says Prof Ron Davies, head of economics at University College Dublin. \"The multinationals are a big part of it, and maybe they don't pay as much tax as some people think they should, but they still pay a significant amount in terms of tax.\" Since Ireland's recovery began following its crippling recession, its corporation tax take has dramatically surged. It increased by 26% last year to EUR10.4bn (PS9.2bn), driven by higher and increased payments from manufacturing companies and big multinational firms. The share of corporation tax paid by the top 10 corporate taxpayers now accounts for 45% of all the tax paid. \"There is a special relationship there that has massive economic benefits,\" adds Prof Davies. But it also, arguably, leaves Ireland vulnerable to outside economic shocks." } ], "id": "9715_1", "question": "Is the relationship all about jobs?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4975, "answer_start": 4024, "text": "Changes in the global trade order for one - something which President Trump has set his eyes on. In March 2018, he said trade wars were good, tweeting that the US was \"losing billions of dollars on trade\" and would find a trade war \"easy to win\". During his election campaign, he spoke aggressively about trade, US agreements and even some of the country's trading partners. Since the late 1940s, the global trend has been towards reducing or eliminating barriers to trade and global commerce. But Mr Trump is sceptical about that policy. Economists have warned that, given the open nature of Ireland's economy, that could spell trouble. \"What he's talking about doing to international trade norms, that is going to have a very swift, very direct impact on Ireland,\" says Prof Davies. \"He can't pick a trade war with Ireland because we're part of the EU, but do I think he can pick a trade war with the European Union? Sure, it seems to be his thing.\"" } ], "id": "9715_2", "question": "How so?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6282, "answer_start": 4976, "text": "The Irish economy performed strongly once again in 2018, and the IDA says there has yet to be an impact on US investment flows into Ireland. But its chief executive, Martin Shanahan, has urged caution and says Ireland cannot be complacent. He said there had been a slowdown in decision-making from potential US investors. \"Ireland is a small open trading economy, and increased nationalism and protectionism is likely to have an impact on future FDI figures,\" he said last year. Prof Davies says the president's support for Brexit is a negative for Ireland. \"For me the biggest worrying aspect is his sticking his fingers in Brexit, encouraging Boris Johnson, saying Nigel Farage should have a place at the [negotiating] table, because as the UK goes, so does Ireland,\" he says. That could mean a greater risk of a hard Brexit, he says, arguing that would be \"extraordinarily bad news for Ireland\". But Mr Redmond says there are still \"very significant\" job announcements from US firms right across Ireland. \"Seven out of 10 of the leadership of US multinationals in Ireland say that Ireland is a better place to invest than it was three years ago. So there is huge ambition and huge expansion going on,\" he says. \"We've never seen the level of ambition in both directions in terms of business investment.\"" } ], "id": "9715_3", "question": "Has President Trump's rhetoric affected the Irish economy?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Coronavirus is spreading around the world, but there are still no drugs that can kill the virus or vaccines that can protect against it. So how far are we from these life-saving medicines? Research is happening at breakneck speed, and there are more than 20 vaccines currently in development. Among those under way at the moment are: - The first human trial for a vaccine was announced last month by scientists at a lab in the US city of Seattle. They have taken the unusual step of skipping any animal research to test the vaccine's safety or effectiveness. - Australian scientists have begun injecting ferrets with two potential vaccines. It is the first comprehensive pre-clinical trial to move to the animal testing stage, and the researchers say they hope to move to the human testing stage by the end of April. Tests like these are taking place much quicker than would normally be the case, and some are using new approaches to vaccines. It follows that there are no guarantees everything will go smoothly. But even if these - or any other tests - do prove successful, it's not expected that manufacturers will be able to produce a mass-produced vaccine until the second half of 2021. Remember, there are four coronaviruses that already circulate in human beings. They cause the common cold, and we don't have vaccines for any of them. - ENDGAME: When will life get back to normal? - EASY STEPS: What can I do? - A SIMPLE GUIDE: What are the symptoms? - MAPS AND CHARTS: Visual guide to the outbreak - VIDEO: The 20-second hand wash Doctors are testing current anti-viral drugs to see if they work against coronavirus. This speeds up research as they are known to be safe to give to people. Trials are taking place in England and Scotland on a small number of patients with an anti-viral called remdesivir. This was originally developed as an Ebola drug, but also appears effective against a wide variety of viruses. Similar trials have already been carried out in China and the US, and results are expected in the next few weeks. There was much hope that a pair of HIV drugs (lopinavir and ritonavir) would be effective, but the trial data is disappointing. They did not improve recovery, reduce deaths or lower levels of the coronavirus in patients with serious Covid-19. However, as the trial was conducted with extremely sick patients (nearly a quarter died) it may have been too late in the infection for the drugs to work. Studies are also taking place on an anti-malarial drug called chloroquine. Laboratory tests have shown it can kill the virus, and there is some anecdotal evidence from doctors that it appears to help. However, the World Health Organization says there is no definitive evidence of its effectiveness. It will, almost inevitably, be less successful in older people. This is not because of the vaccine itself, but aged immune systems do not respond as well to immunisation. We see this every year with the flu jab. All medicines, even common pain-killers, have side effects. But without clinical trials it is impossible to know what the side effects of an experimental vaccine may be. This is something on which regulators will want to keep a close eye. If a vaccine is developed then there will be a limited supply, at least in the early stages, so it will be important to prioritise. Healthcare workers who come into contact with Covid-19 patients would be at the top of the list. The disease is most deadly in older people so they would be a priority if the vaccine was effective in this age group. However, it might be better to vaccinate those who live with or care for the elderly instead. Vaccines prevent infections and the best way of doing that at the moment is good hygiene. If you are infected by coronavirus, then for most people it would be mild and can be treated at home with bed-rest, paracetamol and plenty of fluids. Some patients may develop more severe disease and need hospital treatment. Vaccines harmlessly show viruses or bacteria (or even small parts of them) to the immune system. The body's defences recognise them as an invader and learn how to fight them. Then if the body is ever exposed for real, it already knows how to fight the infection. The main method of vaccination for decades has been to use the original virus. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is made by using weakened versions of those viruses that cannot cause a full-blown infection. The seasonal flu jab is made by taking the main strains of flu doing the rounds and completely disabling them. The work on a new coronavirus vaccine is using newer, and less tested, approaches called \"plug and play\" vaccines. Because we know the genetic code of the new coronavirus, Sars-CoV-2, we now have the complete blueprint for building that virus. Some vaccine scientists are lifting small sections of the coronavirus's genetic code and putting it into other, completely harmless, viruses. Now you can \"infect\" someone with the harmless bug and in theory give some immunity against infection. Other groups are using pieces of raw genetic code (either DNA or RNA depending on the approach) which, once injected into the body, should start producing bits of viral proteins which the immune system again can learn to fight.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2734, "answer_start": 1540, "text": "Doctors are testing current anti-viral drugs to see if they work against coronavirus. This speeds up research as they are known to be safe to give to people. Trials are taking place in England and Scotland on a small number of patients with an anti-viral called remdesivir. This was originally developed as an Ebola drug, but also appears effective against a wide variety of viruses. Similar trials have already been carried out in China and the US, and results are expected in the next few weeks. There was much hope that a pair of HIV drugs (lopinavir and ritonavir) would be effective, but the trial data is disappointing. They did not improve recovery, reduce deaths or lower levels of the coronavirus in patients with serious Covid-19. However, as the trial was conducted with extremely sick patients (nearly a quarter died) it may have been too late in the infection for the drugs to work. Studies are also taking place on an anti-malarial drug called chloroquine. Laboratory tests have shown it can kill the virus, and there is some anecdotal evidence from doctors that it appears to help. However, the World Health Organization says there is no definitive evidence of its effectiveness." } ], "id": "9716_0", "question": "Could existing drugs treat coronavirus?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2946, "answer_start": 2735, "text": "It will, almost inevitably, be less successful in older people. This is not because of the vaccine itself, but aged immune systems do not respond as well to immunisation. We see this every year with the flu jab." } ], "id": "9716_1", "question": "Would a vaccine protect people of all ages?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3185, "answer_start": 2947, "text": "All medicines, even common pain-killers, have side effects. But without clinical trials it is impossible to know what the side effects of an experimental vaccine may be. This is something on which regulators will want to keep a close eye." } ], "id": "9716_2", "question": "Will there be side effects?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3627, "answer_start": 3186, "text": "If a vaccine is developed then there will be a limited supply, at least in the early stages, so it will be important to prioritise. Healthcare workers who come into contact with Covid-19 patients would be at the top of the list. The disease is most deadly in older people so they would be a priority if the vaccine was effective in this age group. However, it might be better to vaccinate those who live with or care for the elderly instead." } ], "id": "9716_3", "question": "Who would get a vaccine?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3942, "answer_start": 3628, "text": "Vaccines prevent infections and the best way of doing that at the moment is good hygiene. If you are infected by coronavirus, then for most people it would be mild and can be treated at home with bed-rest, paracetamol and plenty of fluids. Some patients may develop more severe disease and need hospital treatment." } ], "id": "9716_4", "question": "Until a vaccine or treatment is ready what can I do?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5251, "answer_start": 3943, "text": "Vaccines harmlessly show viruses or bacteria (or even small parts of them) to the immune system. The body's defences recognise them as an invader and learn how to fight them. Then if the body is ever exposed for real, it already knows how to fight the infection. The main method of vaccination for decades has been to use the original virus. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is made by using weakened versions of those viruses that cannot cause a full-blown infection. The seasonal flu jab is made by taking the main strains of flu doing the rounds and completely disabling them. The work on a new coronavirus vaccine is using newer, and less tested, approaches called \"plug and play\" vaccines. Because we know the genetic code of the new coronavirus, Sars-CoV-2, we now have the complete blueprint for building that virus. Some vaccine scientists are lifting small sections of the coronavirus's genetic code and putting it into other, completely harmless, viruses. Now you can \"infect\" someone with the harmless bug and in theory give some immunity against infection. Other groups are using pieces of raw genetic code (either DNA or RNA depending on the approach) which, once injected into the body, should start producing bits of viral proteins which the immune system again can learn to fight." } ], "id": "9716_5", "question": "How do you create a vaccine?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "More than 60 people have been hurt, many of them riot police, in clashes with protesters on Lesbos and Chios over plans to build new migrant camps. Stones were hurled at police as protests intensified at three Lesbos sites where the centres are to be built. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has called for calm and is due to meet the regional governor and local mayors to discuss the crisis. Several police were also hurt on Chios. Authorities in Athens have pledged to build new centres to replace overcrowded facilities on Lesbos, Samos, Chios, Leros and Kos. The government plans to bring down the number of migrants on the islands from 42,000 to 20,000. All five islands lie off the coast of Turkey, on a route where hundreds of thousands of migrants have tried to cross the sea on the way to Europe in recent years. But there has been intense local opposition to the new centres. After weeks of talks between the government and local people, the government secretly shipped construction machinery and hundreds of riot police officers to Lesbos and Chios. Wednesday saw the second consecutive day of protests on the islands. The largest were on Lesbos and Chios. In Lesbos, crowds attempted to approach a site earmarked for a migrant centre. A police spokesman said more than 1,000 people were at the site and claimed they had thrown stones at officers, smashing their helmets. During the day, 43 police and 10 protesters were hurt. On Chios, about 2,000 people took to the streets. A police spokesman told AFP news agency that a group later broke into a hotel where riot officers were staying, injuring eight of them. Video footage, posted online by local media, shows a group of people bursting into the hotel, beating officers and throwing objects from windows. At least 52 riot police officers and 10 protesters were injured on Wednesday night, according to local media. On Tuesday, hooded demonstrators reportedly pelted riot police with rocks at the harbour on Chios as riot police sent from mainland Greece disembarked. Protesters on Lesbos meanwhile blocked roads leading to a construction site with rubbish trucks and cars. According to Greek reports, regional governor Kostas Moutzouris and West Lesbos Mayor Taxiarchis Verros both joined a road cordon with residents. Dimitra Kalogeropoulou, Greek head of the International Rescue Committee, said the tensions should be no surprise, adding that overcrowding \"is good for no one; local communities feel their islands have been transformed into giant prisons, while asylum seekers are forced to live in dangerous conditions\". Hundreds of thousands of migrants arrived on the Greek islands off Turkey en route from Syria to Europe in 2015 and 2016. Numbers have dropped since then after an EU deal with Turkey. However, arrivals have been rising again and a total of 42,568 migrants are currently on the islands. Some 19,000 people are currently housed at the Moria refugee camp on Lesbos - originally designed to accommodate fewer than 3,000. There are similar levels of overcrowding at other sites spread across the islands. Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, recently called for an end to the \"shocking and shameful\" conditions at the Greek camps. Mr Mitsotakis and his conservative government have taken a tougher line on migration. The Greek government recently invited proposals for a floating barrier to block migrants from arriving by sea.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3433, "answer_start": 1887, "text": "On Tuesday, hooded demonstrators reportedly pelted riot police with rocks at the harbour on Chios as riot police sent from mainland Greece disembarked. Protesters on Lesbos meanwhile blocked roads leading to a construction site with rubbish trucks and cars. According to Greek reports, regional governor Kostas Moutzouris and West Lesbos Mayor Taxiarchis Verros both joined a road cordon with residents. Dimitra Kalogeropoulou, Greek head of the International Rescue Committee, said the tensions should be no surprise, adding that overcrowding \"is good for no one; local communities feel their islands have been transformed into giant prisons, while asylum seekers are forced to live in dangerous conditions\". Hundreds of thousands of migrants arrived on the Greek islands off Turkey en route from Syria to Europe in 2015 and 2016. Numbers have dropped since then after an EU deal with Turkey. However, arrivals have been rising again and a total of 42,568 migrants are currently on the islands. Some 19,000 people are currently housed at the Moria refugee camp on Lesbos - originally designed to accommodate fewer than 3,000. There are similar levels of overcrowding at other sites spread across the islands. Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, recently called for an end to the \"shocking and shameful\" conditions at the Greek camps. Mr Mitsotakis and his conservative government have taken a tougher line on migration. The Greek government recently invited proposals for a floating barrier to block migrants from arriving by sea." } ], "id": "9717_0", "question": "What's happening on the islands?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, is holding much-anticipated presidential and parliamentary polls on 20 November. They come more than a year after a first attempt to hold the presidential ballot ended without a run-off round The October 2015 presidential election was won by Jovenel Moise but opposition challenger Jude Celestin called foul and, after violent unrest, the ballot was annulled and a new election called. It should have been held this 9 October but was postponed after Hurricane Matthew devastated parts of the country. A second round is due in January if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote. Also on Sunday, Haitians will vote in the second round of parliamentary elections - the first was held in August of last year. Jocelerme Privert was named as interim president by parliament in February 2016 to fill the power vacuum after the incumbent, Michel Martelly, stepped down at the end of his term. Standing this weekend are: - Banana exporter Jovenel Moise, from the centre-right Haitian Tet Kale Party, who has the support of Mr Martelly and won the first round last year with almost 32% of the vote - Jude Celestin, from the Alternative League for Haitian Progress and Emancipation, who came second last year with 25% and is backed by a coalition of parties - Jean-Charles Moise, who is running for the progressive Platform Pitit Dessalin, and came third in 2015 with 14% of the vote - Maryse Narcisse, from the left-wing Fanmi Lavalas party, who came fourth in last year's election and is backed by Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haiti's first democratically elected president - Jean-Henri Ceant of the Remen Ayiti party and Edmonde Supplice Beauzile of the Fusion Party of Haitian Social Democrats The most pressing issue is the continuing humanitarian crisis which began with the 2010 earthquake. The United Nations has said it is struggling to assist Haiti because of insufficient foreign aid. Almost seven years after the 2010 earthquake, about 1.5m victims still live in temporary shelter while cholera has caused nearly 10,000 deaths. Massive deforestation has led to crops being washed away and many homes being destroyed by natural disasters. Political instability and corruption have also contributed to rampant poverty. Without effective government for decades, Haiti ranks 163rd out of the 188 countries on the UN Human Development Index.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 752, "answer_start": 236, "text": "The October 2015 presidential election was won by Jovenel Moise but opposition challenger Jude Celestin called foul and, after violent unrest, the ballot was annulled and a new election called. It should have been held this 9 October but was postponed after Hurricane Matthew devastated parts of the country. A second round is due in January if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote. Also on Sunday, Haitians will vote in the second round of parliamentary elections - the first was held in August of last year." } ], "id": "9718_0", "question": "Why so late?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2380, "answer_start": 1730, "text": "The most pressing issue is the continuing humanitarian crisis which began with the 2010 earthquake. The United Nations has said it is struggling to assist Haiti because of insufficient foreign aid. Almost seven years after the 2010 earthquake, about 1.5m victims still live in temporary shelter while cholera has caused nearly 10,000 deaths. Massive deforestation has led to crops being washed away and many homes being destroyed by natural disasters. Political instability and corruption have also contributed to rampant poverty. Without effective government for decades, Haiti ranks 163rd out of the 188 countries on the UN Human Development Index." } ], "id": "9718_1", "question": "What challenges does the winner face?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The RSPCA should withdraw from routinely prosecuting animal welfare cases, according to MPs. The Commons environment committee said there was a \"conflict of interest\" between the charity's power to prosecute and its role in investigating cases, campaigning and fundraising. But the RSPCA defended its work and said the move was not supported by the government or animal welfare groups. The government says it will consider the committee's recommendations. The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committee called on ministers to change the law concerning the RSPCA's role. Everyone in England and Wales has the right to bring a private prosecution against someone who they believe has committed an offence. The Committee recommends the RSPCA should continue its work investigating animal welfare cases, but \"withdraw from acting as a prosecutor of first resort\" and let the Crown Prosecution Service or other statutory bodies carry out this role. If there were no statutory alternatives - and where a private prosecution would further its charitable aims - the RSPCA could still be allowed to bring a case, said the committee. The RSPCA exercises its right to act as private prosecutor under the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. The charity has no legal enforcement powers or authority in its own right, so all prosecutions are brought via independent solicitors acting for the RSPCA. The director of public prosecutions does have the right to intervene in any criminal proceedings if she feels that proceedings are unjustified. Other charities have brought prosecutions in cases where the police or CPS haven't taken action. The committee report also highlighted a dramatic rise in numbers of imported puppies from eastern Europe. Puppies can be imported for commercial purposes or moved as pets under the EU Pet Travel Scheme (PETS). Between the introduction of PETS in 2011 and 2015, the report points to a 2,055% increase in the number of dogs entering the UK from Romania. There was an 850% increase from Lithuania and a 761% rise from Hungary in the same period. The committee recommended the government increase spot checks at entry points into the UK and that the age at which dogs can be brought in to the UK should be increased from 15 weeks to six months in order to reduce their commercial value to smugglers. Commenting on the recommendation to the RSPCA, Conservative MP and chairman Neil Parish said the committee was not convinced the charity was in any better position to prosecute than the CPS and \"should step back from making prosecutions itself\". Evidence heard included testimony from the Self-Help Group (SHG) for farmers, pet owners and others experiencing difficulties with the RSPCA which said some people felt alienated by the charity's \"targeting of vulnerable, ill or elderly people\" and the removal of their animals. RSPCA chief executive Jeremy Cooper rejected the MPs' criticism. \"We are extremely proud of our near 200 years of experience investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty and our 92% success rate - which is currently a higher percentage than the CPS,\" he said. But Tim Bonner, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, who have been critical of the RSPCA, told the Today Programme: \"The RSPCA is in a position that no other private organisation is. \"They retain this prosecution role which all other charities and private individuals gave up in the 80s when the CPS was formed.\" Speaking to BBC Breakfast the RSPCA's head of public affairs, David Bowles, said most of the charity's work was \"about educating people to take care of their animals much better\". Last year the RSPCA spent PS4.9 million on legal fees and cases. Mr Bowles said that represented about 3% of the charity's budget. - Complaints of cruelty investigated by the RSPCA rose from 153,770 in 2013 to 159,831 in 2014 in England and Wales - In 2014, this led to 1,132 prosecutions - The charity's prosecution success rate is 98.9%, according to 2014 RSPCA figures In a joint statement, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, Blue Cross, Cats Protection, the Dogs Trust and the PDSA said they feared that without the RSPCA, \"many cases of unacceptable animal abuse would go unprosecuted\". The committee also recommended the maximum penalty for animal welfare crimes should be increased from 51 weeks to five years. And it called for a ban on the third party sale of dogs, so they would only be available from licensed, regulated breeders or approved rehoming organisations. Neither the SSPCA (the Scottish equivalent of the RSPCA) nor the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) bring prosecutions, as the RSPCA does in England and Wales. Correction 11 April 2017: This page, first published on 16 November 2016, has been amended following a complaint that was upheld by the BBC's Editorial Complaints Unit.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3739, "answer_start": 1127, "text": "The RSPCA exercises its right to act as private prosecutor under the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. The charity has no legal enforcement powers or authority in its own right, so all prosecutions are brought via independent solicitors acting for the RSPCA. The director of public prosecutions does have the right to intervene in any criminal proceedings if she feels that proceedings are unjustified. Other charities have brought prosecutions in cases where the police or CPS haven't taken action. The committee report also highlighted a dramatic rise in numbers of imported puppies from eastern Europe. Puppies can be imported for commercial purposes or moved as pets under the EU Pet Travel Scheme (PETS). Between the introduction of PETS in 2011 and 2015, the report points to a 2,055% increase in the number of dogs entering the UK from Romania. There was an 850% increase from Lithuania and a 761% rise from Hungary in the same period. The committee recommended the government increase spot checks at entry points into the UK and that the age at which dogs can be brought in to the UK should be increased from 15 weeks to six months in order to reduce their commercial value to smugglers. Commenting on the recommendation to the RSPCA, Conservative MP and chairman Neil Parish said the committee was not convinced the charity was in any better position to prosecute than the CPS and \"should step back from making prosecutions itself\". Evidence heard included testimony from the Self-Help Group (SHG) for farmers, pet owners and others experiencing difficulties with the RSPCA which said some people felt alienated by the charity's \"targeting of vulnerable, ill or elderly people\" and the removal of their animals. RSPCA chief executive Jeremy Cooper rejected the MPs' criticism. \"We are extremely proud of our near 200 years of experience investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty and our 92% success rate - which is currently a higher percentage than the CPS,\" he said. But Tim Bonner, Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, who have been critical of the RSPCA, told the Today Programme: \"The RSPCA is in a position that no other private organisation is. \"They retain this prosecution role which all other charities and private individuals gave up in the 80s when the CPS was formed.\" Speaking to BBC Breakfast the RSPCA's head of public affairs, David Bowles, said most of the charity's work was \"about educating people to take care of their animals much better\". Last year the RSPCA spent PS4.9 million on legal fees and cases. Mr Bowles said that represented about 3% of the charity's budget." } ], "id": "9719_0", "question": "What prosecution powers does the RSPCA have?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Designer Kate Spade, who was found dead at her New York home in an apparent suicide, suffered from depression and anxiety, her husband says. Andy Spade said \"she sounded happy\" when he and their daughter spoke to the 55-year-old handbag and fashion designer the night before her death. \"There was no indication and no warning that she would do this. It was a complete shock,\" he said. Tributes from the fashion industry have poured in since her death on Tuesday. \"My daughter and I are devastated by her loss, and can't even begin to fathom life without her. We are deeply heartbroken and miss her already,\" Mr Spade said in a statement published by the New York Times. The couple, who were also business partners, have a teenage daughter, Frances Beatrix. Mr Spade said he and his wife had been living separately, \"but within a few blocks of each other\", for the last 10 months. Their daughter had been living with both parents and the couple saw each other or spoke every day. \"We were not legally separated, and never even discussed divorce,\" he continued. \"We were best friends trying to work through our problems in the best way we knew how.\" Mr Spade said the designer was seeing a doctor on a regular basis and taking medication for depression and anxiety. He dispelled rumours that she had any problems with alcohol or in her business life. The New York Police Department confirmed Spade's death under her birth name, Katherine Noel Brosnahan, on Tuesday. Police said the designer's housekeeper found her unresponsive on Tuesday at her Park Avenue apartment in Manhattan. New York Police Department chief of detectives, Dermot Shea, said a note had been found at the scene, but Mr Spade said he has \"yet to see any note left behind\". Spade, a former editor of fashion magazine Mademoiselle, created a fashion sensation in the 1990s with her line of handbags, and built an accessories empire that grew to hundreds of shops internationally. She founded the Kate Spade Handbags brand in 1993 with her partner Andy, whom she had met while studying journalism at Arizona State University, and another friend, Elyce Arons. The brand opened its first store in New York in 1996, with a stated aim of designing the perfect handbag. Its logo was the spades playing card symbol, and its bright and colourful patterned designs became a hallmark of its products. More on Kate Spade Spade sold her namesake brand in 2007 and it was bought last year by New York rival designer Coach in a deal worth $2.4bn (PS1.8bn). She and her husband then set up another design venture, Frances Valentine, named after their daughter. Spade legally changed her name to Kate Valentine (Valentine was her grandfather's middle name) in 2016 to \"separate the two worlds\", she said. From Canada or US: If you're in an emergency, please call 911 You can contact the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 Young people in need of help can call Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868 If you're in the US, you can contact the Crisis Test Line by texting HOME to 741741 If you are in the UK, you can call the Samaritans on 116123 For support and more information on emotional distress, click here.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1741, "answer_start": 1464, "text": "Police said the designer's housekeeper found her unresponsive on Tuesday at her Park Avenue apartment in Manhattan. New York Police Department chief of detectives, Dermot Shea, said a note had been found at the scene, but Mr Spade said he has \"yet to see any note left behind\"." } ], "id": "9720_0", "question": "What were the circumstances of her death?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2357, "answer_start": 1742, "text": "Spade, a former editor of fashion magazine Mademoiselle, created a fashion sensation in the 1990s with her line of handbags, and built an accessories empire that grew to hundreds of shops internationally. She founded the Kate Spade Handbags brand in 1993 with her partner Andy, whom she had met while studying journalism at Arizona State University, and another friend, Elyce Arons. The brand opened its first store in New York in 1996, with a stated aim of designing the perfect handbag. Its logo was the spades playing card symbol, and its bright and colourful patterned designs became a hallmark of its products." } ], "id": "9720_1", "question": "How did Spade become a household name?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The British Airways strike next month is to cause at least five consecutive days of flight cancellations. BA pilots announced three days of strikes - taking place on 9, 10 and 27 September - in a dispute over pay. Despite the first strikes being on 9 and 10 September, some customers flying between the 8th and 12th have been told their flights have been cancelled - and to rebook or get a refund. But some passengers said they had received cancellation emails in error. After initially being informed their flights had been scrapped, they were then told their flights were going ahead. Sarah Maxwell, from Belfast, was told by email that her flight from Dublin to Dubai had been axed - but when she got through to customer services they assured her the flight was \"100% not cancelled\". BBC entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba had a similar experience, being told he had been sent a cancellation email \"in error\". \"I've lost a whole Saturday morning trying to sort out something it turns out wasn't a problem,\" he said. BA is yet to comment on whether it had sent some emails by mistake. Many customers have also complained that they have been unable to get through to BA to make alternative arrangements. BA says it carries 145,000 customers every day - with a fleet of more than 280 aircraft - and a BA plane takes off from somewhere in the world every 90 seconds. BA said in a statement it was \"extremely sorry\" some of its customers were having difficulties trying to rearrange flights. \"Our teams have been working tirelessly to help as many of our customers as possible, in these unprecedented circumstances,\" it said. \"Our planning teams have been providing our customers with as many options as possible, as quickly as possible, including a full refund or rebooking to a different date of travel.\" Customers received emails late on Friday night and in the early hours of Saturday morning informing them their flight had been cancelled. Many took to social media to complain that they were unable to rebook via the website or get through on BA's phone lines. Abby Deem, 32, from Cambridge said her honeymoon plans had been \"ruined\" after her business class flight to Mauritius on 9 September was cancelled. \"We've been looking forward to this flight for a year,\" she said. \"Neither of us have ever had the luxury to travel business class, and after the wedding it seemed the perfect way to start our honeymoon.\" She said she felt sick when her fiance Jonathan got a text to say the flight had been cancelled. They have now booked economy flights with Emirates and they estimate it will cost them an extra PS500. Jennifer Bond, from Manchester, was due to fly to Las Vegas with her fiance Simon to get married but their flights to and from the US (11 and 25 September) have been cancelled. She said: \"Nearly two years of saving up and budgeting relentlessly and this happens three weeks before we fly.\" It was \"impossible\" to get through to BA on the phone, she added, so they have booked new flights with Virgin - costing PS700 more than their original flights. \"We're now out of pocket and the time to process a refund is four weeks,\" she said. \"It's disgraceful.\" Another customer, Anna Redding, was scheduled to fly to Nairobi with her partner for their honeymoon on 11 September and return on 27 September - when the final strike is scheduled to take place. They received an email saying their outward flight had been cancelled, and their return flight had been delayed. She said they had also saved up to upgrade to first class flights as it was a \"once in a lifetime\" holiday. They have been unable to get through to BA on the phone and she said the advice is unclear, adding: \"Do we try to get another flight with someone else but lose the first class or do we wait just in case but risk not getting any other flights?\" The company's Twitter feed was inundated with messages from frustrated customers, with some saying their cancelled flights were still on sale. In response to one customer, BA said some flights before and after the strike were \"still subject to disruption due to operational reasons, including crew rostering and positioning of aircraft\". Travel expert Simon Calder explained two days of strikes had turned into five successive days of cancellations because BA would not send a flight to, for example, Hong Kong, if a pilot was going to go on strike the next day. He also said BA has to find customers \"an alternative flight on the same day if it possibly can, even if it means buying you a ticket on another airline\". If you are delayed overnight, he said BA has to pay for a hotel and meals. He added: \"The worst thing you can do is take a full refund because then you will be buying another ticket yourself and that could well cost more.\" The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) said on Friday the strikes were a \"last resort\" born out of \"enormous frustration\" with airline management. Pilots have rejected a pay increase worth 11.5% over three years, which the airline put forward in July. BA advice says you can request a full refund, rebook your flight for another time in the next 355 days, or use the value of your fare to fly to a different destination. If your flight has been cancelled because airline staff are striking, the the Civil Aviation Authority said, then this would be considered within the airline's control, and therefore you have a legal right to either: - A full refund, and this includes flights in the same journey that might be from a different airline (for example, an onward or return flight) - A replacement flight to get to your destination - Or, if you are part way through your journey and don't want a replacement flight, you are entitled to a flight back to the airport you originally departed from 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.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5974, "answer_start": 5039, "text": "BA advice says you can request a full refund, rebook your flight for another time in the next 355 days, or use the value of your fare to fly to a different destination. If your flight has been cancelled because airline staff are striking, the the Civil Aviation Authority said, then this would be considered within the airline's control, and therefore you have a legal right to either: - A full refund, and this includes flights in the same journey that might be from a different airline (for example, an onward or return flight) - A replacement flight to get to your destination - Or, if you are part way through your journey and don't want a replacement flight, you are entitled to a flight back to the airport you originally departed from 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." } ], "id": "9721_0", "question": "What can I claim if my flight has been affected by the strikes?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Ukraine's parliament has backed a presidential plan to impose martial law in part of the country after Russia captured three of its naval vessels and 23 crew members on Sunday. President Petro Poroshenko said the 30-day order would affect border regions vulnerable to potential Russian attack. Authorities can ban protests and strikes, and citizens could be called up for military duty. Russia's President Putin expressed \"serious concern\" at the decision. Russian coastguard ships opened fire on Sunday as three Ukrainian boats sailed off the coast of Crimea, annexed by Russian in 2014. Several Ukrainian sailors were wounded in what Ukraine described as an \"act of aggression\" by Russia. Moscow said the ships had illegally entered its waters. Russian TV broadcast statements from some of the captured Ukrainian navy men on Tuesday. One commander was quoted as saying he realised his actions \"were provocative\" and Russian TV claimed the Ukrainian operation had been carried out by the SBU security service. The naval clash is the first time Russia and Ukraine have come into open conflict in recent years, although Russian-backed separatists and Russian \"volunteers\" have been fighting Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine since 2014. A number of Western countries condemned Russia's actions and President Poroshenko warned the threat of a Russian land invasion was \"extremely serious\". In New York, the United Nations Security Council met to discuss the crisis - but failed to agree a Russian-proposed agenda amid sharp disagreements between Moscow and the West. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement that the seizure of Ukrainian ships was a \"dangerous escalation and a violation of international law\". President Donald Trump said: \"We do not like what's happening, either way we don't like what's happening and hopefully they'll get straight.\" Taking a call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Vladimir Putin argued that the Ukrainians had \"deliberately ignored the rules of peaceful passage in the territorial sea of the Russian Federation\", the Kremlin said. After heated debate in Ukraine's parliament, 276 lawmakers backed a decision to impose martial law on 10 of Ukraine's 27 regions: - Five regions border Russian territory - Two regions border Moldova's breakaway Trans-Dniester region, where Russian troops are stationed - Three regions on the Black Sea/Sea of Azov coast Thirty lawmakers voted against the move. Martial law will enter into force at 09:00 local time (07:00 GMT) on Wednesday and will end on 27 December. Monday's vote in parliament came after an emotional address by President Poroshenko, who promised not to restrict basic freedoms. Some MPs expressed fears Mr Poroshenko could suspend a presidential poll on 31 March 2019 - a claim he firmly denied. But he stressed he needed firm power in case of a full-scale Russian invasion. Ukraine's national security and defence council had initially recommended a 60-day martial law. But Mr Poroshenko said he amended the proposal because he did not want martial law to affect the presidential elections. Still, critics expressed fears that Mr Poroshenko - whose ratings have plummeted in recent months - could suspend the elections to stay in power. This is the chronology of the dramatic events that led to the naval clash: - In the morning, Ukraine said it had sent two gunboats and a tug from the Black Sea port of Odessa to Mariupol in the Sea of Azov - Ukraine's navy then said Russian boats had tried to intercept its vessels, ramming the tug - Russia accused Ukraine of illegally entering its territorial waters - Russia scrambled fighter jets and helicopters as the Ukrainian vessels approached a bridge over the Kerch Strait - the only access to the Sea of Azov - The bridge itself was blocked by a tanker - In the evening, Ukraine said its vessels had been fired on and seized by the Russians. Six Ukrainian crew members were injured - Russia confirmed it had used weapons to force the Ukrainian vessels to stop, saying three Ukrainians were injured Russia said the Ukrainian ships were in its waters illegally because Moscow had temporarily closed an area of water for shipping. Kiev called Russia's actions a flagrant violation of international law, because the Black Sea is free for shipping, and Crimea belongs to Ukraine. Ukraine also cited a 2003 Russia-Ukraine treaty on unimpeded access to the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov. It said it had informed the Russians in advance of its plan to move its ships to Mariupol - a claim denied by Russia. In recent weeks, two Ukrainian vessels passed through the Kerch Straight without incident. There have been growing tensions between the two sides over navigation in the area. Russia has recently begun inspecting all vessels sailing to or from Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov. This began after Ukraine detained a fishing vessel from Crimea in March. Moscow also says the checks are necessary for security reasons. Ukraine has accused Russia of trying to occupy the Sea of Azov and damage Ukraine's economy by hindering access to its ports. Ukraine gained independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. However, Russia considers a Western-leaning Ukraine a threat to its interests. In 2014, Ukraine's pro-Russian leader was overthrown, after large-scale protests against the government's decision to abandon plans to sign an association agreement with the EU. Russia then annexed Crimea, while Russia-backed separatists moved against the Ukrainian state in the east. More than 10,000 people have been killed in the conflict in the east.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3253, "answer_start": 2095, "text": "After heated debate in Ukraine's parliament, 276 lawmakers backed a decision to impose martial law on 10 of Ukraine's 27 regions: - Five regions border Russian territory - Two regions border Moldova's breakaway Trans-Dniester region, where Russian troops are stationed - Three regions on the Black Sea/Sea of Azov coast Thirty lawmakers voted against the move. Martial law will enter into force at 09:00 local time (07:00 GMT) on Wednesday and will end on 27 December. Monday's vote in parliament came after an emotional address by President Poroshenko, who promised not to restrict basic freedoms. Some MPs expressed fears Mr Poroshenko could suspend a presidential poll on 31 March 2019 - a claim he firmly denied. But he stressed he needed firm power in case of a full-scale Russian invasion. Ukraine's national security and defence council had initially recommended a 60-day martial law. But Mr Poroshenko said he amended the proposal because he did not want martial law to affect the presidential elections. Still, critics expressed fears that Mr Poroshenko - whose ratings have plummeted in recent months - could suspend the elections to stay in power." } ], "id": "9722_0", "question": "What will martial law mean?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4654, "answer_start": 3254, "text": "This is the chronology of the dramatic events that led to the naval clash: - In the morning, Ukraine said it had sent two gunboats and a tug from the Black Sea port of Odessa to Mariupol in the Sea of Azov - Ukraine's navy then said Russian boats had tried to intercept its vessels, ramming the tug - Russia accused Ukraine of illegally entering its territorial waters - Russia scrambled fighter jets and helicopters as the Ukrainian vessels approached a bridge over the Kerch Strait - the only access to the Sea of Azov - The bridge itself was blocked by a tanker - In the evening, Ukraine said its vessels had been fired on and seized by the Russians. Six Ukrainian crew members were injured - Russia confirmed it had used weapons to force the Ukrainian vessels to stop, saying three Ukrainians were injured Russia said the Ukrainian ships were in its waters illegally because Moscow had temporarily closed an area of water for shipping. Kiev called Russia's actions a flagrant violation of international law, because the Black Sea is free for shipping, and Crimea belongs to Ukraine. Ukraine also cited a 2003 Russia-Ukraine treaty on unimpeded access to the Kerch Strait and Sea of Azov. It said it had informed the Russians in advance of its plan to move its ships to Mariupol - a claim denied by Russia. In recent weeks, two Ukrainian vessels passed through the Kerch Straight without incident." } ], "id": "9722_1", "question": "What happened on Sunday?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5105, "answer_start": 4655, "text": "There have been growing tensions between the two sides over navigation in the area. Russia has recently begun inspecting all vessels sailing to or from Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov. This began after Ukraine detained a fishing vessel from Crimea in March. Moscow also says the checks are necessary for security reasons. Ukraine has accused Russia of trying to occupy the Sea of Azov and damage Ukraine's economy by hindering access to its ports." } ], "id": "9722_2", "question": "Why is this happening now?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The UN's Libya envoy Ghassan Salame has called on foreign powers to stop interfering in Libya's civil war. On the eve of peace talks in Berlin, Mr Salame said foreign support of proxy groups in the conflict had created a \"vicious cycle\" of violence. But Mr Salame told the BBC that he was optimistic about the negotiations. It comes after nine months of conflict between the powerful General Khalifa Haftar and the UN-backed government in the capital Tripoli. A truce was announced earlier this month between Gen Haftar and the Government of National Accord (GNA). But both sides blame each other for reported breaches of the agreement, and attempts to broker a lasting ceasefire broke down last week at a summit in Moscow. On Saturday, forces loyal to Gen Haftar blocked oil exports from several major Libyan ports. The move is a damaging blow to the country's main source of income, a day before renewed peace talks begin. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Salame called on international powers to stop supporting local proxy groups with mercenaries, arms, financing, and direct military support. He said such actions created \"a vicious circle where their proxies call for intervention in their fight, and their own ambitions bring more divisions.\" The role of foreign states in the conflict has come into focus in recent months, with Turkey passing a controversial law to deploy troops to help GNA forces in Tripoli. Meanwhile, Gen Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) has the backing of Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Jordan. Sunday's summit aims to extract a pledge from foreign powers to honour a UN arms embargo on Libya, and to halt any further interference in the conflict. The meeting will bring the two sides together, along with their foreign backers, the UN and other global powers, including Russia's President Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Mr Salame told the BBC that a political solution to the conflict was best for all parties involved because Libya - with its vast geography, strong local identities, heavily-armed population and weakened government infrastructure - was a difficult country for one group to control. \"Most of the national interests of all these countries, especially big [commercial] contracts and oil contracts, even geopolitical demands, can be accommodated by a peaceful and prosperous Libya, much better than a divided and war-torn country,\" he added. Libya has been wracked by conflict since the 2011 uprising which ousted long-time strongman Muammar Gaddafi. Gen Haftar's LNA controls much of eastern Libya, and last April he launched an offensive against the country's rival government in Tripoli. His forces have so far been unable to take the city, but earlier this month the LNA captured Libya's country's third-biggest city, Sirte. According to the UN, the fighting has killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands more from their homes.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2457, "answer_start": 925, "text": "Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Salame called on international powers to stop supporting local proxy groups with mercenaries, arms, financing, and direct military support. He said such actions created \"a vicious circle where their proxies call for intervention in their fight, and their own ambitions bring more divisions.\" The role of foreign states in the conflict has come into focus in recent months, with Turkey passing a controversial law to deploy troops to help GNA forces in Tripoli. Meanwhile, Gen Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) has the backing of Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Jordan. Sunday's summit aims to extract a pledge from foreign powers to honour a UN arms embargo on Libya, and to halt any further interference in the conflict. The meeting will bring the two sides together, along with their foreign backers, the UN and other global powers, including Russia's President Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Mr Salame told the BBC that a political solution to the conflict was best for all parties involved because Libya - with its vast geography, strong local identities, heavily-armed population and weakened government infrastructure - was a difficult country for one group to control. \"Most of the national interests of all these countries, especially big [commercial] contracts and oil contracts, even geopolitical demands, can be accommodated by a peaceful and prosperous Libya, much better than a divided and war-torn country,\" he added." } ], "id": "9723_0", "question": "What did Ghassan Salame say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2955, "answer_start": 2458, "text": "Libya has been wracked by conflict since the 2011 uprising which ousted long-time strongman Muammar Gaddafi. Gen Haftar's LNA controls much of eastern Libya, and last April he launched an offensive against the country's rival government in Tripoli. His forces have so far been unable to take the city, but earlier this month the LNA captured Libya's country's third-biggest city, Sirte. According to the UN, the fighting has killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands more from their homes." } ], "id": "9723_1", "question": "What is the current situation in Libya?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Fifteen countries in West Africa have agreed to adopt a single currency next year called the eco. Experts are divided on the impact it would have on the region's economy, especially in the eight member states which use CFA franc - which is backed by France. Negotiations for the joint currency have been in the works for 30 years. The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), the region's political and economic union, said the rollout will be gradual with countries meeting the laid-out criteria joining first. Eight countries already use the CFA franc, which is pegged to the euro, and is guaranteed by France. The other seven have their own currencies, none of them freely convertible. Proponents of the eco say the single currency will facilitate trade, lower transaction costs and facilitate payments amongst Ecowas' 385 million people. However, critics worry that Nigeria, the region's biggest economy, will dominate monetary policy and stall the projected benefits. For economists Ferdinand Backoup and Daniel Ndoye, a single currency would prove a valuable instrument in the international monetary system: \"West African countries - like most other developing countries - are not immune to monetary shocks caused by policies implemented in the rest of the world,\" the pair wrote in a briefing note for the African Development Bank. A single currency can offer a chance, they say, to put up a \"collective and effective front\" against these disruptions. About the ECO - To be launched 2020 - Will be used by 15 Ecowas members - The exchange rate will be flexible - The monetary union will have a specific inflation rate as one of its central goals It looks extremely unlikely that all 15 countries will meet this target. The single currency was first planned to be introduced in 2003 but the launch has been postponed several times; in 2005, 2010 and 2014. It is possible, although ambitious, that some countries will meet the current criteria for the 2020 deadline - the primary four being: - A budget deficit of not more than 3% - An average annual inflation rate of less than 10% - Central Bank financing of budget deficits should be no more than 10% of the previous year's tax revenue - Gross external reserves worth at least three months of imports must be available These criteria, along with two other secondary ones, are due to be assessed by Ecowas by the end of 2019. One of the problems is inconsistency: countries could, for example, meet the criteria next year, and then fall behind the following year. In 2016, only one country, Liberia, met all the six conditions, and no single criterion was met by all the countries. Economist Martial Belinga, author of Liberate Africa From Monetary Slavery, says 2020 is a symbolic goal. \"It's more about the process,\" he said. \"Having a deadline pushes states to reach the criteria.\" Mr Belinga says Ecowas might want to consider revising the entrance criteria, as long as they remain credible. Ecowas has said adoption would be gradual though, so the countries that do meet the criteria can join, and the others can follow later. If the goal is to boost trade, some analysts are sceptical that a single currency is key. \"We struggle in Nigeria alone to get produce from the north to Lagos, and to other southern parts where it can be consumed,\" said Sanyade Okoli, head of Alpha African Advisory. \"If goods can't move freely, how can we even talk about a single currency? she asked. \"We need to address poor infrastructure, bureaucracy - the lower-hanging fruits first\". For Mr Belinga, the real impediment to trade in the region is not the lack of a single currency but that countries don't have much to trade. \"West African countries must transform their economies, with diversification and added value industries,\" he says. \"That's the real solution to face external shocks and volatility.\" Currently, most countries rely on commodities whose prices are regulated on international markets. For the economist, the single currency isn't \"an end in itself\". Although talk of a political federation has not dominated the latest discussions, critics point at pitfalls of running a joint currency without a political union. Economists Ferdinand Bakoup and Daniel Ndoye say the commitment of regional leaders should allay such fears. \"The creation of a presidential task force to monitor the single currency creation process, headed by the heads of state of Ghana, Nigeria and Ivory Coast and the Committee of Central Bank governors, is a glaring illustration,\" they said. \"What now remains is to transform this commitment by accelerating the implementation of reforms to help achieve this objective\". You may also be interested in: But despite their will to move forward, many also fear losing part of their sovereignty. \"As Africa's largest economy and most populous country, we cannot afford to rush into such agreements without full and proper consultation with all stakeholders,\" said Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari. The next Ecowas meeting in December is likely to whip up some of these concerns. Nigeria, whose oil-dependent economy accounts for two-thirds of the region's GDP, would dominate a future monetary union. Some economists have compared Nigeria to Germany's weight in the eurozone although Nigeria would be far more dominant in the eco. For Ms Okoli, that could be problematic. \"We should have an honest conversation about how we feel about that,\" she says. \"Germany had a measure of restraint coming out of World War II, but we don't have that in Nigeria,\" she said. It is, however, less of problem and more of an opportunity, Mr Belinga argues. \"There's always a leader in a union and I think we should hope Nigeria will play that role positively. When you look at what they've done for their economy, I see that as a positive signal of good leadership\". \"At the same time,\" he says, \"Nigeria must see that this is an opportunity for them to access a massive market\". Although some describe the CFA franc as a colonial relic, some analysts say that what's been driving growth in francophone countries like Ivory Coast has been high investment because of low interest rates which come from a stable currency guaranteed by France. The Francophone countries might be hesitant to joining a union with countries that have much higher levels of inflation and interest rates. But the appeal to cut colonial links and embrace the eco as an African project is strong. \"Even if it creates instability, that's normal,\" says Mr Belinga, \"countries must disconnect from the franc\", he adds.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1469, "answer_start": 523, "text": "Eight countries already use the CFA franc, which is pegged to the euro, and is guaranteed by France. The other seven have their own currencies, none of them freely convertible. Proponents of the eco say the single currency will facilitate trade, lower transaction costs and facilitate payments amongst Ecowas' 385 million people. However, critics worry that Nigeria, the region's biggest economy, will dominate monetary policy and stall the projected benefits. For economists Ferdinand Backoup and Daniel Ndoye, a single currency would prove a valuable instrument in the international monetary system: \"West African countries - like most other developing countries - are not immune to monetary shocks caused by policies implemented in the rest of the world,\" the pair wrote in a briefing note for the African Development Bank. A single currency can offer a chance, they say, to put up a \"collective and effective front\" against these disruptions." } ], "id": "9724_0", "question": "Why does West Africa want a single currency?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3099, "answer_start": 1664, "text": "It looks extremely unlikely that all 15 countries will meet this target. The single currency was first planned to be introduced in 2003 but the launch has been postponed several times; in 2005, 2010 and 2014. It is possible, although ambitious, that some countries will meet the current criteria for the 2020 deadline - the primary four being: - A budget deficit of not more than 3% - An average annual inflation rate of less than 10% - Central Bank financing of budget deficits should be no more than 10% of the previous year's tax revenue - Gross external reserves worth at least three months of imports must be available These criteria, along with two other secondary ones, are due to be assessed by Ecowas by the end of 2019. One of the problems is inconsistency: countries could, for example, meet the criteria next year, and then fall behind the following year. In 2016, only one country, Liberia, met all the six conditions, and no single criterion was met by all the countries. Economist Martial Belinga, author of Liberate Africa From Monetary Slavery, says 2020 is a symbolic goal. \"It's more about the process,\" he said. \"Having a deadline pushes states to reach the criteria.\" Mr Belinga says Ecowas might want to consider revising the entrance criteria, as long as they remain credible. Ecowas has said adoption would be gradual though, so the countries that do meet the criteria can join, and the others can follow later." } ], "id": "9724_1", "question": "Will it really happen next year?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4027, "answer_start": 3100, "text": "If the goal is to boost trade, some analysts are sceptical that a single currency is key. \"We struggle in Nigeria alone to get produce from the north to Lagos, and to other southern parts where it can be consumed,\" said Sanyade Okoli, head of Alpha African Advisory. \"If goods can't move freely, how can we even talk about a single currency? she asked. \"We need to address poor infrastructure, bureaucracy - the lower-hanging fruits first\". For Mr Belinga, the real impediment to trade in the region is not the lack of a single currency but that countries don't have much to trade. \"West African countries must transform their economies, with diversification and added value industries,\" he says. \"That's the real solution to face external shocks and volatility.\" Currently, most countries rely on commodities whose prices are regulated on international markets. For the economist, the single currency isn't \"an end in itself\"." } ], "id": "9724_2", "question": "Will it work?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5959, "answer_start": 5074, "text": "Nigeria, whose oil-dependent economy accounts for two-thirds of the region's GDP, would dominate a future monetary union. Some economists have compared Nigeria to Germany's weight in the eurozone although Nigeria would be far more dominant in the eco. For Ms Okoli, that could be problematic. \"We should have an honest conversation about how we feel about that,\" she says. \"Germany had a measure of restraint coming out of World War II, but we don't have that in Nigeria,\" she said. It is, however, less of problem and more of an opportunity, Mr Belinga argues. \"There's always a leader in a union and I think we should hope Nigeria will play that role positively. When you look at what they've done for their economy, I see that as a positive signal of good leadership\". \"At the same time,\" he says, \"Nigeria must see that this is an opportunity for them to access a massive market\"." } ], "id": "9724_3", "question": "Won't it just be dominated by Nigeria?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Exchanges of fire are continuing at a hotel in Burkina Faso's capital as special forces seek to break a deadly siege by suspected Islamist gunmen. Some 30 hostages were freed overnight at Ouagadougou's luxury Splendid Hotel but there are fears that at least 20 people were killed. Gunmen stormed the hotel and a nearby cafe after setting off bombs. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has said it carried out the attack in the West African nation, monitors said. French President Francois Hollande - whose forces are part of the operation against the militants - condemned the \"odious and cowardly attack\". Remi Dandjinou, the Burkinabe communications minister, told the BBC there were between six and seven gunmen and they had been staying at the hotel. He also said a member of the government, Minister of Public Works Clement Sawadogo, was among those freed at the hotel. Thirty-three people were in hospital receiving treatment, he added. French special forces and Burkinabe troops have been deployed at the hotel, which is used by UN staff and Westerners. Hospital chief Robert Sangare quoted survivors as saying at least 20 people had died in the initial attack, before the security forces began their assault on the hotel. Interior Minister Simon Compaore said 10 bodies had been found on the terrace of the nearby Cappuccino cafe. The al-Murabitoun group, which reportedly merged with AQIM recently, was involved in the attack, monitors said. Who are al-Murabitoun? Witnesses said the gunmen had initially entered the Cappuccino cafe. One employee at the cafe told AFP news agency \"several people\" had been killed there. Eyewitnesses reported hearing exchanges of gunfire between the men and security forces, as well as sporadic gunfire from inside the hotel, which is close to the country's international airport. The SITE monitoring group, which analyses jihadist networks, reports that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has said it was behind the attack. The monitoring group specifically stated that those responsible were the al-Murabitoun group, which is based in the Sahara desert in northern Mali and contains fighters loyal to the veteran Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar. Last month, the group announced it had merged with AQIM. Belmokhtar, a one-eyed commander who fought Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s, was once a member of AQIM but left after a falling-out with its leadership. Belmokhtar has been declared dead many times, the latest by a US air strike on 14 June last year in Libya - according to Libyan authorities - but his death has not been formally confirmed. AQIM and al-Murabitoun said they were behind an attack on a hotel in Burkina Faso's neighbour Mali in November, that left 20 people dead. Burkina Faso had recently held its first presidential election since a coup earlier last year. That coup toppled long-time leader Blaise Compaore, who had governed for 27 years. \"We are still in a context of political fragility, so I think the timing of this attack is meaningful,\" Cynthia Ohayon, an analyst with the International Crisis Group, told the BBC from Ouagadougou. \"The country has long borders with Mali and Niger, and we know there are armed groups present on the border, so this was probably something we had coming.\" In November, an AQIM attack on a hotel in the Malian capital Bamako left 19 people dead. Are you in the area? Let us know about your experiences. Email [email protected] with your stories. 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 7525 900971 - Send pictures/video to [email protected] - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2748, "answer_start": 1826, "text": "The SITE monitoring group, which analyses jihadist networks, reports that al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has said it was behind the attack. The monitoring group specifically stated that those responsible were the al-Murabitoun group, which is based in the Sahara desert in northern Mali and contains fighters loyal to the veteran Algerian militant Mokhtar Belmokhtar. Last month, the group announced it had merged with AQIM. Belmokhtar, a one-eyed commander who fought Soviet forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s, was once a member of AQIM but left after a falling-out with its leadership. Belmokhtar has been declared dead many times, the latest by a US air strike on 14 June last year in Libya - according to Libyan authorities - but his death has not been formally confirmed. AQIM and al-Murabitoun said they were behind an attack on a hotel in Burkina Faso's neighbour Mali in November, that left 20 people dead." } ], "id": "9725_0", "question": "Who is the group responsible?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "One of Japan's largest digital currency exchanges says it has lost some $534m (PS380m) worth of virtual assets in a hacking attack on its network. Coincheck froze deposits and withdrawals for all crypto-currencies except Bitcoin as it assessed its losses in NEM, a lesser-known currency. It may be unable to reimburse the funds lost on Friday, a representative told Japanese media. If the theft is confirmed, it will be the largest involving digital currency. Another Tokyo exchange, MtGox, collapsed in 2014 after admitting that $400m had been stolen from its network. The stolen Coincheck assets were said to be kept in a \"hot wallet\" - a part of the exchange connected to the internet. That contrasts with a cold wallet, where funds are stored securely offline. Coincheck says it has the digital address of where the assets were sent. Hackers broke in at 02:57 on Friday (17:57 GMT Thursday), the company said in a statement, but the breach was not discovered until 11:25, nearly eight and a half hours later. Company chief operating officer Yusuke Otsuka said 523m NEMs had been sent from Coincheck's NEM address during the breach. \"It's worth 58bn yen based on the calculation at the rate when detected,\" he told reporters at the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Coincheck was still examining how many customers had been affected and trying to establish whether the break-in had been launched from Japan or another country. \"We know where the funds were sent,\" Mr Otsuka added. \"We are tracing them and if we're able to continue tracking, it may be possible to recover them.\" Coincheck reported the incident to the police and to Japan's Financial Services Agency. NEM, the 10th-largest crypto-currency by market value, fell 11% over a 24-hour period to 87 cents, as of 18:30, Bloomberg news agency reports. Among the other crypto-currencies, Bitcoin dropped 3.4% and Ripple retreated 9.9% on Friday, according to prices seen by the agency. More was lost on Friday than in 2014, when MtGox lost what it thought was 850,000 bitcoins. However, MtGox later found 200.000 bitcoins in an old digital wallet. \"In a worst-case scenario, we may not be able to return clients' assets,\" an unnamed Coincheck representative was quoted as saying on Saturday by Japan's Kyodo news agency. After the collapse of MtGox shook the digital currency world, a licensing system was introduced in Japan to increase oversight of local currency exchanges such as Coincheck. \"What's the lasting impact? It's hard to tell,\" Marc Ostwald, global strategist at ADM Investor Services International in London, told Bloomberg. \"Japan is one of the most pro-crypto trading countries, among the G-20. In Japan they don't really want a wholesale clampdown. So it will be interesting how Japanese regulators respond to this, if they indeed do.\" Founded in 2012, the company is based in Tokyo, where it employed 71 people as of August last year. Its headquarters are located in the city's Shibuya district, an area popular with start-ups that was also home to MtGox, Bloomberg reports. Last year, Coincheck began running adverts on national television featuring popular local comedian Tetsuro Degawa, the agency adds. Kunihiko Sato, a 30-year-old customer from Tokyo, told Kyodo he had deposited about 500,000 yen ($4,600), into his account with the exchange. \"I never thought this kind of thing would happen with Japan's developed legislation,\" he said. Whereas money is printed by governments or traditional banks, digital currencies are generated through a complex process known as \"mining\". Transactions are then monitored by a network of computers across the world using a technology called blockchain. There are thousands of them, largely existing online, unlike the notes or coins in your pocket. It may be more useful to think of them as assets, rather than digital cash. The vast majority of Bitcoin holders, for instance, appear to be investors. But the anonymity that crypto-currencies afford has also attracted criminals. The value of a crypto-currency is determined by how much people are willing to buy and sell them for.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1657, "answer_start": 838, "text": "Hackers broke in at 02:57 on Friday (17:57 GMT Thursday), the company said in a statement, but the breach was not discovered until 11:25, nearly eight and a half hours later. Company chief operating officer Yusuke Otsuka said 523m NEMs had been sent from Coincheck's NEM address during the breach. \"It's worth 58bn yen based on the calculation at the rate when detected,\" he told reporters at the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Coincheck was still examining how many customers had been affected and trying to establish whether the break-in had been launched from Japan or another country. \"We know where the funds were sent,\" Mr Otsuka added. \"We are tracing them and if we're able to continue tracking, it may be possible to recover them.\" Coincheck reported the incident to the police and to Japan's Financial Services Agency." } ], "id": "9726_0", "question": "What do we know about the hack?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2802, "answer_start": 1658, "text": "NEM, the 10th-largest crypto-currency by market value, fell 11% over a 24-hour period to 87 cents, as of 18:30, Bloomberg news agency reports. Among the other crypto-currencies, Bitcoin dropped 3.4% and Ripple retreated 9.9% on Friday, according to prices seen by the agency. More was lost on Friday than in 2014, when MtGox lost what it thought was 850,000 bitcoins. However, MtGox later found 200.000 bitcoins in an old digital wallet. \"In a worst-case scenario, we may not be able to return clients' assets,\" an unnamed Coincheck representative was quoted as saying on Saturday by Japan's Kyodo news agency. After the collapse of MtGox shook the digital currency world, a licensing system was introduced in Japan to increase oversight of local currency exchanges such as Coincheck. \"What's the lasting impact? It's hard to tell,\" Marc Ostwald, global strategist at ADM Investor Services International in London, told Bloomberg. \"Japan is one of the most pro-crypto trading countries, among the G-20. In Japan they don't really want a wholesale clampdown. So it will be interesting how Japanese regulators respond to this, if they indeed do.\"" } ], "id": "9726_1", "question": "How damaging is the loss?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3411, "answer_start": 2803, "text": "Founded in 2012, the company is based in Tokyo, where it employed 71 people as of August last year. Its headquarters are located in the city's Shibuya district, an area popular with start-ups that was also home to MtGox, Bloomberg reports. Last year, Coincheck began running adverts on national television featuring popular local comedian Tetsuro Degawa, the agency adds. Kunihiko Sato, a 30-year-old customer from Tokyo, told Kyodo he had deposited about 500,000 yen ($4,600), into his account with the exchange. \"I never thought this kind of thing would happen with Japan's developed legislation,\" he said." } ], "id": "9726_2", "question": "What is Coincheck?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4093, "answer_start": 3412, "text": "Whereas money is printed by governments or traditional banks, digital currencies are generated through a complex process known as \"mining\". Transactions are then monitored by a network of computers across the world using a technology called blockchain. There are thousands of them, largely existing online, unlike the notes or coins in your pocket. It may be more useful to think of them as assets, rather than digital cash. The vast majority of Bitcoin holders, for instance, appear to be investors. But the anonymity that crypto-currencies afford has also attracted criminals. The value of a crypto-currency is determined by how much people are willing to buy and sell them for." } ], "id": "9726_3", "question": "How do crypto-currencies work?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Workers exposed to pesticides at a UK-funded firm in the Democratic Republic of Congo have complained of becoming impotent, a rights group has said. Feronia, which dominates DR Congo's palm-oil sector, had failed to give workers adequate protective equipment, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. The UK government's development bank, CDC, owns 38% of Feronia in DR Congo. It said Feronia had invested heavily in protective equipment and all workers were required to wear it. Feronia, a Canadian-based firm, said it was committed to operating to international standards. The firm added that it had spent $360,000 (PS280,000) on personal protective equipment in the last three years, which workers had been trained to use, and it had implemented a policy requiring the equipment to be worn in the workplace. Feronia and its local subsidiary, Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC), employ thousands of workers at palm oil plantations in DR Congo. PHC has received millions of dollars from the development banks of Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. \"These banks can play an important role promoting development, but they are sabotaging their mission by failing to ensure the company they finance respects the rights of its workers and communities on the plantations,\" HRW researcher Luciana Tellez-Chavez said. In a report entitled A Toxic Mix of Abuses on Congo's Oil Palm Plantations, HRW said it had interviewed more than 40 workers and two-thirds of them \"told us that they had become impotent since they started the job\". Impotence - along with shortness of breath, headaches, and weight loss that the workers complained about - were health problems \"consistent with exposure to pesticides in general, as described in scientific literature\", HRW said. \"Many [also] suffered from skin irritation, itchiness, blisters, eye problems, or blurred vision - all symptoms that are consistent with what scientific texts and the products' labels describe as health consequences of exposure to these pesticides,\" the rights group added. Ms Tellez-Chavez said workers who had been interviewed had permeable cotton overalls - not the waterproof overalls. \"If pesticides accidentally spilled, the toxic liquid would likely touch their skin,\" she added. At the Yaligimba plantation, the company dumped the waste from its palm oil mill next to workers' homes. The effluents formed a \"foul-smelling stream\", and eventually flowed into a natural pond where women and children bathe and wash cooking utensils. \"Residents of a village of several hundred people downstream told us the river was their only source of drinking water,\" Ms Tellez-Chavez said. If unchecked and untreated, effluent-dumping could eventually also cause fish to suffocate and die, or cause large growths of algae that could adversely affect the health of people who came into contact with polluted water or consumed tainted fish, HRW added. The rights group also accused Feronia of paying \"extreme poverty\" wages, saying women were the lowest-paid, with some earning as little as $7.30 a month gathering fruit. HRW said the development banks should ensure the businesses they invest in pay living wages to their workers. In a statement, CDC said: \"Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is an organic mix of natural waste oils and fats and has been discharged into rivers since the plantation came into being in 1911 and does not threaten human health. \"A treatment plant for POME represents a multimillion dollar investment - money that the company has chosen instead to spend on housing, clean water provision, healthcare and educational facilities for employees, their families and other members of the local communities. \"It is the aim of the company to build treatment plants for POME, but is regrettably not in a financial position to do so currently as it continues to make heavy losses. \"In addition, the company has refurbished or dug 72 new boreholes for the provision of clean water in the last six years.\" The company said working conditions had improved considerably since the involvement of the European banks in 2013. Employees were now paid substantially more than the minimum wage for agriculture in DR Congo and the average worker earned $3.30 per day - higher than what a local teacher would earn, it said. It also confirmed that it had invested considerably in access to safe drinking water. \"Feronia operates on a social mandate with local communities. Without their support we would not be able to function. We recognise that there is still a great deal to be done and are committed to operating to international standards. We will continue to work tirelessly to achieve these objectives,\" the company added in a statement.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3184, "answer_start": 2249, "text": "At the Yaligimba plantation, the company dumped the waste from its palm oil mill next to workers' homes. The effluents formed a \"foul-smelling stream\", and eventually flowed into a natural pond where women and children bathe and wash cooking utensils. \"Residents of a village of several hundred people downstream told us the river was their only source of drinking water,\" Ms Tellez-Chavez said. If unchecked and untreated, effluent-dumping could eventually also cause fish to suffocate and die, or cause large growths of algae that could adversely affect the health of people who came into contact with polluted water or consumed tainted fish, HRW added. The rights group also accused Feronia of paying \"extreme poverty\" wages, saying women were the lowest-paid, with some earning as little as $7.30 a month gathering fruit. HRW said the development banks should ensure the businesses they invest in pay living wages to their workers." } ], "id": "9727_0", "question": "What else does HRW say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3972, "answer_start": 3185, "text": "In a statement, CDC said: \"Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) is an organic mix of natural waste oils and fats and has been discharged into rivers since the plantation came into being in 1911 and does not threaten human health. \"A treatment plant for POME represents a multimillion dollar investment - money that the company has chosen instead to spend on housing, clean water provision, healthcare and educational facilities for employees, their families and other members of the local communities. \"It is the aim of the company to build treatment plants for POME, but is regrettably not in a financial position to do so currently as it continues to make heavy losses. \"In addition, the company has refurbished or dug 72 new boreholes for the provision of clean water in the last six years.\"" } ], "id": "9727_1", "question": "What is the UK development bank's response?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4700, "answer_start": 3973, "text": "The company said working conditions had improved considerably since the involvement of the European banks in 2013. Employees were now paid substantially more than the minimum wage for agriculture in DR Congo and the average worker earned $3.30 per day - higher than what a local teacher would earn, it said. It also confirmed that it had invested considerably in access to safe drinking water. \"Feronia operates on a social mandate with local communities. Without their support we would not be able to function. We recognise that there is still a great deal to be done and are committed to operating to international standards. We will continue to work tirelessly to achieve these objectives,\" the company added in a statement." } ], "id": "9727_2", "question": "What does Feronia say?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "More than four million Venezuelans have fled their country amid an economic and humanitarian crisis, UN agencies say. The pace of people fleeing has \"skyrocketed\" since the end of 2015, with around one million leaving in the last seven months alone, they found. The agencies said countries hosting the migrants and refugees were in \"urgent need\" of international support. Venezuela's imploding economy has meant shortages of basic supplies, such as food and medicines, in recent years. The crisis has deepened this year amid a bitter power struggle between the government and opposition. The exodus means Venezuelans are now \"one of the single largest population groups displaced from their country\", the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a joint statement on Friday. The agencies said they calculated the four million figure using data from national immigration authorities and other sources. They did not give an exact date for when the calculation began, but said some 3.3 million people had fled since the end of 2015. A UNHCR spokesperson told the BBC that the real figure may be even higher due to the use of unofficial border crossings. The agencies called for support to be given to countries hosting the Venezuelans. \"Latin American and Caribbean countries are doing their part to respond to this unprecedented crisis but they cannot be expected to continue doing it without international help,\" said Eduardo Stein, joint UNHCR-IOM special representative for Venezuelan refugees and migrants. Latin American countries host the vast majority of Venezuelan migrants and refugees. According to UN figures, Colombia hosts the most at 1.3 million, followed by Peru with 768,000. Countries in Central America and the Caribbean also host significant numbers of Venezuelans. Under the government of Nicolas Maduro, the economy has collapsed and shortages of food and medicines have become widespread. In parts of the oil-rich country, fuel has become scarce and drivers queue for days at petrol stations. There are also frequent blackouts. The government says the shortages are caused by US sanctions. The opposition argues that they are the result of mismanagement and corruption by consecutive socialist governments. Venezuela is engulfed in a political crisis with two rival politicians - Mr Maduro and National Assembly leader Juan Guaido - claiming to be the country's legitimate leader. Mr Guaido declared himself interim president in January, arguing that Mr Maduro's re-election last year had been \"illegitimate\". He has since been recognised by more than 50 countries, including Canada, the US and most in Latin America. But Mr Maduro retains the loyalty of most of the military and important allies such as China and Russia. On 30 April, Mr Guaido led a failed attempt to spark a military rebellion against Mr Maduro, which the latter said was part of a US-orchestrated coup. Since then, close allies of Mr Guaido have been arrested. While his parliamentary immunity has been lifted, he has so far not been jailed. Representatives of the two sides have been holding talks in Norway but they ended without agreement last week.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2270, "answer_start": 1827, "text": "Under the government of Nicolas Maduro, the economy has collapsed and shortages of food and medicines have become widespread. In parts of the oil-rich country, fuel has become scarce and drivers queue for days at petrol stations. There are also frequent blackouts. The government says the shortages are caused by US sanctions. The opposition argues that they are the result of mismanagement and corruption by consecutive socialist governments." } ], "id": "9728_0", "question": "What's the situation on the ground in Venezuela?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3187, "answer_start": 2271, "text": "Venezuela is engulfed in a political crisis with two rival politicians - Mr Maduro and National Assembly leader Juan Guaido - claiming to be the country's legitimate leader. Mr Guaido declared himself interim president in January, arguing that Mr Maduro's re-election last year had been \"illegitimate\". He has since been recognised by more than 50 countries, including Canada, the US and most in Latin America. But Mr Maduro retains the loyalty of most of the military and important allies such as China and Russia. On 30 April, Mr Guaido led a failed attempt to spark a military rebellion against Mr Maduro, which the latter said was part of a US-orchestrated coup. Since then, close allies of Mr Guaido have been arrested. While his parliamentary immunity has been lifted, he has so far not been jailed. Representatives of the two sides have been holding talks in Norway but they ended without agreement last week." } ], "id": "9728_1", "question": "Who is in charge?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The trial of ex-movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has begun in earnest in New York with graphic prosecution statements on his alleged crimes. Prosecutor Meghan Hast said he was a \"seasoned\" sexual predator with vulnerable actresses as his prey. His defence team said his actions were consensual, including in one \"loving\" relationship. The 67-year-old denies five charges, including rape and sexual assault, relating to two accusers. He could face life behind bars if convicted. The trial is expected to conclude in early March. Mr Weinstein arrived at the Manhattan court flanked by several members of his team. When asked by a reporter if he could get a fair trial, he replied: \"Of course.\" Once one of Hollywood's most decorated and lauded producers, Mr Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct by more than 80 women - allegations which helped drive the #MeToo movement. But few of the complaints have led to criminal charges. Last week, a judge told potential jurors that they must decide Mr Weinstein's case based on the evidence and not make it \"a referendum on the #MeToo movement\". Ms Hast, the Manhattan assistant district attorney, said: \"The man seated right there was not just a titan in Hollywood, he was a rapist.\" She said the defendant had used \"his power and prestige in the entertainment industry to ensure [accusers'] silence... Although they're strangers to one another, they'll each describe to you their shame and humiliation following their violent encounters with the defendant.\" Ms Hast gave explicit details of allegations by three women, only two of whom are on the charge sheet. The third is actress Annabella Sciorra. Her alleged incident occurred too long ago to be prosecuted under New York state law, but prosecutors filed the indictment because it would allow them to call her as a witness during the trial. Mimi (Miriam) Haleyi. A former production assistant who accuses Mr Weinstein of performing a forcible sex act on her in 2006. Ms Hast said Mr Weinstein had tempted Ms Haleyi with job opportunities and after having had her brought to his apartment, lunged at her, pushed her on to a bed and forced her into the sex act, leaving her \"motionless like a dead fish\". Jessica Mann. An actress named for the first time. Ms Hast said Ms Mann had had encounters with Mr Weinstein over a number of years, and would testify that Mr Weinstein had raped her multiple times, once leaving her like a \"rag doll\" in her hotel room in March 2013. Annabella Sciorra. Ms Hast said the actress would testify that she had been \"violently raped\" by the defendant in the winter of 1993-94, leaving her \"emotionally and physically destroyed\". Ms Hast said the defendant had kept his alleged victims close so they would not report his actions. The defence team said Mr Weinstein had only engaged in consensual relationships with his accusers. One of them called Mr Weinstein \"her casual boyfriend\" and the relationship was loving, the defence said. Defence attorney Damon Cheronis said an email from Ms Mann in 2017 read: \"I love you, I always do. But I hate feeling like a booty call.\" \"That is not how you talk about predators, that is not how you talk about your abusers,\" Mr Cheronis said. He added: \"You will see the case unravel for the state, and it must, based on the evidence.\" Mr Cheronis said the #MeToo movement had brought change \"but the truth can't change\". Mr Weinstein has admitted that he has \"caused a lot of pain\", but maintains he is innocent of any crimes. The defendant, who shook his head and took notes at times on Wednesday, is unlikely to testify. They stem back to May 2018, when Mr Weinstein turned himself in to New York police after some of the allegations received wide publicity. He was then charged with rape and several other counts of sexual abuse against two women. He was released on $1m (PS760,000) bail the following month and pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault in the New York Supreme Court. There were originally six charges, but in October that year a New York judge dismissed one of them after prosecutors said one of his accusers had given a witness a different account of the alleged sex assault from the version she had given them. In August 2019, Mr Weinstein pleaded not guilty to two additional charges of predatory sexual assault relating to Annabella Sciorra. Mr Weinstein unsuccessfully tried to get the trial moved out of New York City, arguing that the intense media scrutiny would make it hard for him to get a fair hearing.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2760, "answer_start": 1092, "text": "Ms Hast, the Manhattan assistant district attorney, said: \"The man seated right there was not just a titan in Hollywood, he was a rapist.\" She said the defendant had used \"his power and prestige in the entertainment industry to ensure [accusers'] silence... Although they're strangers to one another, they'll each describe to you their shame and humiliation following their violent encounters with the defendant.\" Ms Hast gave explicit details of allegations by three women, only two of whom are on the charge sheet. The third is actress Annabella Sciorra. Her alleged incident occurred too long ago to be prosecuted under New York state law, but prosecutors filed the indictment because it would allow them to call her as a witness during the trial. Mimi (Miriam) Haleyi. A former production assistant who accuses Mr Weinstein of performing a forcible sex act on her in 2006. Ms Hast said Mr Weinstein had tempted Ms Haleyi with job opportunities and after having had her brought to his apartment, lunged at her, pushed her on to a bed and forced her into the sex act, leaving her \"motionless like a dead fish\". Jessica Mann. An actress named for the first time. Ms Hast said Ms Mann had had encounters with Mr Weinstein over a number of years, and would testify that Mr Weinstein had raped her multiple times, once leaving her like a \"rag doll\" in her hotel room in March 2013. Annabella Sciorra. Ms Hast said the actress would testify that she had been \"violently raped\" by the defendant in the winter of 1993-94, leaving her \"emotionally and physically destroyed\". Ms Hast said the defendant had kept his alleged victims close so they would not report his actions." } ], "id": "9729_0", "question": "What were the prosecution's opening arguments?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3591, "answer_start": 2761, "text": "The defence team said Mr Weinstein had only engaged in consensual relationships with his accusers. One of them called Mr Weinstein \"her casual boyfriend\" and the relationship was loving, the defence said. Defence attorney Damon Cheronis said an email from Ms Mann in 2017 read: \"I love you, I always do. But I hate feeling like a booty call.\" \"That is not how you talk about predators, that is not how you talk about your abusers,\" Mr Cheronis said. He added: \"You will see the case unravel for the state, and it must, based on the evidence.\" Mr Cheronis said the #MeToo movement had brought change \"but the truth can't change\". Mr Weinstein has admitted that he has \"caused a lot of pain\", but maintains he is innocent of any crimes. The defendant, who shook his head and took notes at times on Wednesday, is unlikely to testify." } ], "id": "9729_1", "question": "What did the defence say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4508, "answer_start": 3592, "text": "They stem back to May 2018, when Mr Weinstein turned himself in to New York police after some of the allegations received wide publicity. He was then charged with rape and several other counts of sexual abuse against two women. He was released on $1m (PS760,000) bail the following month and pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault in the New York Supreme Court. There were originally six charges, but in October that year a New York judge dismissed one of them after prosecutors said one of his accusers had given a witness a different account of the alleged sex assault from the version she had given them. In August 2019, Mr Weinstein pleaded not guilty to two additional charges of predatory sexual assault relating to Annabella Sciorra. Mr Weinstein unsuccessfully tried to get the trial moved out of New York City, arguing that the intense media scrutiny would make it hard for him to get a fair hearing." } ], "id": "9729_2", "question": "How did the criminal charges come about?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A little known sexually transmitted infection could become the next superbug unless people become more vigilant, experts are warning. Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) often has no symptoms but can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which can leave some women infertile. MG can be missed - and if it is not treated correctly, it can develop resistance to antibiotics. The British Association of Sexual Health and HIV is launching new advice. Its draft guidelines detail how best to spot and treat MG. Mycoplasma genitalium is a bacterium that can cause inflammation of the urethra in men, causing discharge from the penis and making it painful to urinate. In women, it can cause inflammation of the reproductive organs (womb and fallopian tubes) too, causing pain and possibly a fever and some bleeding. You can get it by having unprotected sex with someone who has it. Condoms can prevent this spread. It was first identified in the UK in the 1980s and is thought to affect 1-2% of the general population. MG does not always cause symptoms and will not always need treatment, but it can be missed or mistaken for a different sexually transmitted infection, such as Chlamydia. The BASHH says this is concerning. Tests for MG have recently been developed but are not available in all clinics yet although doctors can send samples to Public Health England's laboratory to get a diagnostic result. It can be treated with antibiotics - but the infection is developing resistance to some of these drugs. John - not his real name - contacted the BBC to tell of his experience of having the infection. \"I was diagnosed with MG last year after meeting my new partner. \"We both sensibly got tested and declared clean at the start of the relationship but GUM [genitourinary medicine] clinics don't test for MG, unless you have symptoms. \"So about a month into the relationship I developed the male symptoms - a sharp burning pain while urinating and a pus-like dishcharge from my urethra - but I had no idea what was wrong. \"After a few weeks I tested positive, while my partner was negative, which didn't make sense. She then got tested again and was positive. \"We were put on antibiotics for two weeks but had no sexual contact for five, to make sure we were clean. After further tests we both tested negative but I still had some small amount of leakage which I was told would go away. It eventually cleared. \"Then out of the blue I got a UTI and symptoms were exactly like MG. \"I am now certain it has returned and I am awaiting further test results. \"The GUM clinic refused to retest my partner as she hasn't shown any symptoms. \"I think clinics should test for MG as part of their sexual health screening process, as this would have been picked up at the start for me.\" Eradication rates of MG following treatment with one family of antibiotics, called macrolides, are decreasing globally. Macrolide resistance in the UK is estimated at about 40%, say the guidelines. One particular macrolide antibiotic, azithromycin, still works in most cases however. Dr Peter Greenhouse, a sexual consultant in Bristol and BASHH member, urged people to take precautions. \"It's about time the public learned about Mycoplasma genitalium,\" he said. \"It's yet another good reason to pack the condoms for the summer holidays - and actually use them.\" Paddy Horner, who co-wrote the guidelines, said: \"These new guidelines have been developed, because we can't afford to continue with the approach we have followed for the past 15 years as this will undoubtedly lead to a public health emergency with the emergence of MG as a superbug. \"Our guidelines recommend that patients with symptoms are correctly diagnosed using an accurate MG test, treated correctly then followed up to make sure they are cured. \"Resources are urgently needed to ensure that diagnostic and antimicrobial resistance testing is available for women with the condition who are at high risk of infertility. \"We are asking the government directly to make this funding available to prevent a public health emergency waiting to happen and which is already spiralling out of control.\" Public Health England says testing is available to diagnose MG and any signs of drug resistance, if necessary. Dr Helen Fifer, consultant microbiologist at Public Health England, welcomed the guidelines, adding: \"If you have symptoms of an STI, we recommend you get tested at your local sexual health clinic. \"Everyone can protect themselves from STIs by consistently and correctly using condoms with new and casual partners.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1491, "answer_start": 494, "text": "Mycoplasma genitalium is a bacterium that can cause inflammation of the urethra in men, causing discharge from the penis and making it painful to urinate. In women, it can cause inflammation of the reproductive organs (womb and fallopian tubes) too, causing pain and possibly a fever and some bleeding. You can get it by having unprotected sex with someone who has it. Condoms can prevent this spread. It was first identified in the UK in the 1980s and is thought to affect 1-2% of the general population. MG does not always cause symptoms and will not always need treatment, but it can be missed or mistaken for a different sexually transmitted infection, such as Chlamydia. The BASHH says this is concerning. Tests for MG have recently been developed but are not available in all clinics yet although doctors can send samples to Public Health England's laboratory to get a diagnostic result. It can be treated with antibiotics - but the infection is developing resistance to some of these drugs." } ], "id": "9730_0", "question": "What is MG?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Germany's interior minister plans to hold last-ditch talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel after threatening to quit in protest at her migration policy. Horst Seehofer heads Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU), a key party in Mrs Merkel's coalition. He argues that police should turn away migrants at the Bavarian border if they have sought asylum elsewhere. But Mrs Merkel is sticking to an EU-wide deal. The Merkel-Seehofer crisis talks are set for 17:00 in Berlin (15:00 GMT). A compromise looks unlikely, the BBC's Jenny Hill in Berlin reports. She says Mr Seehofer might have overplayed his hand by issuing his ultimatum, only for Mrs Merkel to return from Brussels with an EU-wide strategy and bilateral agreements with more than 10 countries. The risk for Mrs Merkel is that Mr Seehofer ends the CSU's alliance with her Christian Democrats (CDU), leaving her without a parliamentary majority. The centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) - also in the ruling coalition - broadly back her position. Opinion polls suggest that, in the event of a fresh election, the SPD would not profit from the CDU-CSU rift over migration. But SPD leader Andrea Nahles warned that \"my patience has worn thin\". \"We want a humanitarian, but also realistic, migration policy,\" she told a news conference on Monday. On Sunday evening, the CDU passed a resolution supporting Mrs Merkel's position on migration. CDU General Secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said the party believed a European solution was necessary. Then reports emerged from the CSU that Mr Seehofer had offered to step down both as party leader and interior minister. Mr Seehofer complained during a meeting of top CSU officials that he had held a \"conversation with no effect\" with Mrs Merkel on Saturday, when they discussed a new EU deal on migration, sources said. Senior figures immediately tried to persuade Mr Seehofer not to quit, including CSU parliamentary group chief Alexander Dobrindt. \"This is a decision that I just cannot accept,\" Mr Dobrindt was quoted as saying. In the early hours of Monday, the party leader then announced he had agreed to hold final talks with the CDU as a \"concession\" in the interest of the country and the coalition. - The CSU could put forward a new candidate for interior minister if Mr Seehofer does quit, keeping the ruling coalition intact - The CSU could end its alliance with the CDU, but then the Greens or Free Democrats (FDP) could do a deal to join the ruling coalition - Mrs Merkel could carry on weaker, with a minority government - She could quit as chancellor - She could call a confidence vote in the Bundestag, which could trigger fresh elections. Yes. The CDU-CSU alliance has lasted for decades, but it could break up over this, at a critical time for both parties. Bavarian state elections will be held in October, and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is a threat to both parties. The AfD surged into the German parliament (Bundestag) for the first time last year, winning 94 seats. Its success was based on strident anti-immigration rhetoric, attacking Mrs Merkel's decision to let in more than a million asylum seekers in 2015-2016. However, opinion polls have suggested that Bavarians are more satisfied with Mrs Merkel than with the CSU leader, weakening Mr Seehofer's position. A new poll from RTL/n-TV suggests that CSU support has fallen 4.5% in Bavaria since the 2017 elections, to 34%. Nationally the party would be down to 5% - the threshold for entering the Bundestag - rather than 6.2% before. The CDU is marginally down nationally to 26%, the poll indicates. Mrs Merkel stayed up with EU leaders until dawn on Friday to clinch a new deal on migrants. She said Greece and Spain had agreed to take back migrants stopped at the Bavarian-Austrian border who are proven to have entered their countries first - a move she hoped would allay Mr Seehofer's concerns. \"The sum of all we've agreed is equivalent to what the CSU wants - that's my personal view, but the CSU have to decide for themselves,\" she said. However, Italy - where most irregular migrants arrive - does not want to take back migrants who reach Germany. The divisions within the German government over the issue are also being played out in other EU countries, and three countries later said they were not part of the German deal: the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2208, "answer_start": 1297, "text": "On Sunday evening, the CDU passed a resolution supporting Mrs Merkel's position on migration. CDU General Secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said the party believed a European solution was necessary. Then reports emerged from the CSU that Mr Seehofer had offered to step down both as party leader and interior minister. Mr Seehofer complained during a meeting of top CSU officials that he had held a \"conversation with no effect\" with Mrs Merkel on Saturday, when they discussed a new EU deal on migration, sources said. Senior figures immediately tried to persuade Mr Seehofer not to quit, including CSU parliamentary group chief Alexander Dobrindt. \"This is a decision that I just cannot accept,\" Mr Dobrindt was quoted as saying. In the early hours of Monday, the party leader then announced he had agreed to hold final talks with the CDU as a \"concession\" in the interest of the country and the coalition." } ], "id": "9731_0", "question": "How did the events unfold?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3594, "answer_start": 2657, "text": "Yes. The CDU-CSU alliance has lasted for decades, but it could break up over this, at a critical time for both parties. Bavarian state elections will be held in October, and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is a threat to both parties. The AfD surged into the German parliament (Bundestag) for the first time last year, winning 94 seats. Its success was based on strident anti-immigration rhetoric, attacking Mrs Merkel's decision to let in more than a million asylum seekers in 2015-2016. However, opinion polls have suggested that Bavarians are more satisfied with Mrs Merkel than with the CSU leader, weakening Mr Seehofer's position. A new poll from RTL/n-TV suggests that CSU support has fallen 4.5% in Bavaria since the 2017 elections, to 34%. Nationally the party would be down to 5% - the threshold for entering the Bundestag - rather than 6.2% before. The CDU is marginally down nationally to 26%, the poll indicates." } ], "id": "9731_1", "question": "Is it a power struggle?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4368, "answer_start": 3595, "text": "Mrs Merkel stayed up with EU leaders until dawn on Friday to clinch a new deal on migrants. She said Greece and Spain had agreed to take back migrants stopped at the Bavarian-Austrian border who are proven to have entered their countries first - a move she hoped would allay Mr Seehofer's concerns. \"The sum of all we've agreed is equivalent to what the CSU wants - that's my personal view, but the CSU have to decide for themselves,\" she said. However, Italy - where most irregular migrants arrive - does not want to take back migrants who reach Germany. The divisions within the German government over the issue are also being played out in other EU countries, and three countries later said they were not part of the German deal: the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland." } ], "id": "9731_2", "question": "What is Mrs Merkel's position?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Carl Beech is a liar, fraudster and paedophile. But for 18 months between 2014 and 2016, he was the star witness in a high-profile investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and murder, involving MPs, generals and senior figures in the intelligence services. Those falsely accused had their properties raided, and one of them - ex-MP Harvey Proctor - lost both his home and his job. At the time, Beech, a former NHS paediatric nurse, was working as a hospital inspector with the Care Quality Commission. He was also the governor of two schools in Gloucestershire where he lived. Police referred to him only using the pseudonym \"Nick\", to protect his identity. His claims that he and others had been the victim of sexual abuse by a \"VIP ring\" in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and that he had witnessed three child murders by members of the same group, featured prominently on BBC News, in a British national newspaper and on a now-defunct website called Exaro. However, while he was promoting his lies, Beech was busy downloading child abuse imagery and covertly filming a teenage boy. The investigation - known as Operation Midland - would cost some PS2.5m. But by the time it was wound up, not one arrest had been made. Beech, however, received more than PS20,000 in public money as compensation for injuries he claimed were inflicted during the alleged abuse - injuries he had never actually suffered. After a 12-week trial, Beech was sentenced to 18 years in prison, having been found guilty of 12 counts of perverting the course of justice, one of fraud, and several child sexual offences. But what led the 51-year-old divorced father of a teenage son to make the allegations in the first place? Born as Carl Stephen Gass in Wrexham in 1968, his parents separated when he was young. In 1976, his mother Charmian remarried Major Raymond Beech, a soldier based in Wiltshire. Carl took his stepfather's surname and spent time in the county living in a military property. But when that marriage broke down he moved with his mother first to Bicester in Oxfordshire, and then, in 1979, to the London suburb of Kingston upon Thames. It was this period of his life that Beech would build his allegations around, claiming that between the ages of seven and 16 he was abused by a powerful paedophile ring that included the late British media personality Jimmy Savile. In 2012, Beech approached the Metropolitan Police, which had launched Operation Yewtree to investigate alleged sexual abuse in the wake of the Savile scandal. They referred him to Wiltshire Police as the most relevant to his claims. Speaking to a detective from Wiltshire, Beech claimed he had been abused by his stepfather, before being introduced by him to a group of other alleged abusers including Savile, an unnamed lieutenant colonel - whom he identified as the ringleader - and up to 20 other unidentified men. The only two people he named were Raymond Beech and Savile. When asked by the police for other names, Beech said that he didn't know them. He claimed that he was regularly taken out of school to be abused and that this continued even after his mother had separated from his stepfather. He said that over the nine years, an unnamed driver took him to abuse \"parties\" at military bases, and later at central London locations. He also told detectives that a friend called Aubrey had also been abused by the same group. But after examining the wider claims, Wiltshire Police decided not to take any further action. The inquiry had found that Charmian had only been married to Raymond Beech for a few months, and that she had subsequently sought a non-molestation injunction against him. Army records suggested he had a drink problem, had been violent towards Charmian, and retired from the army on mental health grounds after they divorced. He died in 1995. In 2013, Beech came across a post on an abuse charity website. Documentary makers were looking to interview male survivors of Savile for a programme to be broadcast on a satellite TV channel. Beech readily volunteered, and appeared anonymously using his middle name Stephen. The documentary didn't make much of an impact, and Beech continued building up his sexual abuse allegations online. It was this activity that gained him far greater attention. In the years immediately following the Savile scandal, parts of the internet were rife with allegations of historical sexual abuse by prominent people. And Sunday newspapers regularly ran stories about VIP abuse rings and alleged cover-ups. At the time, some MPs - including the now Deputy Labour Leader Tom Watson - were prominently campaigning on the issue of historical abuse. Several well-known people had been arrested - and some charged and convicted - for non-recent sexual offences. But the rumours online went beyond these inquiries and raised the spectre of a far bigger conspiracy. Beech's online allegations, therefore, came amid claims of establishment cover-ups, controversies over lost dossiers of evidence, calls for a national inquiry into child abuse, and rumours about which famous figure would next be revealed as a paedophile. His own accounts, which would eventually draw together several existing conspiracy theories, presented himself as the victim of a sadistic culture at the heart of British power. Into his story went several men and locations already the subject of online rumours, others who were known to be under investigation by separate inquiries, as well as senior figures within the armed forces and military intelligence. In total, he was accusing 10 new men. Beech eventually went on to tweet and blog under the name \"Carl Survivor\", with graphic posts about sexual abuse and torture appearing on a website for those allegedly abused as children. In one post he referred to \"very powerful people\" who had controlled every part of his life. In others, he penned poems describing nightmarish events like being locked in a room full of wasps. \"Sometimes when I had broken the rules, been bad. They shut me in a room of wasps all mad,\" he wrote. A retired child protection manager - Peter McKelvie - brought the posts to the attention of a BBC journalist, who met Beech but didn't look into his claims or follow up with a story. Articles about Beech's claims and a subsequent police investigation did, however, begin to appear on the Exaro News website. Mark Conrad, a then Exaro reporter, met Beech and maintained regular contact with him. As he went through Beech's allegations, Conrad showed him 42 images, apparently as a form of picture test, with Beech picking out people he had already named. The pair also visited locations apparently relevant to the allegations, including Dolphin Square, an apartment block in central London, which has long been home to MPs and other notable figures, and the London home of the former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath. Beech was also taken to Parliament to meet Tom Watson, who subsequently stayed in touch with him. During his later interviews with detectives from the Met, Beech said Watson had been part of a \"little group that was supporting me and trying to put some of my information out there to try and encourage others to come forward\". The MP had previously triggered various Met inquiries after passing the force a series of allegations. Beech had been given the pseudonym \"Nick\" in Exaro's coverage of his allegations. These came to the notice of Scotland Yard, who asked for access to their source. Beech met detectives, and went on to give them 20 hours of recorded testimony. But in contrast to his earlier interviews with Wiltshire Police, Beech now started giving detectives multiple names - falsely implicating a string of famous figures at the heart of British public life in the 1970s and 1980s. From the military, he named two former heads of the armed forces, Lord Bramall and Sir Roland Gibbs, and another senior general, Sir Hugh Beach. The former chiefs of MI5 and MI6, Sir Michael Hanley and Sir Maurice Oldfield, as well as the former Prime Minister Sir Edward Heath, former Home Secretary Lord Brittan, and the ex-MPs Harvey Proctor and Lord Janner, also became part of his story. Beech alleged his stepfather handed him over to this \"group\" and that it operated using chauffeurs who collected him from school or his local railway station. Despite his apparent strong recall of incidents involving famous names, he offered nothing tangible about the various drivers, witnesses and non-famous abusers his account incorporated. Sadistic abuse was alleged to have taken place at various military sites in southern England, before the locations switched to central London hotels and properties, after he moved to Kingston with his mother. He claimed other boys were present at the sessions, which were said to include torture and elaborate punishments such as electrocution, being used as a human dartboard, and having spiders tipped over his naked body. \"I couldn't scream because if you screamed then the chances are one would go in your mouth,\" he told detectives. Beech even said the MI5 boss oversaw the abduction of his dog and \"collared\" him outside school to threaten that if he failed to follow orders the pet would come to harm. He provided the first names of other boys, including Aubrey and someone he claimed to still be in touch with, who was given the pseudonym \"Fred\". Most significantly of all, Beech alleged he had witnessed the murders of three children. These were claims that he had not previously made to Wiltshire police. One - a schoolmate called Scott - was said to have been deliberately run over by a car in a Kingston street as some kind of warning by the group. The second - an unnamed boy - was alleged to have been stabbed and strangled by Harvey Proctor in a London townhouse. The third, also unnamed, was said to have been beaten to death by Proctor and Sir Michael Hanley, while Lord Brittan and several children watched. Beech claimed that, on a separate occasion, Proctor was only prevented from removing his genitals with a penknife after Sir Edward Heath intervened. Scotland Yard launched a disastrous murder investigation, codenamed Operation Midland. Within weeks - before any major investigative steps had been taken - there was a high-profile appeal for witnesses. The accuser was publicly praised by the officer overseeing the inquiry, Det Supt Kenny MacDonald, who said detectives considered his account to be \"credible and true\" and stated: \"We do believe what Nick is saying\". Details of Beech's murder allegations had already appeared on the Exaro site and in the Sunday People newspaper. In November 2014, a television interview with him had led the main BBC News bulletins. The men he accused were not named, but it was reported that they included senior figures from politics, the military and law enforcement. His contact with the media fed into the police investigation. A later review of Operation Midland by retired judge Sir Richard Henriques said journalists making their own inquiries had provided an \"unwelcome intrusion\" by showing him pictures of suspects, potentially relevant locations, and missing or murdered boys. BBC home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds, who interviewed Beech, had shown him images from recent newspaper stories of two boys who vanished from London in the late 70s and early 80s, one of whom Beech subsequently claimed was the victim of the second murder he claimed to have witnessed. The child - Martin Allen, a 15-year-old who disappeared in 1979 - became a focus of the police inquiry and detectives contacted his family. Beech claimed Allen had been held at an address in Pimlico, central London, before being killed. But he only identified the property after he had been shown an image of it by Exaro's Conrad. Beech then drew a picture of the property in a notebook, but claimed to police that he had done it sometime before from memory. The flat had once been occupied by a paedophile called Alfred Leslie Goddard, who was connected to a murderous gang of abusers that included Sidney Cooke - a child killer and one of Britain's most notorious paedophiles. Other location sketches were also given to police and Beech later falsely claimed that he recognised several places from memory - such as military bases and the former homes of suspects - when taken on site visits by detectives. The reality, though, was that he had carried out extensive research about people and places on the internet. It was enough to convince Scotland Yard. When Lord Brittan died in January 2015, Tom Watson wrote an article in the Sunday People newspaper to accompany its revelation that the peer was under investigation by Operation Midland. Watson wrote how one \"survivor\" told him that Lord Brittan was \"as close to evil as a human being could get in my view\". That person, it can now be revealed, was Carl Beech. In the article, Watson wrote: \"It is not for me to judge whether the claims made against Brittan are true.\" But, the following month, he tweeted: \"I think I have made my position on Leon Brittan perfectly clear. I believe the people who say he raped them.\" In March 2015, Operation Midland raided the homes of Harvey Proctor, Lord Bramall, and the recently deceased Lord Brittan. Proctor, who lived and worked at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, which was owned by the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, subsequently lost both his job and home. Beech was informed of the raids in a phone call from a detective who was standing in Harvey Proctor's house. The raids were reported in the media, with a consequent loss of anonymity for the accused. Just before news about the raids on Lord Brittan and Lord Bramall was reported by Exaro, Beech emailed his main police contact DC Danny Chatfield to say that the website wanted to publish a piece encouraging other victims to come forward and wanted a quote. Beech sent a draft set of comments, which included the line: \"There are some excellent detectives from the Metropolitan Police who are working on the information that I have given to them.\" The detective replied: \"The wording is fine with us, so please go ahead.\" He then sent Beech the approximate locations of the searches, saying Exaro had been asking for them. Beech wrote back: \"Thanks for telling me the other places.\" However, the search warrants were flawed and contained inaccurate information. It was one of many errors. The officers who interviewed Beech had not read his earlier Wiltshire interview, which would have revealed inconsistencies in his account of the alleged abuse. Officers seemed keen not to upset Beech. They failed to prioritise the tracing of important witnesses, such as people who worked alongside some of the accused at the relevant time. Some of them were not initially approached because officers wanted to avoid upsetting Beech, who kept expressing discomfort and demanding updates on progress. For example, his mother was not contacted for more than six months, even though her son had been living with her throughout the period under investigation. It took them longer to contact Beech's ex-wife, Dawn, who would eventually give evidence against him at trial. Officers also took months to trace all of the boys called Scott from Beech's secondary school to rule out the possibility that any had been murdered in Kingston. Two detectives were also unnecessarily sent to Australia to speak to one former student in person. Beech was also helped by Met detectives to get a claim processed that he had previously made to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority, following the allegations he made to Wiltshire police. The information contained in this claim was inconsistent with the story that he had told the Met. Beech eventually received a payout of PS22,000, some of which he used to buy an expensive Ford Mustang. Pictures of the car were uploaded to his Facebook page with Beech declaring that it had \"always been a dream\" to own the convertible. In terms of the investigation, Beech was keen to keep across details of the case, pestering officers about whether arrests were imminent, and insisting that he wanted the case to go to court. Police were desperate to speak to a man who Beech claimed was abused alongside him as a child and had witnessed one of the alleged murders. He claimed he was still in touch with this man, who was given the name \"Fred\", and agreed to pass on emails from the police. A psychologist Dr Elly Hanson, then acted as a go-between for the police. She wrote that Operation Midland was \"committed to documenting the truth\" and would do so \"whatever that entails, including exposing prominent people\". \"Fred\" appeared reticent to come forward, telling Hanson in an email: \"Nick and I went through Hell together but he's dealt with it a lot better than I ever will.\" \"Fred\" told police his real name was John, but declined to meet them or elaborate about the allegations, hinting darkly that: \"I have received a threat that I take seriously. I have not told Carl about this, but if they can trace me, they can trace him.\" It would transpire later, after detectives from a different force examined the encrypted email account, that the man behind it was Carl Beech himself. \"Fred\" was yet another fiction. Operation Midland started to flounder, but the public turning point came when Harvey Proctor held a furious press conference to denounce both Scotland Yard and Beech's allegations. He set them out in graphic detail to show the public how implausible they were. The media, particularly the Daily Mail and the BBC's Panorama programme, challenged the Met by casting serious doubt on the allegations. Senior officers - including the Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe - publicly defended their operation. Beech himself began withdrawing cooperation and cancelled interviews with police, who now wanted to challenge him on various inconsistencies. The emails from \"Fred\" also ceased. In January 2016, Lord Bramall was told he would face no further action. His wife Avril had died during the inquiry. The operation ended in March 2016 when Harvey Proctor - the final living suspect - was also told he would face no further investigation. Both men had been interviewed under caution twice. Scotland Yard stated that it had investigated the possibility that Martin Allen was one of the alleged murder victims and said they had no reason to believe \"Nick\" had misled them. But it was forced to commission a review of the investigation, which was carried out by Sir Richard Henriques. The retired judge's report was damning. It listed 43 serious errors and said Operation Midland should have been terminated much earlier. It said the inquiry could have been completed without the accused ever having learnt about it. The Met apologised and later paid compensation to Lord Bramall and the family of Lord Brittan. Harvey Proctor is currently suing the force, which is resisting his claim in the High Court. Scotland Yard referred Beech for investigation by the independent Northumbria Police. Detectives arrived at his Gloucester home on 2 November 2016, and what they found there revealed that Beech was himself a paedophile. Three of his devices - two laptops and an iPad - contained hundreds of child sexual abuse images, including dozens denoting the gravest abuse imagery. Some of the images had been hidden behind an app that appeared to be calculator. It also became clear that Beech was a perverted voyeur - he had installed a recording device in a toilet to secretly film a young boy. Beech, who had volunteered for the NSPCC, was relieved of his position as a governor at two local schools and suspended from his CQC role. His role would be terminated the following summer - a time when Beech was charged with six counts relating to the images and one count of voyeurism. A year later he was charged with 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud. The charges detailed the many ways in which he had lied. He had fabricated the murders, invented the paedophile ring, and lied about the serious injuries. He had given police a small knife - the one he claimed Harvey Proctor had wanted to castrate him with - and two military epaulettes, falsely alleging he had retained them from when he was abused as a child. The knife had actually been used by his grandmother to cut fruit and had been kept by Beech for years in a \"happy memory box\". Beech, who was on bail, was due to stand trial in Worcester for the sexual offences last summer. Instead, he went on the run. When he failed to turn up for his trial at Worcester Crown Court, a warrant was issued for his arrest. A manhunt focused on Sweden, where he was known to frequent, and two months later, he was arrested at Gothenburg railway station. When apprehended, he was in possession of a knife and rope. Beech had gone to extraordinary lengths to avoid detection. He had bought a remote house in the far north of the country under an assumed name. He moved around using five different aliases, six phones, numerous email addresses and making purchases with untraceable gift cards. On the first morning of his trial for child sexual offences in January he pleaded guilty to all counts. But he denied the charges in the larger case, leading to a 12-week trial at Newcastle Crown Court. The evidence showed he had pieced together his story using the internet to research those he accused. The sketches he had given to police, suggesting a surprising visual recall of places he was allegedly taken as a child, had been copied from online photographs. His body lacked scars and injuries and his medical history was free of any such traumas, despite his stories of childhood broken bones, burns, and savage beatings. School records and former classmates showed he was not absent in the way he alleged. He based \"Fred\" - or \"John\" - on the best man at his wedding, using details about his life to make the pretence more credible. The best man, who told police he had never been abused by anyone, was not the only former Beech friend falsely dragged into his claims. His so-called friend Aubrey was based on a childhood acquaintance from Bicester, who was traced and also confirmed that he had not been abused, as alleged. It also emerged that Beech was a prolific writer of fantasies that had not been published online, some of which were found in his garage or on a memory stick. The details they contained contradicted his accounts to police, confusing and blending still further the alleged roles of \"John\", \"Aubrey\" and others. Under cross examination, Beech admitted various parts of the documents, which included his draft memoirs, were fiction. Beech, who nevertheless insisted most of his claims were true, was totally absorbed in his violent paedophile fantasies, imagining parts for people he knew, then changing their roles and adding in new characters as he went along. In the witness box, habitually pausing and humming when asked a seemingly unanticipated question about his account, Beech had the look of a man scanning his mind for a lie dressed as a memory. It seemed natural for him to transpose self-pity into apparent vulnerability and sadness at what he claimed occurred in his childhood. Prosecutors said his motivations were varied. Money was one. Beech was in debt and spending beyond his means, including on lavish holidays. He also enjoyed the attention, with a supportive community of online followers, his media appearances, and access to the police and Parliament all bolstering his sense of self importance. Beech also seemed to admire - and even to have copied - some of the claims contained in a book by an American alleged abuse victim. His own memoirs and plans to become a speaker at conferences would have provided him with a new income. In addition, prosecutors regarded his interest in child pornography as central, saying he watched it, possessed it, recorded young boys covertly, and wrote about it over hundreds of pages - all suggesting he also wanted to be a part of it. Jenny Hopkins, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said Beech was not a fantasist or a victim, but a \"manipulative, prolific, deceitful liar\" who would have been happy to see innocent men arrested and facing the full force of the law. Harvey Proctor, who gave evidence at trial, is calling for a fully independent investigation into Operation Midland, which he calls the \"worst failing in the history of policing in the last 40 years\". He said Beech's \"criminality and the Metropolitan Police's gullibility have threatened the future position of genuine child abuse complainants\". Lord Bramall, now 95, was not well enough to attend court. His long-time friend General Sir Hugh Beach gave evidence by video link from his retirement home. Sir Hugh, 96, was interviewed as a witness - rather than a suspect - by Met detectives. He says the \"mental wear and tear to Lord Bramall must have been enormous in the circumstances\". He thinks Beech's crimes are \"damaging to the society at large\" but \"particularly damaging to the people who were the victims of this man's fabrications.\" Beech is, quite simply, he says, an \"evil man\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 20644, "answer_start": 16165, "text": "Police were desperate to speak to a man who Beech claimed was abused alongside him as a child and had witnessed one of the alleged murders. He claimed he was still in touch with this man, who was given the name \"Fred\", and agreed to pass on emails from the police. A psychologist Dr Elly Hanson, then acted as a go-between for the police. She wrote that Operation Midland was \"committed to documenting the truth\" and would do so \"whatever that entails, including exposing prominent people\". \"Fred\" appeared reticent to come forward, telling Hanson in an email: \"Nick and I went through Hell together but he's dealt with it a lot better than I ever will.\" \"Fred\" told police his real name was John, but declined to meet them or elaborate about the allegations, hinting darkly that: \"I have received a threat that I take seriously. I have not told Carl about this, but if they can trace me, they can trace him.\" It would transpire later, after detectives from a different force examined the encrypted email account, that the man behind it was Carl Beech himself. \"Fred\" was yet another fiction. Operation Midland started to flounder, but the public turning point came when Harvey Proctor held a furious press conference to denounce both Scotland Yard and Beech's allegations. He set them out in graphic detail to show the public how implausible they were. The media, particularly the Daily Mail and the BBC's Panorama programme, challenged the Met by casting serious doubt on the allegations. Senior officers - including the Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe - publicly defended their operation. Beech himself began withdrawing cooperation and cancelled interviews with police, who now wanted to challenge him on various inconsistencies. The emails from \"Fred\" also ceased. In January 2016, Lord Bramall was told he would face no further action. His wife Avril had died during the inquiry. The operation ended in March 2016 when Harvey Proctor - the final living suspect - was also told he would face no further investigation. Both men had been interviewed under caution twice. Scotland Yard stated that it had investigated the possibility that Martin Allen was one of the alleged murder victims and said they had no reason to believe \"Nick\" had misled them. But it was forced to commission a review of the investigation, which was carried out by Sir Richard Henriques. The retired judge's report was damning. It listed 43 serious errors and said Operation Midland should have been terminated much earlier. It said the inquiry could have been completed without the accused ever having learnt about it. The Met apologised and later paid compensation to Lord Bramall and the family of Lord Brittan. Harvey Proctor is currently suing the force, which is resisting his claim in the High Court. Scotland Yard referred Beech for investigation by the independent Northumbria Police. Detectives arrived at his Gloucester home on 2 November 2016, and what they found there revealed that Beech was himself a paedophile. Three of his devices - two laptops and an iPad - contained hundreds of child sexual abuse images, including dozens denoting the gravest abuse imagery. Some of the images had been hidden behind an app that appeared to be calculator. It also became clear that Beech was a perverted voyeur - he had installed a recording device in a toilet to secretly film a young boy. Beech, who had volunteered for the NSPCC, was relieved of his position as a governor at two local schools and suspended from his CQC role. His role would be terminated the following summer - a time when Beech was charged with six counts relating to the images and one count of voyeurism. A year later he was charged with 12 counts of perverting the course of justice and one of fraud. The charges detailed the many ways in which he had lied. He had fabricated the murders, invented the paedophile ring, and lied about the serious injuries. He had given police a small knife - the one he claimed Harvey Proctor had wanted to castrate him with - and two military epaulettes, falsely alleging he had retained them from when he was abused as a child. The knife had actually been used by his grandmother to cut fruit and had been kept by Beech for years in a \"happy memory box\". Beech, who was on bail, was due to stand trial in Worcester for the sexual offences last summer. Instead, he went on the run. When he failed to turn up for his trial at Worcester Crown Court, a warrant was issued for his arrest." } ], "id": "9732_0", "question": "Who is 'Fred'?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Hundreds of Muslims in north-western China are engaged in a standoff with authorities to prevent their mosque from being demolished. Officials said the newly built Weizhou Grand Mosque in the Ningxia region had not been given proper building permits. But worshippers refused to back down. One resident said they would not \"let the government touch the mosque\". China has a Muslim minority of some 23 million, and Islam has been prominent in Ningxia for centuries. But human rights groups say there is increasing official hostility towards Muslims in China, and foreign religious influences in particular. The mosque, which has several soaring minarets and domes, is built in a Middle Eastern style. For centuries Hui Muslim mosques were built in a more Chinese style, and it appears that the new structure is viewed by the local government as an example of a growing Arabisation of Chinese Islam, the BBC's China correspondent, Stephen McDonell, reports. Officials had on 3 August posted a notice that the mosque would be \"forcibly demolished\" as it had not been granted the necessary planning and construction permits. The notice was shared online among the ethnic Hui Muslim community, according to Reuters news agency. Many questioned why the authorities had not stopped construction of the mosque, which took two years to complete, if it had not been granted relevant permits, according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post newspaper. Protests were held outside the mosque on Thursday and continued into Friday, say the reports. Pictures circulating on Chinese social media showed large crowds gathering outside the large white building. One resident said talks between the Hui community and the government had reached an impasse. \"We're just in a standoff,\" the resident, who withheld his name, told the Post. \"The public won't let the government touch the mosque, but the government is not backing down.\" However, an official from the local Islamic Association said that the mosque would not be demolished entirely. He told Reuters news agency the government only wanted the structure \"renovated to reduce its scale\". Later reports suggested that the authorities had agreed to remove eight domes. But one of the protesters was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying that this proposal was unacceptable to the Muslim community. The protester added that the mosque had been conducting prayers attended by thousands of people and had been built with donations from congregants. There has been no comment so far in Chinese state media. In theory, China's constitution guarantees religious freedom but in practice religious activities remain tightly controlled by the government. Christian churches, for example, have in the past been forced to remove crosses from their roofs, after the government said the symbol broke planning rules. In recent years, the atheistic Chinese Communist Party has become particularly wary of foreign religious influences and authorities have embarked on a campaign to \"sinicise religion\" - ie make it more Chinese. As part of that, they have targeted unofficial \"house churches\" connected to overseas missions where millions of Chinese Christians worship. While Hui Muslims have largely been well-integrated and left mostly free to practise their religion, they have watched as Uighur Muslims in the western Xinjiang region have faced growing government pressure. Rights groups say citizens in Xinjiang are subject to increasingly intrusive methods of government surveillance and control, with many punished for \"extremist\" behaviour like wearing veils in public places, or refusing to watch public TV programmes. Thousands of Uighurs are also believed to have been forcibly sent to \"education camps\". According to Human Rights Watch, detainees are forced to renounce their ethnic and religious identities. But the current move to demolish the Ningxia mosque is an indication that the government is now looking to extend control over other Muslim ethnic minorities, says rights group Amnesty International. Earlier this year, in neighbouring Gansu province, children under 16 in the region of Linxia were banned from religious activities, in a move that alarmed Hui imams. \"It's clear that the Chinese government's hostility towards Muslims in China is not only limited to Uighurs,\" researcher Patrick Poon told the BBC. \"Hui Muslims are generally considered less vulnerable to crackdowns, but this incident proves that the government is determined to use a holistic and heavy-handed approach towards all Muslim ethnic minorities in China.\" - The third largest ethnic group in China, with about 10 million living in the country - mostly in the north-west - Predominantly Sunni Muslim, the majority Islamic denomination - Unlike the ethnically Turkic Uighurs, they speak mostly Mandarin - The majority are descendants of Silk Road traders, many of whom intermarried with Mongols and the governing Han Chinese - Beijing has been more tolerant towards the Hui than the Uighur community, whose frictions with the central government have been well documented", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2562, "answer_start": 955, "text": "Officials had on 3 August posted a notice that the mosque would be \"forcibly demolished\" as it had not been granted the necessary planning and construction permits. The notice was shared online among the ethnic Hui Muslim community, according to Reuters news agency. Many questioned why the authorities had not stopped construction of the mosque, which took two years to complete, if it had not been granted relevant permits, according to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post newspaper. Protests were held outside the mosque on Thursday and continued into Friday, say the reports. Pictures circulating on Chinese social media showed large crowds gathering outside the large white building. One resident said talks between the Hui community and the government had reached an impasse. \"We're just in a standoff,\" the resident, who withheld his name, told the Post. \"The public won't let the government touch the mosque, but the government is not backing down.\" However, an official from the local Islamic Association said that the mosque would not be demolished entirely. He told Reuters news agency the government only wanted the structure \"renovated to reduce its scale\". Later reports suggested that the authorities had agreed to remove eight domes. But one of the protesters was quoted by the Associated Press news agency as saying that this proposal was unacceptable to the Muslim community. The protester added that the mosque had been conducting prayers attended by thousands of people and had been built with donations from congregants. There has been no comment so far in Chinese state media." } ], "id": "9733_0", "question": "How did the protests begin?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4598, "answer_start": 2563, "text": "In theory, China's constitution guarantees religious freedom but in practice religious activities remain tightly controlled by the government. Christian churches, for example, have in the past been forced to remove crosses from their roofs, after the government said the symbol broke planning rules. In recent years, the atheistic Chinese Communist Party has become particularly wary of foreign religious influences and authorities have embarked on a campaign to \"sinicise religion\" - ie make it more Chinese. As part of that, they have targeted unofficial \"house churches\" connected to overseas missions where millions of Chinese Christians worship. While Hui Muslims have largely been well-integrated and left mostly free to practise their religion, they have watched as Uighur Muslims in the western Xinjiang region have faced growing government pressure. Rights groups say citizens in Xinjiang are subject to increasingly intrusive methods of government surveillance and control, with many punished for \"extremist\" behaviour like wearing veils in public places, or refusing to watch public TV programmes. Thousands of Uighurs are also believed to have been forcibly sent to \"education camps\". According to Human Rights Watch, detainees are forced to renounce their ethnic and religious identities. But the current move to demolish the Ningxia mosque is an indication that the government is now looking to extend control over other Muslim ethnic minorities, says rights group Amnesty International. Earlier this year, in neighbouring Gansu province, children under 16 in the region of Linxia were banned from religious activities, in a move that alarmed Hui imams. \"It's clear that the Chinese government's hostility towards Muslims in China is not only limited to Uighurs,\" researcher Patrick Poon told the BBC. \"Hui Muslims are generally considered less vulnerable to crackdowns, but this incident proves that the government is determined to use a holistic and heavy-handed approach towards all Muslim ethnic minorities in China.\"" } ], "id": "9733_1", "question": "Can you freely practise religion in China?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Lockheed Martin and India's Tata Group have formalised an agreement to relocate the manufacturing of the most advanced F-16 fighter jets to India. The effort is aimed at securing a multi-billion dollar deal from Delhi. The announcement comes days ahead of Indian PM Narendra Modi's visit to Washington for a meeting with President Trump. But some defence experts are accusing Lockheed of offloading obsolete aircraft on India. India will be able to \"produce, operate and export the multi fighter F-16 Block 70 aircraft\", a joint release said. \"Contingent upon (the) US and Indian government agreement and approval, F-16 Block 70 aircraft would be produced exclusively in India,\" said a Lockheed Martin statement to the BBC. \"The F-16 Block 70, the next production version of the aircraft, would be the only F-16 version in production. As such, India would become the future home of F-16 production worldwide.\" Many see the arrangement as a boost to Mr Modi's \"Make in India\" push, although it may take years to bear fruit. Lockheed and Tata would have to win a formal bidding process to begin co-manufacturing. India needs to replace over 200 aged MiGs that are already pushing the expiry date, experts say. The Russian-supplied MIGs have faced criticism over the years for alleged malfunctioning and frequent crashes that have killed scores of Indian pilots. Russians blame the crashes on poor Indian maintenance. India has been trying to ease its traditional reliance on Russia by diversifying its buying options. It bought French Rafales off the shelf in 2016 after lengthy and arduous negotiations. Steeply escalating costs, poor after-sales service and a lack of sophisticated military equipment are the reasons cited by some analysts for the shift away from Russia. The F-16s are said to be up against competition from Sweden's Saab group and its Gripen jets. How cutting-edge are F-16s? F-16s have dominated the global market for years. More than 3,000 of the multi-role aircraft are currently in use by 26 countries. F-16 production in India will support thousands of jobs in the US, said a joint statement issued from Paris, apparently to counter expected criticism that the deal would fall foul of Mr Trump's \"America First\" policy. They were originally conceived in the early 1970s as a \"lightweight air-to-air day fighter\". But some commentators in India are asking if the agreement with the Tatas is an effort by Lockheed to offload old technology in India. \"India a dumping ground for obsolete weapons system?\" asked defence expert Brahma Chellaney on Twitter. \"Lockheed Martin signs F-16 deal with Tata. Why Tata? Because they make the noisiest car?\" Defence writer Rahul Bedi agrees with Mr Chellaney. \"F-16s developed in the '70s have already reached the optimum level of modernisation. The US Air Force has phased them out in favour of the much more advanced F-35s,\" he told the BBC. In an email reply, Lockheed countered: \"The F-16 remains the backbone of the US Air Force's frontline air fleet and the US Air Force plans to operate F-16s, alongside F-35s and other aircraft, for decades into the future. \"The US Air Force recently announced plans to extend the structural service life of up to 841 of its F-16s.\" Could there be a roll-out delay? Another worry is that it could take years for any F-16 to get off the assembly lines in India, assuming Lockheed-Tata win the tender and get on with the job of setting up manufacturing units. The glacial pace of India's bureaucracy is a major cause for concern, with tenders, trials and manufacturer shortlists before anything can move on the ground. \"I fear it will take nearly a decade before we see the first aircraft. Who will then buy the technically obsolete F-16s?\" asked Rahul Bedi. Are there other risks for India? Russia has long been considered a close Indian ally. For decades India bought Russian armaments to fulfil its defence needs. But India's suggested pivot towards the US has come in for sharp criticism by some. The Lockheed-Tata announcement could be seen through the same prism. The feeling among the sceptics is that such closeness could cost precious Russian goodwill and Russia could get close to India's arch rival Pakistan, which India blames for fomenting \"terror\". \"The Russians are not in contention in the single engine aircraft race because they have nothing to offer,\" says Rahul Bedi. \"India's experience with Russia has been poor. The India deal to purchase aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov was for $960m. It finally agreed to pay $2.3bn due to severe cost escalation.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1110, "answer_start": 427, "text": "India will be able to \"produce, operate and export the multi fighter F-16 Block 70 aircraft\", a joint release said. \"Contingent upon (the) US and Indian government agreement and approval, F-16 Block 70 aircraft would be produced exclusively in India,\" said a Lockheed Martin statement to the BBC. \"The F-16 Block 70, the next production version of the aircraft, would be the only F-16 version in production. As such, India would become the future home of F-16 production worldwide.\" Many see the arrangement as a boost to Mr Modi's \"Make in India\" push, although it may take years to bear fruit. Lockheed and Tata would have to win a formal bidding process to begin co-manufacturing." } ], "id": "9734_0", "question": "What's in the deal?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4573, "answer_start": 1111, "text": "India needs to replace over 200 aged MiGs that are already pushing the expiry date, experts say. The Russian-supplied MIGs have faced criticism over the years for alleged malfunctioning and frequent crashes that have killed scores of Indian pilots. Russians blame the crashes on poor Indian maintenance. India has been trying to ease its traditional reliance on Russia by diversifying its buying options. It bought French Rafales off the shelf in 2016 after lengthy and arduous negotiations. Steeply escalating costs, poor after-sales service and a lack of sophisticated military equipment are the reasons cited by some analysts for the shift away from Russia. The F-16s are said to be up against competition from Sweden's Saab group and its Gripen jets. How cutting-edge are F-16s? F-16s have dominated the global market for years. More than 3,000 of the multi-role aircraft are currently in use by 26 countries. F-16 production in India will support thousands of jobs in the US, said a joint statement issued from Paris, apparently to counter expected criticism that the deal would fall foul of Mr Trump's \"America First\" policy. They were originally conceived in the early 1970s as a \"lightweight air-to-air day fighter\". But some commentators in India are asking if the agreement with the Tatas is an effort by Lockheed to offload old technology in India. \"India a dumping ground for obsolete weapons system?\" asked defence expert Brahma Chellaney on Twitter. \"Lockheed Martin signs F-16 deal with Tata. Why Tata? Because they make the noisiest car?\" Defence writer Rahul Bedi agrees with Mr Chellaney. \"F-16s developed in the '70s have already reached the optimum level of modernisation. The US Air Force has phased them out in favour of the much more advanced F-35s,\" he told the BBC. In an email reply, Lockheed countered: \"The F-16 remains the backbone of the US Air Force's frontline air fleet and the US Air Force plans to operate F-16s, alongside F-35s and other aircraft, for decades into the future. \"The US Air Force recently announced plans to extend the structural service life of up to 841 of its F-16s.\" Could there be a roll-out delay? Another worry is that it could take years for any F-16 to get off the assembly lines in India, assuming Lockheed-Tata win the tender and get on with the job of setting up manufacturing units. The glacial pace of India's bureaucracy is a major cause for concern, with tenders, trials and manufacturer shortlists before anything can move on the ground. \"I fear it will take nearly a decade before we see the first aircraft. Who will then buy the technically obsolete F-16s?\" asked Rahul Bedi. Are there other risks for India? Russia has long been considered a close Indian ally. For decades India bought Russian armaments to fulfil its defence needs. But India's suggested pivot towards the US has come in for sharp criticism by some. The Lockheed-Tata announcement could be seen through the same prism. The feeling among the sceptics is that such closeness could cost precious Russian goodwill and Russia could get close to India's arch rival Pakistan, which India blames for fomenting \"terror\". \"The Russians are not in contention in the single engine aircraft race because they have nothing to offer,\" says Rahul Bedi. \"India's experience with Russia has been poor. The India deal to purchase aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov was for $960m. It finally agreed to pay $2.3bn due to severe cost escalation.\"" } ], "id": "9734_1", "question": "Why does India need it?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "China's governing Communist Party has proposed removing a clause in the constitution which limits presidencies to two five-year terms. The move would allow the current President Xi Jinping to remain as leader after he is due to step down. There had been widespread speculation that Mr Xi would seek to extend his presidency beyond 2023. The party congress last year saw him cement his status as the most powerful leader since the late Mao Zedong. His ideology was also enshrined in the party's constitution at the congress, and in a break with convention, no obvious successor was unveiled. Born in 1953, Mr Xi is the son of one of the Communist Party's founding fathers. He joined the party in 1974, climbing its ranks before becoming president in 2013. His presidency has seen economic reform, a fierce campaign against corruption, as well as a resurgence in nationalism and a crackdown on human rights. The announcement was carried on state news agency Xinhua on Sunday. \"The Communist Party of China Central Committee proposed to remove the expression that the President and Vice-President of the People's Republic of China 'shall serve no more than two consecutive terms' from the country's Constitution,\" it reported. It gave no other details, but the full proposal was due to be released later. The announcement appears carefully timed, with many Chinese people due to return to work on Monday after celebrating the Chinese New Year. China was also centre stage at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics, as South Korea prepared to hand the Games over to Beijing for 2022. The top officials who make up the party's Central Committee are due to meet on Monday in Beijing. The proposal must be approved by China's parliament, the National People's Congress, which begins its annual meeting on 5 March but most expect this to be a formality. Under the current system, Mr Xi was due to step down in 2023. The tradition of limiting presidencies to 10 years emerged in the 1990s, when veteran leader Deng Xiaoping sought to avoid a repeat of the chaos that had marked the Mao era and its immediate aftermath. Mr Xi's two predecessors have followed the orderly pattern of succession. But since he came to power in 2012 he has shown a readiness to write his own rules. It is not clear how long Mr Xi might stay in power, but an editorial in China's state-run Global Times said the change did not mean \"that the Chinese president will have a lifelong tenure\". The paper quoted Su Wei, a Communist Party academic and party member, as saying it was a significant decision as China needed a \"stable, strong and consistent leadership\" from 2020-2035. But the prospect of further removing restraints on Mr Xi's power has alarmed some observers. \"I think he will become emperor for life,\" Willy Lam, politics professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told AFP news agency. By Celia Hatton, BBC World Service Asia Pacific Regional Editor This is an announcement many have been expecting. For decades, the Communist Party has dominated life in China. Now, Xi Jinping has stepped into that spotlight, outshining the party that promoted him to the top spot. His photo is plastered on billboards across the country and his authorised nickname, \"Papa Xi\", appears in official songs. In the past the Communist Party stayed firmly in control, while the man at the top was in command for a limited amount of time. One leader would dutifully hand power to another after serving a decade in power. Xi Jinping disrupted that system from the early days of his time in office. He instituted an anti-corruption campaign, the same campaign that conveniently eliminated Mr Xi's political rivals. Mr Xi has also shown a clear political vision, promoting huge national projects like the One Belt One Road initiative to build new global trade routes and announcing grand plans for China to erase poverty by 2020.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1850, "answer_start": 906, "text": "The announcement was carried on state news agency Xinhua on Sunday. \"The Communist Party of China Central Committee proposed to remove the expression that the President and Vice-President of the People's Republic of China 'shall serve no more than two consecutive terms' from the country's Constitution,\" it reported. It gave no other details, but the full proposal was due to be released later. The announcement appears carefully timed, with many Chinese people due to return to work on Monday after celebrating the Chinese New Year. China was also centre stage at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics, as South Korea prepared to hand the Games over to Beijing for 2022. The top officials who make up the party's Central Committee are due to meet on Monday in Beijing. The proposal must be approved by China's parliament, the National People's Congress, which begins its annual meeting on 5 March but most expect this to be a formality." } ], "id": "9735_0", "question": "What do we know about the move?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2877, "answer_start": 1851, "text": "Under the current system, Mr Xi was due to step down in 2023. The tradition of limiting presidencies to 10 years emerged in the 1990s, when veteran leader Deng Xiaoping sought to avoid a repeat of the chaos that had marked the Mao era and its immediate aftermath. Mr Xi's two predecessors have followed the orderly pattern of succession. But since he came to power in 2012 he has shown a readiness to write his own rules. It is not clear how long Mr Xi might stay in power, but an editorial in China's state-run Global Times said the change did not mean \"that the Chinese president will have a lifelong tenure\". The paper quoted Su Wei, a Communist Party academic and party member, as saying it was a significant decision as China needed a \"stable, strong and consistent leadership\" from 2020-2035. But the prospect of further removing restraints on Mr Xi's power has alarmed some observers. \"I think he will become emperor for life,\" Willy Lam, politics professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told AFP news agency." } ], "id": "9735_1", "question": "How significant is this?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Theresa May has met Emmanuel Macron as she stepped up her efforts to win backing for her Brexit plans. The UK prime minister cut short her holiday for talks at the French president's summer retreat. It came after UK Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab held talks with his counterparts in Paris on Thursday. Ahead of the talks, the UK's former ambassador to France warned Mrs May not to expect a Brexit breakthrough from the meeting. Lord Ricketts told the BBC that Mr Macron was \"the last person\" to want to break ranks with the rest of the EU to push for a softer stance from Brussels. Mr Macron \"doesn't believe in softening\" the position on Brexit as \"he is a passionate pro-European\", the peer said. The two leaders met at Mr Macron's summer residence in Fort de Bregancon, on a small island off the French Mediterranean coast. By BBC Paris Correspondent Lucy Williamson Mrs May's visit has been described in the French press as a \"cry for help\". The meeting with President Macron at his summer retreat - reportedly at her request - is seen as a bid to circumvent the European Commission and, according to the editorials here, exposes \"obvious\" British anxiety. The centre-right Le Figaro has a particularly colourful editorial which pictures Mrs May trying to wrest the steering wheel of the Brexit car from different factions of her party back home, as it \"jolts over the London potholes and skids on the oil slicks of Brussels\". Never mind \"take back control\" the paper says, Britain has lost control of Brexit. After Michel Barnier's chilly response to Mrs May's Brexit plan last month, this visit - which cuts short her summer walking holiday - is part of a charm offensive by the British government to see what progress can be made with individual European leaders. Many here in France believe the chance of a \"no deal\" Brexit is growing. But that pressure is unlikely to deliver the kind of concessions the prime minister would like. Mr Macron is a pragmatic man, but he has staked his presidency on a strong EU, and has so far stuck fast to core principles on the single market. France may show a little flexibility later in the game, one former French official told me, but not the kind of flexibility on which Britain is currently banking. After the hastily arranged talks, Mrs May and her husband, Philip, joined the president and his wife Brigitte for a five-course private dinner. They dined on tomatoes and saffron flavoured langoustines; thyme-flavoured sea bass; chicken with vegetables; cheese and finished with a choice of dark chocolate creme brulee or fruit. The prime minister ended her break in the Italian Lakes a day early for the talks, although she will fly to Switzerland for a second break later this month. Ahead of her meeting with Mr Macron, Mrs May spoke by phone to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker about Brexit and global trade. On Thursday, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier signalled a willingness to be flexible in Brexit negotiations around the Northern Ireland border. Calling the issue \"the biggest risk\" caused by Brexit, Mr Barnier said he was \"ready to improve\" the EU's proposals. The EU wants Northern Ireland to be part of a common regulatory area for goods and customs if a trade deal has not been reached by the end of the planned 21 month post-Brexit transition period - something the UK has rejected. Mr Barnier was also positive about reaching a free trade deal \"unprecedented in scope and depth\". He warned that any deal must not undermine free movement of goods, capital, services and labour within the EU single market by setting up free movement in goods only. But he added: \"I remain confident that the negotiations can reach a good outcome. \"It is possible to respect EU principles and create a new and ambitious partnership.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2247, "answer_start": 826, "text": "By BBC Paris Correspondent Lucy Williamson Mrs May's visit has been described in the French press as a \"cry for help\". The meeting with President Macron at his summer retreat - reportedly at her request - is seen as a bid to circumvent the European Commission and, according to the editorials here, exposes \"obvious\" British anxiety. The centre-right Le Figaro has a particularly colourful editorial which pictures Mrs May trying to wrest the steering wheel of the Brexit car from different factions of her party back home, as it \"jolts over the London potholes and skids on the oil slicks of Brussels\". Never mind \"take back control\" the paper says, Britain has lost control of Brexit. After Michel Barnier's chilly response to Mrs May's Brexit plan last month, this visit - which cuts short her summer walking holiday - is part of a charm offensive by the British government to see what progress can be made with individual European leaders. Many here in France believe the chance of a \"no deal\" Brexit is growing. But that pressure is unlikely to deliver the kind of concessions the prime minister would like. Mr Macron is a pragmatic man, but he has staked his presidency on a strong EU, and has so far stuck fast to core principles on the single market. France may show a little flexibility later in the game, one former French official told me, but not the kind of flexibility on which Britain is currently banking." } ], "id": "9736_0", "question": "A cry for help?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The stars were out in full fashion force on the 91st Academy Awards red carpet. Celebrities let their outfits do the talking in every colour under the rainbow. Here are the looks that lit up social media. Actor Billy Porter, who has won both a Tony and a Grammy for his role in Kinky Boots, stunned the red carpet in a custom tuxedo-gown. The star of US drama TV series Pose told Vogue he's \"always been inspired by fashion\" and that his outfits are all about coming to terms with his gay identity. Jada Pinkett Smith was also a big fan of the look and thanked Billy for \"saving Black History Month\". Fashion fans have been raving about his Christian Siriano dress, for its perfect mix of the masculine and feminine. Did you recognise the diamond in Lady Gaga's necklace when she stepped onto the red carpet? The rock, known as the Tiffany Diamond, was worn by Audrey Hepburn in 1961 (in a different setting) for promotional shots for Breakfast at Tiffany's. Jewellery giant Tiffany said it had released the gem - reported to be worth as much as $50 million (PS38 million) - from its vault \"specifically for Lady Gaga\". First discovered in South Africa in 1877, the 128.54-carat yellow diamond is thought to be one of the biggest in the world. Gaga teamed the jewel with diamond earrings, elbow-length gloves and a black strapless Alexander McQueen gown with structured hips and a fishtail hem. Selma Blair made her first public appearance since announcing she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She attended the Vanity Fair Oscars party in a dress, cape and walking stick. Many people commented on her bravery and how her story could inspire others who may also have the condition. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a bunch of celebrities wearing some pretty cool caped gowns. Glenn Close, nominated for best actress for The Wife, wore a stunning gold lame cape dress on the red carpet. Melissa McCarthy, who was nominated for best actress for Can You Ever Forgive Me?, also jumped on the cape vibe in a black and white ensemble. It seems that Killing Eve's favourite assassin has a few celebrity fans, judging by some of the looks on the red carpet. Jodie Comer better look out, as she could have some rivals to contend with when season two comes around. American actress Linda Cardellini wore fuchsia taffeta on the red carpet. She stars in Green Book and A Simple Favour. Crazy Rich Asians' Awkwafina served some serious looks in her glittery lilac tuxe by Dsquared 2. US singer Kacey Musgraves also looked pretty in baby pink - her dress is from the Giambattista Valli spring 2019 collection. While last year's awards season was dominated by sombre colours as celebrities came out to support the #MeToo and Time's Up movements, 2019's Oscars were full of every colour of the rainbow. Dame Helen Mirren led the fashion pack in a vibrant Schiaparelli gown, complete with multi-toned pink chiffon and some seriously sparkling jewels. Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, who were both nominated for best supporting actress for The Favourite, fully embraced colour on the Oscars red carpet. Emma wore a brown and gold Louis Vuitton dress, while Rachel rocked a red floral vinyl dress. New hair, new me? Charlize Theron got the internet talking when she rocked the red carpet in a powder blue Dior gown and a brunette bob. Melissa McCarthy presented the award for best costume in perhaps the most show-stealing look yet, a Tudor frock covered in fluffy (toy) rabbits. This paid homage to Olivia Colman's portrayal of Queen Anne's pet rabbits in The Favourite. McCarthy's skit with Brian Tyree Henry, who looked equally fetching, set social media alight. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected].", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1394, "answer_start": 717, "text": "Did you recognise the diamond in Lady Gaga's necklace when she stepped onto the red carpet? The rock, known as the Tiffany Diamond, was worn by Audrey Hepburn in 1961 (in a different setting) for promotional shots for Breakfast at Tiffany's. Jewellery giant Tiffany said it had released the gem - reported to be worth as much as $50 million (PS38 million) - from its vault \"specifically for Lady Gaga\". First discovered in South Africa in 1877, the 128.54-carat yellow diamond is thought to be one of the biggest in the world. Gaga teamed the jewel with diamond earrings, elbow-length gloves and a black strapless Alexander McQueen gown with structured hips and a fishtail hem." } ], "id": "9737_0", "question": "It costs how much?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Before last year's Brexit vote, there were warnings from many economists that the UK would suffer a catastrophic economic shock and be catapulted into recession by a Leave vote. As it turned out, those predictions were a touch pessimistic. But one year on, what do economists and businesses think of the aftermath of the vote? And what do they think the future holds? David Owen, chief European financial economist for Jefferies, still thinks the UK could be in for a rough ride. \"For six months or so after the Brexit vote, the UK economy as a whole also held up surprisingly well, helped by the significant monetary easing announced by the Bank of England last August and the move down in the currency,\" he says. \"But recent weeks have seen growing signs of the wheels coming off the UK recovery, with real incomes squeezed by the decline seen in real wages.\" UK wage growth slowed down this year and started to lag behind inflation in May. Prices are rising in the shops faster than people's wages are going up, meaning the amount people have to spend is going down in real terms. In the future, \"much will depend on what deal the UK ultimately manages to strike with the rest of the EU, but with Brexit discussions now commencing, uncertainty and political risk will dominate discussion,\" he adds. Last year, not all economists thought the shock to the economy would be so profound. Martin Beck of Oxford Economics said then that although the Brexit vote would hit the UK, it would avoid recession. Since a majority of voters chose to leave the EU, it was \"not obvious\" that business and consumers would cut back on spending immediately, he says. However, he still believes that UK growth will slow down, partly because of \"uncertainty over Brexit negotiations and uncertainty as to what the outcome will be\". After the Brexit vote, the pound dropped sharply against the euro. It is still trading about 14% down against the dollar. As a result of that devaluation, UK consumers are starting to be squeezed by price inflation. However, exporters are feeling the double benefit of a weaker pound and no change to tariffs to the EU at the moment, Mr Beck says. What happens next to the UK economy \"depends on the deal\" that the UK government manages to come up with. Research done by Oxford Economics \"suggests a long-run hit to the economy\" with a gradual cumulative effect. By 2030, the UK will have missed out on 3% to 4% of growth, he adds. Last year, some economists were positively gung-ho for Brexit. Prof Patrick Minford of Cardiff University is a member of Economists for Free Trade, formerly known as Economists for Brexit. Prof Minford says that \"the consensus was for a recession\", but \"we thought it [the UK economy] would be pretty much unaffected\". However, he says Economists for Brexit \"didn't get the scale of the devaluation right\" for sterling. They thought devaluation would be about 6% and it turned out to be more like 15%. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, he says. Having a devalued pound boosts demand for exports, Prof Minford says. Businesses invest more money because they can sell more easily abroad. And more expensive foreign goods encourage consumers to buy British, giving an extra push for business investment, he adds. The devaluation is \"likely to remain for quite some time\" because of the length of the Brexit negotiations. He says that the eventual agreement is likely to be a compromise between soft and hard Brexit. If negotiations are derailed, this may be positive for stock market sentiment, as the UK could move towards free trade agreements faster. But the economy will probably move towards having more of an emphasis on free trade gradually, he adds. Mr Beck of Oxford Economics also says that being outside the customs union with the EU may bring benefits. Trade with the EU may not be as important as building trade links with rapidly growing large economies such as China and India, he says. Even before Brexit, exports to the EU had been falling relative to other markets. China and India are \"growing very quickly\", whereas European countries are wealthy and so are growing more slowly as a market, Mr Beck says. Some economists have a completely different take on where they think the economy is heading. Douglas McWilliams, deputy chairman of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, said after the Brexit vote that he expected a boom. But now there will be a hit to the UK economy due to uncertainty and a fall in immigration. The creative industries fuel a large chunk of the UK economy, he says, and without immigrants to stimulate new ways of thinking, business will be hobbled. \"The real benefit [to immigration] is that skill bottlenecks are solved,\" he says. Eventually, the UK will \"change what we make and sell\" in the longer term. But he expects negative effects on the economy to outweigh positive effects until 2030. Business lobby group the CBI says that growth in the UK economy will \"shift down a gear\" in the short term as household spending slows down. \"The less likely a Brexit deal starts to look, the harder it will be for firms to recruit and retain talent as well as push the button on big investment decisions. We must get Brexit right,\" says CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn. Big firms such as Rolls Royce have said they want as little change as possible after Brexit. And car-makers are worried about a trade \"cliff edge\" if tariffs are suddenly imposed on EU imports and exports. Finally, what do people in the UK think about Brexit? Joe Twyman from pollsters YouGov says that in the main, they haven't changed their mind from how they voted last year. \"Nothing has changed, because nothing has changed,\" he says. \"Negotiations have just started.\" One interesting twist is that 26% of the population that voted Remain believe the UK should go ahead with Brexit, because that's how the majority voted, he says. However, he adds that the political situation is \"very fluid\", and depending on how the negotiations go, those opinions could easily shift.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3001, "answer_start": 2446, "text": "Last year, some economists were positively gung-ho for Brexit. Prof Patrick Minford of Cardiff University is a member of Economists for Free Trade, formerly known as Economists for Brexit. Prof Minford says that \"the consensus was for a recession\", but \"we thought it [the UK economy] would be pretty much unaffected\". However, he says Economists for Brexit \"didn't get the scale of the devaluation right\" for sterling. They thought devaluation would be about 6% and it turned out to be more like 15%. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, he says." } ], "id": "9738_0", "question": "Brexit bonanza?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4903, "answer_start": 4179, "text": "Some economists have a completely different take on where they think the economy is heading. Douglas McWilliams, deputy chairman of the Centre for Economics and Business Research, said after the Brexit vote that he expected a boom. But now there will be a hit to the UK economy due to uncertainty and a fall in immigration. The creative industries fuel a large chunk of the UK economy, he says, and without immigrants to stimulate new ways of thinking, business will be hobbled. \"The real benefit [to immigration] is that skill bottlenecks are solved,\" he says. Eventually, the UK will \"change what we make and sell\" in the longer term. But he expects negative effects on the economy to outweigh positive effects until 2030." } ], "id": "9738_1", "question": "Boom, bust, boom?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "An appearance by YouTuber James Charles is believed to have brought Birmingham city centre to a standstill after 8,000 fans flocked to the Bullring. The beauty guru was greeted by three floors of screaming supporters during his visit to the shopping centre at about 11:30 GMT on Saturday. But motorists were stuck in gridlocked traffic from 15:00 until 19:30. Drivers trying to leave car parks found they were stuck and some opted to abandon their vehicles overnight. Suffolk Street Queensway, Navigation Street, and Hill Street were all at a standstill. Celebrity vlogger Charles tweeted a video showing the crowds at the shopping centre. On Snapchat, he said it was the biggest meet-and-greet session he had ever done. \"There were 8,000 sisters [fans] at the mall,\" he said. \"We keep breaking records every single time. \"I will literally never forget today.\" Some fans had begun queuing at 08:00 to see him - but it is believed only about 250 took part in the meet-and-greet appearance inside the Morphe make-up store. Crowds of supporters blocked the aisles, bringing the shopping centre to a standstill. On Snapchat, Charles said he had wanted to say goodbye to fans at the Bullring, but it was a \"hazard\" and he had to get straight in his car. After discovering the traffic chaos caused, he tweeted a cheeky \"oops\". Unlike the thousands of teenagers hoping to catch a glimpse of their idol, I'd gone to the Bullring on Saturday morning to shop. The top two floors were filled with excited youngsters (and some slightly bleary-eyed parents). As fans passed the time posing for selfies and jostling for the best position, repeated security announcements begged them to stop pushing. When James Charles finally stepped out into the shopping centre, the deafening scream that erupted wouldn't have sounded out of place at a pop concert. Afterwards, more loudspeaker announcements pleaded with lingering fans to disperse: \"James Charles will not be making any more appearances today.\" But they didn't seem to be going anywhere. For the rest of us, the spectacle made for a welcome, if bemusing, distraction from the standard weekend shopping trip. \"What's all the fuss about?\" one man asked a security guard. \"Some bloke off YouTube,\" came the reply. West Midlands Police had earlier said the gridlock was caused by problems with traffic lights at the junction of Bristol Street and The Horsefair. But contractor Amey later said this was incorrect and the lights had been working all day. Birmingham City Council said it was \"analysing the data\" to establish the cause of the congestion which would \"help inform if any changes are needed to the network in future\". The authority added: \"It must also be remembered there are several regeneration projects and related highways work ongoing at present too, so we would continue to urge anyone coming into the city to plan their journeys in advance and use public transport wherever possible.\" Some shoppers criticised the handling of the event. Richard Simon said it was an \"absolute disgrace\". Amber Molland-Allman, 20, who was shopping with friends on Saturday, said it was \"ridiculously crowded\". \"There was a lot of people, three storeys of just a queue, the escalators were closed and we had to go down [floors] through different shops,\" she said. However, Ms Allman said the atmosphere was \"excited\" and \"everyone was really happy\". She said security was handled \"quite well\". He is a 19-year-old social media star from Bethlehem, New York. He has a YouTube channel followed by almost 14 million people where he uploads make-up tutorials, reviews and challenges. The beauty influencer makes millions of dollars via his own merchandise and clothing range and sponsored social media posts. He calls his fans \"sisters\" and his fanbase \"the sisterhood\". Last year, he released his own eyeshadow palette that sent millions of teens and make-up lovers into a tailspin as they tried to get their hands on it. The palette sold out worldwide within hours - twice. West Midlands Police said no extra officers were sent to the Bullring, other than an additional operational support unit that had been agreed in advance. The force added no incidents were reported and no arrests were made. Stephanie Lacey, general manager at Bullring and Grand Central, said: \"We understand there was some congestion in the city caused by roadworks but yesterday's event was hugely popular and many shoppers were delighted to have the chance to catch a glimpse of James Charles.\" Drivers took to social media on Saturday evening to express their frustration at the traffic in Birmingham. Meanwhile, British, European and World medallist gymnast Luke Strong was attending the British Gymnastics National Awards at the Town Hall, and said it took three-and-a-half hours to travel 0.8 miles around the \"Pagoda Island\" traffic roundabout. The event's start time was delayed by an hour due to the traffic, he said. \"We were just stuck on a roundabout so we couldn't just abandon my car,\" said Mr Strong. \"I always know that the traffic in Birmingham isn't the best so I usually get the train, but I thought I would be OK and give myself a lot of time, but when I hit that traffic I regretted it.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4007, "answer_start": 3430, "text": "He is a 19-year-old social media star from Bethlehem, New York. He has a YouTube channel followed by almost 14 million people where he uploads make-up tutorials, reviews and challenges. The beauty influencer makes millions of dollars via his own merchandise and clothing range and sponsored social media posts. He calls his fans \"sisters\" and his fanbase \"the sisterhood\". Last year, he released his own eyeshadow palette that sent millions of teens and make-up lovers into a tailspin as they tried to get their hands on it. The palette sold out worldwide within hours - twice." } ], "id": "9739_0", "question": "Who is James Charles?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "It's 2018 and people are gathering around a phone to take part in the day's round of HQ Trivia, a real-time quiz app where players can win real cash. Two years later, and HQ Trivia has gone bankrupt and shut down, its presenters drinking and swearing during its last live broadcast. The final game's prize was just $5 (PS3.83) - and that came out of the pocket of host Matt Richards. That prize was split by 523 viewers. It's a far cry from the app's heyday, when prizes could reach $300,000 (PS214,000) and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson was a guest presenter on the 15-minute show. HQ Trivia was free to download and free to play. A live presenter would ask 12 multiple choice questions and anyone who answered them all correctly would win part of the game's prize fund. A live chat ran during the game, and presenters read out messages from players during the live daily broadcasts. It's estimated that in February 2018, there could be 2.3 million people playing HQ Trivia at the same time. During its lifespan gave away $6 million (PS4.6 million) in cash prizes. But on Friday 14 February 2020, HQ Trivia shut down, making its 25 employees redundant after running out of money. Investors had pulled their cash out of the app and a plan for a new buyer to rescue the company fell through at the last minute. HQ Trivia had been funded by investors but also made money when brands, such as The Voice or Warner Bros, paid for special takeovers and games about their products. Players could also spend money on extra lives to use during the games. Presenters Matt Richards and Anna Roisman drank alcohol during the final broadcast, and didn't hold back their feelings on the app closing down. The hosts would often drink during the app's more adult-orientated HQ After Dark games. \"Why are we shutting down? I don't know. Ask our investors. What am I going to do with my fish tank? I think our investors ran out of money,\" said Matt during the show. \"Someone hire me! I'm talented,\" said Anna. Matt said he'd been given two shots of tequila and the pair opened a giant bottle of champagne which he said was being saved for when the app reached 3 million players. In 2018 its then-host Sharon Carpenter told Radio 1 Newsbeat she believed HQ Trivia and its format was \"the future of television - it's the future of broadcasting\". \"It's the same reason people love live TV, but this you can take wherever you are,\" she said. \"You never know how the game is going to end up - and I think because of that there is this element of the fear of missing out.\" Does Sharon still feel the same way? We had to ask her again. \"I still think it's the future of TV, HQ was ahead of its time,\" Sharon tells us. Players loved the fact they could take part wherever they were, whether that's 30,000 ft up in the air, skiing in the Alps, or on a dance floor in a club. \"This doesn't mean it's the end of this kind of format, I'm sure something is going to be next. \"HQ is now a part of history, people know what is possible on your smartphones now.\" The app was founded by Colin Kroll and Rus Yusupvo - the people who also founded the now-defunct video sharing app Vine. \"We've never stopped experimenting with video technology,\" Rus told Newsbeat in 2018. \"With HQ we wanted to blend and break out of these moulds of traditional television. \"We thought if you could up the levels of production and broadcast directly to people's phones - and make that content more interactive and more social - that we could actually turn this into something we could use daily.\" Colin Kroll was found dead in his apartment in December 2018. 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": 3024, "answer_start": 1542, "text": "Presenters Matt Richards and Anna Roisman drank alcohol during the final broadcast, and didn't hold back their feelings on the app closing down. The hosts would often drink during the app's more adult-orientated HQ After Dark games. \"Why are we shutting down? I don't know. Ask our investors. What am I going to do with my fish tank? I think our investors ran out of money,\" said Matt during the show. \"Someone hire me! I'm talented,\" said Anna. Matt said he'd been given two shots of tequila and the pair opened a giant bottle of champagne which he said was being saved for when the app reached 3 million players. In 2018 its then-host Sharon Carpenter told Radio 1 Newsbeat she believed HQ Trivia and its format was \"the future of television - it's the future of broadcasting\". \"It's the same reason people love live TV, but this you can take wherever you are,\" she said. \"You never know how the game is going to end up - and I think because of that there is this element of the fear of missing out.\" Does Sharon still feel the same way? We had to ask her again. \"I still think it's the future of TV, HQ was ahead of its time,\" Sharon tells us. Players loved the fact they could take part wherever they were, whether that's 30,000 ft up in the air, skiing in the Alps, or on a dance floor in a club. \"This doesn't mean it's the end of this kind of format, I'm sure something is going to be next. \"HQ is now a part of history, people know what is possible on your smartphones now.\"" } ], "id": "9740_0", "question": "What happened in HQ Trivia's final show?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US Democratic party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton kept her pneumonia diagnosis from most of her staff, according to reports, choosing to tell only family and close aides. Mrs Clinton was reportedly concerned that news of the illness would be exploited by her opponents. She was diagnosed on Friday and advised to rest, but continued campaigning. Her team was forced to go public with the diagnosis on Sunday when she left a 9/11 memorial early, appearing weak. Speaking to CNN late on Monday, Mrs Clinton said she was feeling \"so much better\". She also told the broadcaster that she had not disclosed her pneumonia diagnosis, saying: \"I just didn't think it was going to be that big a deal.\" The US presidential candidate said she had ignored a doctor's \"wise\" advice to rest for five days. She said she hoped to be back on the trail in \"the next couple of days\". The Democratic nominee acknowledged she had lost her balance during Sunday morning's health scare, but said she did not faint. \"I felt dizzy and I did lose my balance for a minute, but once I got in (the van), once I could sit down, once I could cool off, once I had some water, I immediately started feeling better,\" she said. Some critics questioned why this had only been revealed after Sunday's events and Mrs Clinton's communications director conceded the incident had been poorly managed. She will be releasing new medical records to help ease concerns about her health, a campaign spokesman said. Don Fowler, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), urged the party on Sunday to immediately come up with a process to choose a potential successor for Mrs Clinton, in case she is forced to retire with ill health. Mr Fowler said he expected Mrs Clinton to fully recover but said taking precautions was necessary. Ed Rendell, another former DNC chair, told Politico: \"There is absolutely no chance Hillary Clinton will withdraw from running for the presidency.\" It capped a difficult weekend for Mrs Clinton, who came under attack from Mr Trump for calling half of his supporters \"deplorable\" people on Friday. On Monday, the Republican presidential nominee wished her a speedy recovery. He also pledged to release the results of a medical examination he took over the past week. Mr Trump has repeatedly suggested Mrs Clinton is unfit, telling supporters last month she \"lacks the mental and physical stamina\" to serve as president. - Donald Trump accused US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen of keeping interest rates low to boost President Barack Obama's popularity. He said she should be \"ashamed\" - The Republican candidate also released a new ad attacking Mrs Clinton for calling half of his supporters \"a basket of deplorables\" last week. \"You know what's deplorable? Hillary Clinton viciously demonising hard-working people like you,\" a narrator says - Green Party candidate Jill Stein says she would not have killed Osama Bin Laden but instead would have put him on trial Will Hillary Clinton's near collapse during Sunday's 9/11 memorial ceremonies make her health a political Achilles heel? The Trump campaign managed to hold its tongue as the news unfolded, probably sensing that the story was damaging enough on its own. At 68, Mrs Clinton is particularly susceptible to concerns about her health (as is 70-year-old Mr Trump). But if she returns to her normal campaign schedule without incident, she will go a long way towards putting health concerns to bed. Mrs Clinton's team said she is suffering with \"walking pneumonia\" - a not-too-serious form of the lung infection which leaves patients feeling unwell but doesn't usually require bed rest or hospital care. Pneumonia is essentially an infection of the lungs which causes inflammation in the air sacs and fills them with fluid. Symptoms can include a cough, fever, fatigue, chills and shortness of breath. Anyone can contract pneumonia, although smokers, older people, and sufferers of chronic lung diseases are at increased risk. There are two types - bacterial or viral. Bacterial pneumonia is common and easily treated with antibiotics. Most people with so-called \"walking pneumonia\" can recover within a few days. Those with weak immune systems or existing conditions can take weeks to recover, and pneumonia can in some cases be fatal.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4307, "answer_start": 3470, "text": "Mrs Clinton's team said she is suffering with \"walking pneumonia\" - a not-too-serious form of the lung infection which leaves patients feeling unwell but doesn't usually require bed rest or hospital care. Pneumonia is essentially an infection of the lungs which causes inflammation in the air sacs and fills them with fluid. Symptoms can include a cough, fever, fatigue, chills and shortness of breath. Anyone can contract pneumonia, although smokers, older people, and sufferers of chronic lung diseases are at increased risk. There are two types - bacterial or viral. Bacterial pneumonia is common and easily treated with antibiotics. Most people with so-called \"walking pneumonia\" can recover within a few days. Those with weak immune systems or existing conditions can take weeks to recover, and pneumonia can in some cases be fatal." } ], "id": "9741_0", "question": "What is walking pneumonia?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn has been re-arrested in Tokyo while out on bail pending trial over claims of financial misconduct. Prosecutors said the 65-year-old had been detained over suspicions he caused Nissan $5m (PS3.8m) in losses, according to reports. In a statement, Mr Ghosn said his re-arrest was \"outrageous and arbitrary\". Mr Ghosn's lawyer told a news conference they would strongly appeal against the latest arrest. Junichiro Hironaka also said that Tokyo prosecutors had confiscated the passport and mobile phone of Carlos Ghosn's wife, Reuters reported. Mr Ghosn, who denies any wrongdoing, was recently released on bail after 108 days in custody. Tokyo prosecutors entered Mr Ghosn's residence before 06:00 local time on Thursday (21:00 GMT Wednesday) and took him to their office on suspicion he had misappropriated Nissan funds for personal use, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported. Mr Ghosn's lawyer said it was almost unheard of to arrest someone after being released on bail. \"I am innocent of the groundless charges and accusations against me,\" Mr Ghosn said in a statement released by his representatives. He said the arrest was \"part of another attempt by some individuals at Nissan to silence me by misleading the prosecutors\". \"Why arrest me except to try to break me? I will not be broken.\" The move is the latest twist in a case that has attracted global attention. Mr Ghosn was the architect of the alliance between Nissan and French carmaker Renault, and brought Mitsubishi on board in 2016. He is credited with turning around the fortunes of Nissan and Renault over several years. Prosecutors said Mr Ghosn's latest arrest related to transfers of Nissan funds totalling $15m between 2015 and 2018. They suspect $5m of that amount was used by Mr Ghosn for personal expenditure. Local media had previously said that authorities had been building a new case against him involving payments to a dealership in Oman. In Japan, prosecutors are permitted to re-arrest a suspect on a slightly different accusation, with approval from the courts. The clock is then reset and another 20 days of interrogation can begin. Mr Ghosn was first arrested in November for understating his pay. He was re-arrested twice in December and faces three charges. He was first charged with underreporting his pay package for the five years to 2015. In January, a fresh charge claimed he understated his compensation for another three years and he was also indicted on a new, more serious charge of breach of trust. Mr Ghosn denies any wrongdoing. He was released on $9m (PS6.8m) bail in March. The auto executive also said on Wednesday on a newly created Twitter account that he was planning a press conference on 11 April \"to tell the truth about what's happening\". The latest arrest comes after Renault publicly criticised its former star executive for the first time, accusing him of \"questionable and concealed practices\". Mr Ghosn only resigned from the French carmaker in January, while Nissan and Mitsubishi removed him as chairman shortly after his arrest. Renault had initially questioned Nissan's allegations, but carried out its own internal inquiry. But on Wednesday, it piled pressure on Mr Ghosn when it accused him of \"violations of the group's ethical principles\". The carmaker said it would stop Mr Ghosn's pension, thought to be worth EUR765,000 a year, adding that it reserved the right to bring action against him in the courts. Renault said it had also \"informed the French judicial authorities of potential issues concerning payments made to one of Renault's distributors in the Middle East\". However, in an interview with French TV stations TF1 and LCI, Mr Ghosn - who holds French, Lebanese and Brazilian citizenship - said: \"I am innocent. It's hard, I have to admit it, and I call on the French government to defend me, and to defend my rights as a citizen.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2141, "answer_start": 1320, "text": "The move is the latest twist in a case that has attracted global attention. Mr Ghosn was the architect of the alliance between Nissan and French carmaker Renault, and brought Mitsubishi on board in 2016. He is credited with turning around the fortunes of Nissan and Renault over several years. Prosecutors said Mr Ghosn's latest arrest related to transfers of Nissan funds totalling $15m between 2015 and 2018. They suspect $5m of that amount was used by Mr Ghosn for personal expenditure. Local media had previously said that authorities had been building a new case against him involving payments to a dealership in Oman. In Japan, prosecutors are permitted to re-arrest a suspect on a slightly different accusation, with approval from the courts. The clock is then reset and another 20 days of interrogation can begin." } ], "id": "9742_0", "question": "What happens next?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Kevin Hart has said his charity \"is about to do a lot more\" after it awarded university scholarships to 18 students. The actor and comedian partnered with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to make a donation of $600,000 (PS465,000) to fund the places. In a post on his Instagram account Hart, who is from Philadelphia, said: \"This is just the beginning people! I'm also proud of the eight kids from Philadelphia that received these scholarships. Stand up Philadelphia!\" Online, Hart's post has been liked more than 216,000 times on Instagram and nearly 2,000 times on Twitter. Many have paid tribute to the Scary Movie actor with UNCF issuing a thank you for the donation, and highlighting his previous generosity . On Twitter, teacher Liz Jefferson thought about the young lives that were about to be changed forever. However, much of the discussion and many of the highest-voted comments reacting to the story on Reddit have referenced the cost of higher education in the US. In 2017, the average cost of a year of tuition at a US public university was the second most expensive in the world, with England being the highest, according to the Student Loan Repayment Calculator website. However, the cost of tuition at private universities in the US is far higher. By contrast, many European countries offer free university tuition. \"To be honest, the greatest joke is the state of the system in which $600,000 is only enough to help eighteen students,\" posted Ignatiusloyal. \"Not even enough for half a classroom,\" added The-awesomer. And AeroKMSF shared his experience of becoming a pilot: \"The college I wanted to go to to get my BA and three pilot certificates cost $80,000 so I decided just to skip the school and pay for my licences out of pocket.\" For some on Reddit the story brought back chilling memories of an episode from the US version of The Office starring Steve Carell. In the episode Scott's Tots, Michael Scott (Carell) reneges on a promise he made to give scholarships to a group of teenagers when they were younger. It is such a cultural marker in the US that there is even a subreddit dedicated specifically to people who find Scott's promise too cringe-worthy to watch. On Reddit, people referenced this in their discussion of Hart's scholarship by calling it \"Hart's Tarts,\" with many quoting lines from the episode in the comments. Do you have an uplifting story or video that you wish to share with us? Please email [email protected] Other celebrities have also taken steps to help young people in America get an education. NBA star LeBron James recently opened a school for 240 at-risk children in Ohio, while singer Nicki Minaj said in 2017 she would pay the college bill for her fans who could prove they got straight As. The 18 students to benefit from Hart's donation have all graduated from Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) charter schools and will attend historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). KIPP is a not-for-profit network of 224 free and independent schools providing education from early childhood to high school. They aim to help students from \"educationally underserved\" communities reach their full potential. - These are post-secondary educational institutions in the US - They were established to educate black Americans - Today HBCUs are open to students of all races and support those from low income households - There are around 100 across the US Sources: US Department of Education and UNCF By Kris Bramwell, UGC and Social News", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3173, "answer_start": 2757, "text": "The 18 students to benefit from Hart's donation have all graduated from Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) charter schools and will attend historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). KIPP is a not-for-profit network of 224 free and independent schools providing education from early childhood to high school. They aim to help students from \"educationally underserved\" communities reach their full potential." } ], "id": "9743_0", "question": "What is KIPP?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Claim: Black market currency dealing and the illegal trade in fuel have contributed to Zimbabwe's severe fuel shortages. Verdict: This is correct, but not the full story. The conditions which have led to this are rooted in the government's introduction of a controversial local currency pegged to the United States dollar. There have been widespread protests in Zimbabwe's largest cities following an increase in the price of fuel. Prices have more than doubled, making petrol and diesel the most expensive in the world. So why has the government done this? The government says the price hikes were put in place to avert fuel shortages and to crack down on the illegal trading of fuel. Petrol prices rose from $1.24 (PS0.97) a litre to $3.31, with diesel up from $1.36 a litre to $3.11. President Mnangagwa announced the increases and promptly left the country for a European tour, and to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The price of fuel is set by the government and petrol stations are required to sell fuel at this price, pegged to the US dollar. First, let's look at the shortages. Zimbabwe has to import all its petroleum products. For this it needs hard currency, and with its current deep economic problems, this is in very short supply. In November, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said scarce foreign exchange had been allocated to other more pressing sectors - and he mentioned the need to invest in the country's mining industries. At the time, the minister acknowledged the shortages and promised to find ways to finance the import of more fuel. A sharp rise in demand over the past year has also contributed to the shortages. This rise is perhaps surprising given the sluggish state of the economy. One explanation is that this is the harvesting season for tobacco, Zimbabwe's most important crop, which means there's a high demand for fuel to power tractors and machinery. But this wouldn't explain the longer-term rise in demand for fuel. The government has accused people of hoarding fuel and then selling it on the black market at inflated prices. And because Zimbabwe's fuel has been cheaper than in neighbouring countries, smuggling has also been a big problem. These activities have played a large part in increasing the demand for fuel in Zimbabwe and contributing to shortages. Zimbabwe's controversial currency arrangements have also contributed to the problem. The country has a local currency, officially pegged one-for-one to the US dollar. However, in reality it is being traded on the black market at far less than this value. This means that if you have access to hard currency - US dollars for example - you can then buy the local currency on the black market and use it to buy fuel at the pegged 1:1 price. The effect is that fuel has been much cheaper for those buying in this way. It has also meant that there's been scope for widespread profiteering within the country or by smuggling the fuel into Zimbabwe's neighbours, such as South Africa. So if it's causing such a problem, why the pegged currency? It has its roots back in 2008 when Zimbabwe's economy was in a tailspin and its currency was experiencing record-breaking hyperinflation. The Zimbabwe dollar became virtually worthless and people were forced to trade in foreign currencies - the US dollar and the South African rand. The following year, in an effort to stabilise the economy, the government declared US currency legal tender, officially abandoning the worthless Zimbabwe dollar. When a government does this, it gives up its ability to set interest rates and print local money - important levers of economic control. It therefore can't finance public spending by printing cash - which means the government has to cut spending or find other sources of revenue. The introduction of this policy in 2009 largely stabilised the economy - and in 2016 the government introduced a new currency system. It consisted of two parts: a bond note which could be traded as cash, and another which could be traded electronically. The benefit of this arrangement was that it enabled the government to print and spend money again to support much-needed development and infrastructure. This was also the problem. Successive governments have spent beyond their means, printing money to do so, leading to inflation and a falling currency value. Dumisani Sibanda, an independent Zimbabwean economist, says this particularly increased after the military takeover in November 2017. Local currency, which is officially pegged to the same rate as the US dollar, in practical terms is worth far less and its value is falling. So hard currency becomes increasingly attractive, and those who have it will tend to hold onto it because it maintains its value, while the local currency depreciates. \"Bad money drives out good. If you have a fixed exchange rate for one-to-one, if one of the monies is bad, it drives up the good,\" says Steve Hanke, Professor of Applied Economics at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who specialises in hyperinflation. The government's attempt to maintain the value of the local currency in parity with the US dollar has led to widespread incentives to buy and trade in fuel on the black market. Severe fuel shortages have been the result. And the lack of hard currency, due in part to hoarding, has constrained the government's ability to import enough fuel to meet demand. The decision to dramatically increase the price of fuel is designed to choke off demand and curtail black market dealings. But the result has been widespread protest and demands for the decision to be reversed. And across the country, businesses - already struggling to survive in desperate economic times - are facing a huge increase in their operating costs. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5768, "answer_start": 5052, "text": "The government's attempt to maintain the value of the local currency in parity with the US dollar has led to widespread incentives to buy and trade in fuel on the black market. Severe fuel shortages have been the result. And the lack of hard currency, due in part to hoarding, has constrained the government's ability to import enough fuel to meet demand. The decision to dramatically increase the price of fuel is designed to choke off demand and curtail black market dealings. But the result has been widespread protest and demands for the decision to be reversed. And across the country, businesses - already struggling to survive in desperate economic times - are facing a huge increase in their operating costs." } ], "id": "9744_0", "question": "How does this all affect the price of fuel?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Emilia Wilton-Godberfforde is facing a big decision - will she continue working as an academic in UK universities after Brexit? She is British but her husband is French and they are worried about the uncertainty of their future status and what she calls rising \"xenophobia\". They also fear a loss of EU research funding will threaten university jobs. The universities minister says UK access to EU research budgets will \"remain unchanged\" until at least 2020. There are about 36,000 academics from European Union countries working in UK universities - and there are others such as Ms Wilton-Godberfforde who have family links to European researchers and academics. EU nationals are about 17% of the UK's academics - and since the referendum there have been brain drain warnings from universities. Margaret Gardner, vice-chancellor of Monash University, in Australia, recently said Australian universities were already poaching academics from the UK. But so far the evidence doesn't show an academic stampede. Instead, it suggests a picture of \"wait and see\". \"We're nervous. Nothing is made clear about our status. It's promises and half-promises,\" says Ms Wilton-Godberfforde, who has been a research fellow at the University of Cambridge and is teaching French language and literature for the Open University. Her husband is a French, Cambridge-educated scientist and they have a young child - and the family is struggling with a sense that Brexit has made them feel \"unwelcome\". \"It doesn't feel like home,\" she says. It's a conversation she says is running through universities - with European staff choosing whether to put down roots or to move away. If Ms Wilton-Godberfforde and her husband choose to stay in the UK, she doesn't know what type of bureaucracy and uncertainty will surround their new status. And she is \"massively upset\" at the sense that things are going backwards for her generation - and that barriers are being put up to her mobility. \"It feels like everything is shrinking, we're penalised for looking outwards,\" she says. By contrast, Cambridge professor Robert Tombs is pro-Brexit and rejects the link between leaving the EU and xenophobia. \"Britain is not a xenophobic country,\" he says in a podcast for a group putting the views of pro-Brexit academics. \"Race relations are much better than in most European countries which are solidly in support of the EU. \"There's no simple co-relation between disliking foreigners and not liking the EU.\" There are, however, also job worries over Brexit and EU research funding. And Dr Wilton-Godberfforde says she worries about academics \"grappling for grants that no longer exist\". The Universities Minister, Sam Gyimah this week gave assurances that UK universities would have the full benefits of the current research round, even though it stretches beyond the UK's departure date from the EU. Even if there was no deal, the UK government had promised to underwrite any commitments, he said, answering an MP's question. \"This guarantees funding for UK participants in projects ongoing at the point of exit,\" said Mr Gyimah. But there is even more EU research money at stake from 2021 - about 100bn euros in the next round - and so far not much clarity about the UK's access to this. The UK's universities, highly rated by international standards, have been among the biggest winners of EU funding, net beneficiaries by about 3.4bn euros in the most recent round. And they would have hoped to get a big slice of the next pot of research cash, but that is now uncertain. It's possible for non-EU countries to participate by paying for associate status. But that would also mean a loss of voting rights and giving up control over how the money is allocated. Universities UK are so far optimistic - saying that it's mutually advantageous for the EU to have access to top UK university researchers. But Ludovic Highman, at the Centre for Global Higher Education, at University College London, warns that it is \"not a given\". The decision will depend on the final Brexit negotiations. Will EU students stop coming to UK universities? There are about 135,000 EU students in UK universities - and their future status is more \"wait and see\". It depends on a reciprocal deal over the status of EU students in UK universities and UK students in the EU. This will determine whether UK students can carry on not paying tuition fees in Holland and whether EU students will continue to head for the sought-after universities in the UK. If, on the other hand, they become fully fledged \"overseas\" students, it will mean much higher fees. EU students are highest in number in Russell Group universities, in London - and, with the lack of tuition fees, in Scotland. Top 10 UK universities with the highest proportion of EU students In overall numbers, UCL has the most EU students, almost 4,500. But the highest proportion, over 19%, is at the University of Aberdeen. On short-term exchanges, such as under the Erasmus scheme, it seems increasingly likely that the UK will continue to participate, paying to have associate status. There has been a spate of announcements of close partnerships between UK universities and European counterparts. But Imperial College London has gone a step further. The leading science institution has an arrangement with a French government research body that will give UK academics access to EU funding after Brexit. The Unite Mixte Internationale (UMI) Abraham de Moivre has been created as a maths laboratory in London, in partnership with France's National Centre for Scientific Research. This is the first time that the French government has co-funded such a research unit in the UK - and from the French perspective, this new centre in London will have the same status as a laboratory in France. For Imperial, it means staff at the new maths research unit will have equal access to funding, regardless of their nationality.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5915, "answer_start": 5085, "text": "There has been a spate of announcements of close partnerships between UK universities and European counterparts. But Imperial College London has gone a step further. The leading science institution has an arrangement with a French government research body that will give UK academics access to EU funding after Brexit. The Unite Mixte Internationale (UMI) Abraham de Moivre has been created as a maths laboratory in London, in partnership with France's National Centre for Scientific Research. This is the first time that the French government has co-funded such a research unit in the UK - and from the French perspective, this new centre in London will have the same status as a laboratory in France. For Imperial, it means staff at the new maths research unit will have equal access to funding, regardless of their nationality." } ], "id": "9745_0", "question": "Is this France in London or London in France?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "India has entered full election mode: voting is due to begin on 11 April, with the final ballot cast more than five weeks later on 19 May. Every day, the BBC will be bringing you all the latest updates on the twists and turns of the world's largest democracy. What happened? The main opposition Congress party have just announced an alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a political party based in the northern state of Bihar. Following negotiations, the two parties made the announcement on Friday. The RJD will contest on 20 seats while the Congress gets nine seats. Bihar has 40 constituencies in total. This election has been characterised by a strong resurgence of regional political parties across India. The Congress has certainly taken notice, and hopes to win the election as part of what has been termed the Mahagathbandhan (which means the Grand Alliance). The announcement was not fully unexpected as hints have been dropping for weeks now, but it is a significant move as there are a lot of seats to be won in Bihar. In Bihar's last state assembly elections held in 2015, the Grand Alliance - which included the RJD - emerged victorious. What happened? Former India batsman and World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir has just joined the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the general election. He made the announcement at a press conference in Delhi, alongside finance minister Arun Jaitley. \"I have been influenced by the prime minister and his vision for the country,\" he said. \"This is a fabulous platform for me to do something for India.\" Mr Gambhir was recently conferred with the Padma Shri award, India's fourth highest civilian award, and had received a congratulatory letter from PM Modi. Why does this matter? Mr Gambhir, known for his aggressive batting skills, is a regular on social media where he often tweets about politics. He is known for openly talking about nationalistic issues, leading to speculation that he may join politics. His decision to align with the ruling party, months before the general election, may help the BJP draw in more voters as, with nearly nine million followers on Twitter, Mr Gambhir brings with him some considerable star power. What happened? Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched a Twitter offensive against opposition leaders and those associated with these parties, accusing them of \"insulting\" the armed forces. He appears to have picked up several videos and some speeches made by various leaders, including Sam Pitroda, who is very close to the Congress party. Mr Pitroda, who is credited with being the father of the Indian telecom revolution, had objected to \"vilifying all Pakistanis\" over the Kashmir suicide attack that saw a fresh heightening of tensions between India and Pakistan. Why does this matter? This is quite a series of statements from the prime minister and he has really come into this attack no holds barred. Those who follow US President Donald Trump will recognise the style: Mr Modi seems to have followed a very similar formula, with an attacking statement, followed by a one word conclusion, like \"shame!\" or \"sad!\". In essence, he is saying that to question the official version of what happened in Pakistan - which has been queried by several leading media organisations - is an \"affront\" to the army itself. He is also saying that to express anything less than severe reprobation against Pakistan is a slight on the army and makes the opposition a supporter of nothing less than terrorism. This is another clear attempt to refocus the debate around the polls on anti-Pakistan sentiment, which has served the party well ever since a suicide attack in Indian-administered Kashmir killed 40 troops. Mr Modi and his government had been battling real discontent over issues like rising unemployment, increasing farmer suicides and a slowing economy. But after the attack in Pulwama, all this was laid aside in the interest of heightened patriotism and national fervour. When Mr Modi confirmed that India had carried out air strikes against militant camps inside Pakistan, his approval ratings soared. Even at that point, as he addressed a campaign rally in the northern state of Rajasthan, his message was clear: the nation is in safe hands. Since then - and in spite of a crackdown on the use of the military in campaign materials - Mr Modi and his party have ensured it is anti-Pakistan feeling, and not the other issues, which are firing up voters. This is not the first time Mr Modi has used Pakistan as a poll issue. He alleged during the 2017 Gujarat election campaign that former prime minister Manmohan Singh had colluded with Pakistan to influence election results. The Congress demanded an apology, which quietly came many months later in a statement made in the upper house of parliament. What happened? The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released an initial list of 180 candidates who will be contesting elections from the party ticket. The list of names covers more than 20 states. The names include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will once again contest from the north Indian city of Varanasi, and party president Amit Shah, who will contest from Gandhinagar in Gujarat state, replacing party stalwart LK Advani. Why does this matter? There has been a lot of anticipation ahead of the release of this candidate list, because it is the clearest indication of the ruling party's strategy for polls. And there are several very interesting factors in it. Arguably the most interesting is the decision to field Mr Shah in place of Mr Advani. Although Mr Shah has played a key role in party strategy for polls, he is not formally a part of the federal government. This means that he is likely to play a much bigger formal role in the government if the BJP comes back to power. The decision to sideline Mr Advani, a 91-year-old stalwart who is widely credited with transforming the BJP into a political force, also marks a formal shifting of the guard. Indian media reports speculate that this has paved the way for the party to also sideline other older members. Other things to note in the list: - The party has decided not to field any candidates who lost their seats in recently concluded state elections in Chhattisgarh, where the BJP suffered a huge loss to the opposition Congress - It has granted several tickets to members from the opposition who have recently crossed over - There are only 20 women in the initial list - a stark contrast to several high profile regional parties who have made a conscious decision to field more women - High profile candidate Smriti Irani is being fielded against Rahul Gandhi in a direct challenge to his home constituency of Amethi, in Uttar Pradesh What happened? It's Holi - the festival of colours that marks the beginning of spring - in India today. That means that people are casually walking around with bright orange, pink and green skin, roads are stained with coloured powder... and politicians are taking a break to play nice - for once. As a result, Twitter handles are being used to deliver greetings instead of attacks on political rivals. Why does it matter? It doesn't really, but we thought it was a nice change. Mayawati, the Dalit icon and leader of the powerful regional Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), based in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, announced she is not contesting the general election. Her party has tied up with regional rival Samajwadi Party (SP) in a bid to counter the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP. Uttar Pradesh sends 80 MPs to parliament. Why does it matter? We still don't have too much detail about what is behind her decision. All we know for now is that she addressed a press conference in the state capital, Lucknow, where she said she would concentrate on the \"alliance\". Ms Mayawati is an extremely important figure in the politics of the country. She speaks for millions of people from the Dalit (formerly known as untouchables) community, and has been the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh four times. It was widely anticipated that she would be a key figure in any coalition alliance, so it is unclear how her decision to not run will impact this. She was also an MP in the upper house of parliament before resigning in July 2017 in protest, complaining that her voice was being \"muzzled\" after not being allowed to complete an impromptu speech about the treatment of Dalits. What happened? The newest buzzword on the campaign trail is \"chowkidar\" or \"watchman\". Prime Minister Narendra Modi has used the term for a while now, telling the people that he is their \"watchman\" - someone who looks out for them and serves them. However in recent weeks, he has really upped the ante, even changing his Twitter handle to \"Chowkidar Narendra Modi\" - prompting other senior members of his cabinet to do the same. He is also going to address a crowd of 250,000 watchmen across the country through an audio link on Wednesday. Why does it matter? This is important for two reasons. Firstly, it is a clever use of the term to address the issue of national security. The second reason this is important is the fact that Mr Modi is once again demonstrating he is utterly in control of the narrative - forcing opposition parties to counter him on his own terms. So even when a leader like Rahul Gandhi says \"Chowkidar Chor Hain\" (The watchman is a thief), he is still essentially playing by Mr Modi's rules. In the meantime, the \"Chowkidar\" theme has proverbially broken the internet in India with memes, tweets and posts galore. There's even a ring tone. Apart from leaders, supporters of the BJP have started changing their social media handles and pictures to include the word. Being a watchman in India has never quite been so glamorous. What happened on Tuesday? Pramod Sawant, a lawmaker from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is Goa's new chief minister. The former CM, Manohar Parikkar, died on Sunday. Mr Sawant, 46, was sworn in around 02:00 local time (20:30 GMT) on Tuesday, only fitting in a state famous for its nightlife. Why does this matter? Parrikar's death sparked some late-night political wrangling as the BJP rushed to retain its hold over the coalition government. The Congress tried to woo some of the lawmakers to challenge the BJP's majority, but their hopes were dashed when the ruling party scraped together enough seats by partnering with two regional allies. It's a crucial win for the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls as it proves that regional allies are willing to bet on them. But it's a blow for the Congress, which has been struggling to forge alliances in other key states. To add insult to injury, their rushed attempts to wrest power - before Parrikar's funeral had even been held - earned them flak on Twitter from BJP supporters. And soon, the hashtag #VampireCongress was trending. You can read a full recap of everything political from the last week here. But here are some of the stand-out moments: - The week began with some concerns over the dates of the election, which had been announced the day before. Some people claimed that the way the election had been staggered over several states would unfairly benefit the ruling BJP, although others were quick to dismiss their worries as \"rubbish\". - It also saw the official start of the main opposition Congress party's election campaign in the prime minister's home state of Gujarat. Priyanka Gandhi, the charismatic younger sister of party leader Rahul Gandhi, got on stage to make her first speech as a fully-fledged politician to mixed reviews. - Also noteworthy was the fact that firebrand social activist Hardik Patel, who rose to fame challenging the prime minister in Gujarat, officially joined the Congress party and sat on stage next to national party leaders, although he did not address the crowd. The 25-year-old commerce graduate, who was not old enough to stand for election under India's rules until this year, first rose to political fame as the face of massive caste protests which rocked Mr Modi's state in 2015. - However it was certainly not a week of complete triumph for the opposition party. Tom Vadakkan, a leader seen as close to former party president Sonia Gandhi, crossed over to the BJP after telling reporters that he was \"upset\" with his party's response to a suicide attack which killed 40 troops in Indian-administered Kashmir last month. This was seen as yet another instance of a BJP strategy to \"chip away\" at opposition parties. - Women were front and centre of political agendas, with West Bengal leader Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) announcing its candidate list, revealing 40% of them were women. This put pressure on other parties to follow suit. Read all our latest election coverage - The other significant piece of news last week came from the United Nations, when China blocked a bid to designate Jasih-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist at the Security Council. Rahul Gandhi mocked \"weak Modi\" and the Congress were quick to paint the vote as a foreign policy failure by none other than the prime minister. This was seen as a bid by the party to attack Mr Modi's image among voters as the man to lift India to its \"rightful place\" on the global stage. - The BJP retaliated by saying that they were in this position in the first place because India's first prime minister - and Mr Gandhi's great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru - was responsible for China having a security council seat in the first place. This didn't really find too many takers though, and was refuted by Congress leader and Nehru biographer Shashi Tharoor. It also gave rise to some jokes like this: Other highlights included Narendra Modi bombarding Bollywood with democracy-loving tweets, Priyanka Gandhi's very first tweet and controversy over the alleged withholding of yet another jobs report by the government. The election hadn't even been announced, but no one could have been unaware that it was coming: the BJP had placed adverts in 150 newspapers across the country extolling its successes over the last five years - all of which had to come to a stop on Monday, due to election rules. - Want to know more about India's 2019 election? Our correspondent Soutik Biswas has put together this handy explainer. India's lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, has 543 elected seats. Any party or coalition needs a minimum of 272 MPs to form a majority government. Some 900 million voters - 86 million more than the last elections in 2014 - are eligible to vote at 930,000 polling stations. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used at all polling stations. The entire process will be overseen by the Election Commission of India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who won a landslide victory in 2014 is seeking a second term for both himself and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). His main challengers are the main opposition Congress party led by Rahul Gandhi, and a consortium of regional parties called the Mahagathbandhan (which translates from the Hindi into massive alliance). The Mahagathbandhan has seen some of India's strongest regional parties, including fierce rivals, come together. This includes the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Dalit icon Mayawati, normally fierce rivals in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, which sends the most number of MPs to parliament. The alliance also includes the Trinamool Congress which is in power in the state of West Bengal and Arvind Kejriwal whose Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rules Delhi. The aim of the alliance is to consolidate regional and anti-BJP votes, in order to oust Mr Modi from power. Other regional players including Tamil Nadu's DMK and AIADMK and Telangana's TRS in the south are not part of the alliance, but are expected to perform well in their own states, which is likely to make them key to any coalition government. 11 April: Andhra Pradesh (25), Arunachal Pradesh (2), Assam (5), Bihar (4), Chhattisgarh (1), J&K (2), Maharashtra (7), Manipur (1), Meghalaya (2), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Odisha (4), Sikkim (1), Telangana (17), Tripura (1), Uttar Pradesh (UP) (8), Uttarakhand (5), West Bengal (2), Andaman & Nicobar (1), Lakshadweep (1) 18 April: Assam (5), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (3), Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) (2), Karnataka (14), Maharashtra (10), Manipur (1), Odisha (5), Tamil Nadu (39), Tripura (1), UP (8), West Bengal (3), Puducherry (1) 23 April: Assam (4), Bihar (5), Chhattisgarh (7), Gujarat (26), Goa (2), J&K (1), Karnataka (14), Kerala (20), Maharashtra (14), Odisha (6), UP (10), West Bengal (5), Dadar and Nagar Haveli (1), Daman and Diu (1) 29 April: Bihar (5), J&K (1), Jharkhand (3), MP (6), Maharashtra (17), Odisha (6), Rajasthan (13), UP (13), Bengal (8) 6 May: Bihar (1), J&K (2), Jharkhand (4), Madhya Pradesh (MP) (7), Rajasthan (12), UP (14), Bengal (7) 12 May: Bihar (8), Haryana (10), Jharkhand (4), MP (8), UP (14), Bengal (8), Delhi (7) 19 May: Bihar (8), Jharkhand (3), MP (8), Punjab (13), Bengal (9), Chandigarh (1), UP (13), Himachal Pradesh (4) 23 May: Votes counted Key: Date: State (number of seats being contested)) Find out exactly when you are voting by visiting the Election Commission of India's website", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 610, "answer_start": 260, "text": "What happened? The main opposition Congress party have just announced an alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a political party based in the northern state of Bihar. Following negotiations, the two parties made the announcement on Friday. The RJD will contest on 20 seats while the Congress gets nine seats. Bihar has 40 constituencies in total." } ], "id": "9746_0", "question": "A winning alliance?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1154, "answer_start": 611, "text": "This election has been characterised by a strong resurgence of regional political parties across India. The Congress has certainly taken notice, and hopes to win the election as part of what has been termed the Mahagathbandhan (which means the Grand Alliance). The announcement was not fully unexpected as hints have been dropping for weeks now, but it is a significant move as there are a lot of seats to be won in Bihar. In Bihar's last state assembly elections held in 2015, the Grand Alliance - which included the RJD - emerged victorious." } ], "id": "9746_1", "question": "Why does this matter?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2213, "answer_start": 1155, "text": "What happened? Former India batsman and World Cup winner Gautam Gambhir has just joined the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the general election. He made the announcement at a press conference in Delhi, alongside finance minister Arun Jaitley. \"I have been influenced by the prime minister and his vision for the country,\" he said. \"This is a fabulous platform for me to do something for India.\" Mr Gambhir was recently conferred with the Padma Shri award, India's fourth highest civilian award, and had received a congratulatory letter from PM Modi. Why does this matter? Mr Gambhir, known for his aggressive batting skills, is a regular on social media where he often tweets about politics. He is known for openly talking about nationalistic issues, leading to speculation that he may join politics. His decision to align with the ruling party, months before the general election, may help the BJP draw in more voters as, with nearly nine million followers on Twitter, Mr Gambhir brings with him some considerable star power." } ], "id": "9746_2", "question": "Will Gautam Gambhir score a six for the BJP?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 14293, "answer_start": 13894, "text": "The election hadn't even been announced, but no one could have been unaware that it was coming: the BJP had placed adverts in 150 newspapers across the country extolling its successes over the last five years - all of which had to come to a stop on Monday, due to election rules. - Want to know more about India's 2019 election? Our correspondent Soutik Biswas has put together this handy explainer." } ], "id": "9746_3", "question": "What about the week before?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 14718, "answer_start": 14294, "text": "India's lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, has 543 elected seats. Any party or coalition needs a minimum of 272 MPs to form a majority government. Some 900 million voters - 86 million more than the last elections in 2014 - are eligible to vote at 930,000 polling stations. Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used at all polling stations. The entire process will be overseen by the Election Commission of India." } ], "id": "9746_4", "question": "How do the Lok Sabha elections work?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Nearly two weeks after a powerful earthquake hit Papua New Guinea (PNG), officials still do not know what the situation is in the remote worst-affected areas. There are fears traditional life in this remote region could have been changed forever, writes Anna Jones. \"The landslides are massive,\" says Karen Allen, an aid worker with Unicef in PNG. \"There's nothing left of whole mountainsides where there used to be villages. There's been a massive outpouring of grief, shock and and fear, on top of the injuries and hunger.\" Earthquakes happen a lot in the Pacific, home to the ever-active Ring of Fire, and news coverage of them tends to follow a familiar pattern. Automated reports of tremors are quickly followed by official estimates of damage. Casualty figures emerge over the next few hours and a well-rehearsed recovery effort swings into action. Dramatic images and miracle rescues sweep the disaster zone on to global front pages, triggering a rush of donations. Little of this happened in PNG after the 7.5-magnitude quake on the morning of 26 February because the people worst affected are some of the most remote communities on Earth. Only a handful of images, vital if a quake is to make the headlines, emerged in the first few days. In a vast area home to nearly half a million people, it is estimated that 275,000 are in urgent need of emergency aid, and 300,000 have no shelter. By Friday more than 100 people were confirmed dead, but it is still impossible to know whether anyone in the isolated mountain areas has survived. \"Many of these homes are built on stilts on the mountainside so every single one collapsed,\" Ms Allen told the BBC. \"Homes, gardens and pathways. Rivers have filled up, bringing a risk of flooding.\" Seismologists say PNG has not had a quake like this for nearly 100 years, she says. \"There are almost no 100-year-olds in Papua New Guinea, so nobody had any memory of means of preparing for this.\" These small villages, where people lived semi-nomadically and off the land, have never had road connections. But even jungle pathways were lost, leaving people to make arduous journeys carrying their children and salvaged belongings. And ground has not stopped shaking - there have been several more major quakes since the first and more than 100 aftershocks. \"In the first few days, people were just lying on the ground scared to death, with tremors still occurring,\" Ms Allen told the BBC. \"People have started slowly walking away from areas that are still shaking. We are starting to see a constant traces of displaced people forming around towns and hospitals.\" Scott Waide, deputy editor at local news organisation EMTV, spoke to the BBC after visiting an informal camp in a village called Huiya, on the border of Hela and Southern Highlands provinces. More than 2,000 people have gathered there, setting aside generations of at times bloody clan rivalry to help each other. Among them, a 15-year-old boy whose whole family was killed. \"They call it a care centre - it's offering support but there's very little food and water,\" said Mr Waide. \"People are organising themselves because it's been difficult for the government to get in. When people get a mobile phone signal they are sending texts to the authorities saying 'we have 2,000 people here and no food or water - can you send help?'\" The political process of freeing up and delivering aid has been frustratingly slow, he says, while the national disaster agency has found itself unprepared to cope with a disaster people are calling unprecedented. People who have watched as oil and gas companies rapidly built up their industrial infrastructure over recent years are asking why that same speed cannot now be applied to them. \"At the airfield when we flew in people were waiting outside the fence asking 'Why are we not seeing aircraft landing with supplies? Why are we not seeing people being evacuated to Tari?'\" But Tari and nearby Mendi are themselves small, with only basic facilities, and are badly damaged. Scores of people were killed there. Mendi's small hospital is still only partly operational. Tari's has only ever had three doctors - they have worked non-stop since the quake, says Mr Waide. Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has warned there will be \"no quick fix\" and the damage will take \"months and years to be repaired\". \"The social damage to our communities is large, and this earthquake will be the source of sadness and sorrow for generations to come,\" he said on Thursday while visiting the quake zone. Troops and medics are being deployed across the region, working alongside charities and churches to get people back on their feet. But aid workers say it is clear that PNG's development has been firmly set back. About 16% of PNG children were already acutely malnourished, says Ms Allen, while only a fifth had access to a toilet. There are real concerns now about diseases breaking out as unvaccinated children are brought together in poorly maintained camps. Teachers have also been mobilised to help with rescue efforts - some of them are being dropped by helicopter in the middle of the jungle to find survivors - so those schools that stayed standing remain closed. \"Two of the provinces have said they may not open their schools for the rest of the year,\" said Ms Allen. Additionally, ExxonMobil Corp said it would not be able to operate its $19bn (PS13.7bn) liquid natural gas plant for at least eight weeks, a major economic loss for the region. \"This is a country of extremes,\" says Mr Waide. \"You have people who can access the internet but still choose to live their traditional nomadic lifestyles.\" \"I was with the finance minister, a local politician, as he was talking to people in Huiya,\" says Mr Waide. \"He suggested that Hela is a really difficult province to manage and it would be good if we started thinking about moving you from your lands to a central location,\" he says. \"They may have to do that over the next five years because it's just too dangerous. Somebody told me, 'This is where my mother bore me and my ancestors lived. How can I leave and where would I go?'\" \"But they already see that they will have to move and there is a sense of sadness right now.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2605, "answer_start": 1248, "text": "In a vast area home to nearly half a million people, it is estimated that 275,000 are in urgent need of emergency aid, and 300,000 have no shelter. By Friday more than 100 people were confirmed dead, but it is still impossible to know whether anyone in the isolated mountain areas has survived. \"Many of these homes are built on stilts on the mountainside so every single one collapsed,\" Ms Allen told the BBC. \"Homes, gardens and pathways. Rivers have filled up, bringing a risk of flooding.\" Seismologists say PNG has not had a quake like this for nearly 100 years, she says. \"There are almost no 100-year-olds in Papua New Guinea, so nobody had any memory of means of preparing for this.\" These small villages, where people lived semi-nomadically and off the land, have never had road connections. But even jungle pathways were lost, leaving people to make arduous journeys carrying their children and salvaged belongings. And ground has not stopped shaking - there have been several more major quakes since the first and more than 100 aftershocks. \"In the first few days, people were just lying on the ground scared to death, with tremors still occurring,\" Ms Allen told the BBC. \"People have started slowly walking away from areas that are still shaking. We are starting to see a constant traces of displaced people forming around towns and hospitals.\"" } ], "id": "9747_0", "question": "How great is the need?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4210, "answer_start": 2606, "text": "Scott Waide, deputy editor at local news organisation EMTV, spoke to the BBC after visiting an informal camp in a village called Huiya, on the border of Hela and Southern Highlands provinces. More than 2,000 people have gathered there, setting aside generations of at times bloody clan rivalry to help each other. Among them, a 15-year-old boy whose whole family was killed. \"They call it a care centre - it's offering support but there's very little food and water,\" said Mr Waide. \"People are organising themselves because it's been difficult for the government to get in. When people get a mobile phone signal they are sending texts to the authorities saying 'we have 2,000 people here and no food or water - can you send help?'\" The political process of freeing up and delivering aid has been frustratingly slow, he says, while the national disaster agency has found itself unprepared to cope with a disaster people are calling unprecedented. People who have watched as oil and gas companies rapidly built up their industrial infrastructure over recent years are asking why that same speed cannot now be applied to them. \"At the airfield when we flew in people were waiting outside the fence asking 'Why are we not seeing aircraft landing with supplies? Why are we not seeing people being evacuated to Tari?'\" But Tari and nearby Mendi are themselves small, with only basic facilities, and are badly damaged. Scores of people were killed there. Mendi's small hospital is still only partly operational. Tari's has only ever had three doctors - they have worked non-stop since the quake, says Mr Waide." } ], "id": "9747_1", "question": "How are local people helping each other?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5636, "answer_start": 4211, "text": "Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has warned there will be \"no quick fix\" and the damage will take \"months and years to be repaired\". \"The social damage to our communities is large, and this earthquake will be the source of sadness and sorrow for generations to come,\" he said on Thursday while visiting the quake zone. Troops and medics are being deployed across the region, working alongside charities and churches to get people back on their feet. But aid workers say it is clear that PNG's development has been firmly set back. About 16% of PNG children were already acutely malnourished, says Ms Allen, while only a fifth had access to a toilet. There are real concerns now about diseases breaking out as unvaccinated children are brought together in poorly maintained camps. Teachers have also been mobilised to help with rescue efforts - some of them are being dropped by helicopter in the middle of the jungle to find survivors - so those schools that stayed standing remain closed. \"Two of the provinces have said they may not open their schools for the rest of the year,\" said Ms Allen. Additionally, ExxonMobil Corp said it would not be able to operate its $19bn (PS13.7bn) liquid natural gas plant for at least eight weeks, a major economic loss for the region. \"This is a country of extremes,\" says Mr Waide. \"You have people who can access the internet but still choose to live their traditional nomadic lifestyles.\"" } ], "id": "9747_2", "question": "How will children be affected?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6212, "answer_start": 5637, "text": "\"I was with the finance minister, a local politician, as he was talking to people in Huiya,\" says Mr Waide. \"He suggested that Hela is a really difficult province to manage and it would be good if we started thinking about moving you from your lands to a central location,\" he says. \"They may have to do that over the next five years because it's just too dangerous. Somebody told me, 'This is where my mother bore me and my ancestors lived. How can I leave and where would I go?'\" \"But they already see that they will have to move and there is a sense of sadness right now.\"" } ], "id": "9747_3", "question": "Could such widespread devastation change a way of life forever?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The authorities in Burkina Faso, struggling to grapple with a growing wave of Islamist militant attacks that is affecting the region, are planning to give weapons to civilians, as Louise Dewast reports. The Burkinabe government is under pressure to take new measures to try and curtail the militants. In January alone, at least 60 people were killed in four separate attacks in the north of the country, with another 20 killed on Sunday. Members of parliament recently unanimously voted in favour of arming civilians in a move they said would help combat the armed groups. It is due to be signed into law. The attacks by militants linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have significantly increased in the past year, causing more than half a million people to flee their homes. Critics have questioned whether the new measure will make people safer, but the government insists that armed volunteers are necessary to stem the spread of violence. The law says that the army's capacity to fight the militants is limited in terms of numbers of soldiers and lack of appropriate training. \"In light of the persistent threat, populations have... expressed their desire to actively engage in the defence of the homeland,\" it states. But this is not proof of the army's weakness, the government insisted. Speaking to the BBC, Communication Minister Remi Dandjinou likened the future volunteers to members of the French resistance during Germany's occupation of France in the World War Two. But there is a concern that the new measures could heighten ethnic conflict and fuel tensions between rival hunting and farming communities. \"The Burkinabe security forces are themselves implicated in very serious abuses against suspects,\" Corinne Dufka from Human Rights Watch told the BBC. \"That is why subcontracting any defence responsibilities to armed civilians is so potentially problematic.\" \"It could exacerbate rising communal tensions and lead to more abuses, which would in turn push more people into the hands of the jihadists.\" Burkina Faso's government has previously denied claims of widespread abuse. Any national aged 18 and over can be considered for recruitment and there is no maximum age. But recruits cannot be part of any political group or party. Volunteers must be patriotic and loyal and have a \"spirit of sacrifice\" which could include making the \"ultimate sacrifice\", according to the law that the MPs backed. But, after it was passed, Defence Minister Cheriff Sy insisted recruits would not be used as \"cannon fodder\". Recruitment will be carried out at a local level at an assembly where village leaders will be supervised by the army. But the volunteers will not be a route to legitimising self-defence groups, made up of people who are sometimes referred to as vigilantes. In Burkina Faso, as in Mali and Nigeria, civilians have armed themselves to defend their homes, and in some cases, gone on the offensive. These self-defence groups are not officially sanctioned by authorities. They are often composed on ethnic lines and have in many cases targeted rival communities. One of the concerns raised is that parts of the country - up to one-third according to some estimates - are believed to be under the control of militant groups, making it far too dangerous and impractical to hand out weapons in those areas. The north and north-eastern border areas with Mali and Niger are the most affected by attacks, but so are increasingly the southern border areas. It is unclear when the recruitment will start and whether people are actually keen to sign up. The law states that at least 10 volunteers should be recruited per village or area of residency. Once they are recruited, the volunteers will undergo 14 days of training, which will include how to handle weapons, basic combat methods, the rules of discipline and civic and moral education. It is unclear who will be providing the training and whether it will be followed up. You may also be interested in : After their induction, the recruits will be given weapons, along with communication and observation equipment. But they will not get uniforms. While volunteers, who are expected to sign up for at least a year, will not be paid, the groups will receive financial support from the state for equipment and other mission-related expenses. They are also allowed to receive donations. They will get medical bills paid if they are injured and compensation if they are left with permanent injuries. Funerals will be paid for if those who die in action. Nationally, the ministry of defence will oversee the work of the civilian force, but locally the village chief will be responsible. Volunteers are expected to be available at all times in their village. They are expected to support the work of the army and police force, to help secure their village or district. This could involve conducting surveillance and providing intelligence to the army but they are forbidden from conduct policing activities. The volunteers will be expected to abide by a code of conduct, which for now has not been made public.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2106, "answer_start": 953, "text": "The law says that the army's capacity to fight the militants is limited in terms of numbers of soldiers and lack of appropriate training. \"In light of the persistent threat, populations have... expressed their desire to actively engage in the defence of the homeland,\" it states. But this is not proof of the army's weakness, the government insisted. Speaking to the BBC, Communication Minister Remi Dandjinou likened the future volunteers to members of the French resistance during Germany's occupation of France in the World War Two. But there is a concern that the new measures could heighten ethnic conflict and fuel tensions between rival hunting and farming communities. \"The Burkinabe security forces are themselves implicated in very serious abuses against suspects,\" Corinne Dufka from Human Rights Watch told the BBC. \"That is why subcontracting any defence responsibilities to armed civilians is so potentially problematic.\" \"It could exacerbate rising communal tensions and lead to more abuses, which would in turn push more people into the hands of the jihadists.\" Burkina Faso's government has previously denied claims of widespread abuse." } ], "id": "9748_0", "question": "Why get civilians involved?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3482, "answer_start": 2107, "text": "Any national aged 18 and over can be considered for recruitment and there is no maximum age. But recruits cannot be part of any political group or party. Volunteers must be patriotic and loyal and have a \"spirit of sacrifice\" which could include making the \"ultimate sacrifice\", according to the law that the MPs backed. But, after it was passed, Defence Minister Cheriff Sy insisted recruits would not be used as \"cannon fodder\". Recruitment will be carried out at a local level at an assembly where village leaders will be supervised by the army. But the volunteers will not be a route to legitimising self-defence groups, made up of people who are sometimes referred to as vigilantes. In Burkina Faso, as in Mali and Nigeria, civilians have armed themselves to defend their homes, and in some cases, gone on the offensive. These self-defence groups are not officially sanctioned by authorities. They are often composed on ethnic lines and have in many cases targeted rival communities. One of the concerns raised is that parts of the country - up to one-third according to some estimates - are believed to be under the control of militant groups, making it far too dangerous and impractical to hand out weapons in those areas. The north and north-eastern border areas with Mali and Niger are the most affected by attacks, but so are increasingly the southern border areas." } ], "id": "9748_1", "question": "Who will be armed?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3952, "answer_start": 3483, "text": "It is unclear when the recruitment will start and whether people are actually keen to sign up. The law states that at least 10 volunteers should be recruited per village or area of residency. Once they are recruited, the volunteers will undergo 14 days of training, which will include how to handle weapons, basic combat methods, the rules of discipline and civic and moral education. It is unclear who will be providing the training and whether it will be followed up." } ], "id": "9748_2", "question": "What training will volunteers get?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5084, "answer_start": 4662, "text": "Volunteers are expected to be available at all times in their village. They are expected to support the work of the army and police force, to help secure their village or district. This could involve conducting surveillance and providing intelligence to the army but they are forbidden from conduct policing activities. The volunteers will be expected to abide by a code of conduct, which for now has not been made public." } ], "id": "9748_3", "question": "What is their mission?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Voters in Switzerland have overwhelmingly rejected two proposals on ethical and sustainable food. Final results of the two nationwide polls show that more than 60% of people voted against them. The proposals were aimed at boosting local farming and promoting more sustainable agriculture. But opponents, including business leaders and the government - which advised people to vote no - had warned of higher food prices and less choice. The size of the defeat will be a big disappointment to farmers' groups and ethical food campaigners, says the BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva. The first proposal, called \"fair food\", wanted more government support for sustainable, animal-friendly products - and more detailed labelling so consumers knew what they were getting. It also called for a crackdown on food waste, and for imports to meet Swiss standards on workers' conditions, environmental safety and animal welfare. This would have meant Swiss inspectors checking foreign food producers for compliance. The second, called \"food sovereignty\" went even further, calling for much greater state support for local family farms, for higher tariffs on food imports, and for foreign produce that did not meet Swiss standards to be banned. Opinion polls before the vote had shown strong backing for more investment in Switzerland's small family farms, thousands of which have had to close in recent years. Proposals requiring foreign food producers to adopt Swiss standards on sustainable farming and animal welfare had also appeared popular. But in the closing days of the campaign, warnings from the government that the measures were unenforceable, and from food retailers saying prices would rise, clearly swayed voters, our correspondent says. Economy Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann had called the proposals \"dangerous\" and said they could trigger tariff increases and other reprisals from trading partners. Food issues are not off the table yet, however, as votes on pesticides and intensive livestock farming have already been planned.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2032, "answer_start": 578, "text": "The first proposal, called \"fair food\", wanted more government support for sustainable, animal-friendly products - and more detailed labelling so consumers knew what they were getting. It also called for a crackdown on food waste, and for imports to meet Swiss standards on workers' conditions, environmental safety and animal welfare. This would have meant Swiss inspectors checking foreign food producers for compliance. The second, called \"food sovereignty\" went even further, calling for much greater state support for local family farms, for higher tariffs on food imports, and for foreign produce that did not meet Swiss standards to be banned. Opinion polls before the vote had shown strong backing for more investment in Switzerland's small family farms, thousands of which have had to close in recent years. Proposals requiring foreign food producers to adopt Swiss standards on sustainable farming and animal welfare had also appeared popular. But in the closing days of the campaign, warnings from the government that the measures were unenforceable, and from food retailers saying prices would rise, clearly swayed voters, our correspondent says. Economy Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann had called the proposals \"dangerous\" and said they could trigger tariff increases and other reprisals from trading partners. Food issues are not off the table yet, however, as votes on pesticides and intensive livestock farming have already been planned." } ], "id": "9749_0", "question": "What exactly was in the proposals?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Even light-to-moderate drinking increases blood pressure and the chances of having a stroke, according to a large genetic study in The Lancet, countering previous claims that one or two drinks a day could be protective. The UK and Chinese researchers followed 500,000 Chinese people for 10 years. They say the findings are relevant to all populations and the best evidence yet on the direct effects of alcohol. Experts said people should limit their alcohol consumption. It is already known that heavy drinking is harmful to health and increases stroke risk - but some studies have suggested drinking small amounts can be good for the health, while others indicate there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. The researchers, from the University of Oxford, Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, found that: - drinking one to two alcoholic drinks every day increased stroke risk by 10-15% - drinking four drinks every day increased the risk of having a stroke by 35% For the purposes of their study, one drink was defined as either: - a small glass of wine - a bottle of beer - a single measure of spirits About 16 in 100 men and 20 in 100 women will have a stroke in their lifetime in the UK. So, if a group of 100 non-drinkers started drinking a glass or two every day, there would be an extra two strokes - a small increase. According to Prof David Spiegelhalter, from the University of Cambridge, that's an increase in total stroke risk of 38% for every half a bottle of wine drunk per day. He said: \"It is very roughly the opposite effect of taking a statin\", which are drugs prescribed by doctors to help lower cholesterol levels in the blood and prevent heart attacks and strokes. The study also found no evidence of light or moderate drinking having a protective effect, in other words, reducing the risk of stroke. When it came to the effect of alcohol on heart attack risk, the researchers said the effects were not clear cut and more data needed to be collected over the next few years. \"Claims that wine and beer have magical protective effects is not borne out,\" said study author Prof Richard Peto, professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at the University of Oxford. East Asian countries are useful places to study the effects of alcohol. Many people with Chinese ancestry have a combination of genes that puts them off drinking alcohol. It causes an unpleasant reaction and makes them feel unwell. As a result, there is a wide variation of alcohol intake in China - one in three men doesn't drink and very few women do. But by comparing the health outcomes of drinkers and non-drinkers according to their genetic profile, scientists say they have been able to assess - with much more certainty than before - the direct effects of alcohol on stroke risk, distinct from any other factors. Western populations don't possess these genes, so it would be impossible to carry out a similar study here. And most studies are observational, which makes it's difficult to judge which factor is causing what effect. Dr Iona Millwood, study author and senior epidemiologist at the University of Oxford, said: \"Our genetic analyses have helped us understand the cause and effect relationships.\" The researchers say their key message is that there is now clear evidence of no protective effect of moderate drinking on stroke. That means drinking even small amounts of alcohol each day can increase the chances of having a stroke. This is reflected in the current UK guidance - which advises a limit of 14 units of alcohol a week, with several alcohol-free days to keep health risks low. Dr Stephen Burgess, from the University of Cambridge, said there were some limitations to the study - that it only looked at a Chinese population and focused mainly on the drinking of spirits and beer, not wine. But he said the research reflected the culmination of many years of research into the impact of alcohol consumption. \"It strongly suggests that there is no cardiovascular benefit of light drinking and that risk of stroke increases even with moderate light alcohol consumption,\" he said. \"Risk of stroke increases proportionally with the amount of alcohol consumed, so if people do choose to drink, then they should limit their alcohol consumption.\" Prof Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, said the study didn't answer every question. \"It has certainly advanced what we know about the role of alcohol in some diseases but it can't be the last word,\" he said. \"The new study doesn't tie down exactly how alcohol works to increase stroke risk but doesn't appear to increase heart attack risk.\" Prof David Spiegelhalter, Winton professor for the public understanding of risk, at the University of Cambridge, said the study was making him waver. \"I have always been reasonably convinced that moderate alcohol consumption was protective for cardiovascular disease, but now I am having my doubts,\" he said.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2217, "answer_start": 712, "text": "The researchers, from the University of Oxford, Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, found that: - drinking one to two alcoholic drinks every day increased stroke risk by 10-15% - drinking four drinks every day increased the risk of having a stroke by 35% For the purposes of their study, one drink was defined as either: - a small glass of wine - a bottle of beer - a single measure of spirits About 16 in 100 men and 20 in 100 women will have a stroke in their lifetime in the UK. So, if a group of 100 non-drinkers started drinking a glass or two every day, there would be an extra two strokes - a small increase. According to Prof David Spiegelhalter, from the University of Cambridge, that's an increase in total stroke risk of 38% for every half a bottle of wine drunk per day. He said: \"It is very roughly the opposite effect of taking a statin\", which are drugs prescribed by doctors to help lower cholesterol levels in the blood and prevent heart attacks and strokes. The study also found no evidence of light or moderate drinking having a protective effect, in other words, reducing the risk of stroke. When it came to the effect of alcohol on heart attack risk, the researchers said the effects were not clear cut and more data needed to be collected over the next few years. \"Claims that wine and beer have magical protective effects is not borne out,\" said study author Prof Richard Peto, professor of medical statistics and epidemiology at the University of Oxford." } ], "id": "9750_0", "question": "What did the research find?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3232, "answer_start": 2218, "text": "East Asian countries are useful places to study the effects of alcohol. Many people with Chinese ancestry have a combination of genes that puts them off drinking alcohol. It causes an unpleasant reaction and makes them feel unwell. As a result, there is a wide variation of alcohol intake in China - one in three men doesn't drink and very few women do. But by comparing the health outcomes of drinkers and non-drinkers according to their genetic profile, scientists say they have been able to assess - with much more certainty than before - the direct effects of alcohol on stroke risk, distinct from any other factors. Western populations don't possess these genes, so it would be impossible to carry out a similar study here. And most studies are observational, which makes it's difficult to judge which factor is causing what effect. Dr Iona Millwood, study author and senior epidemiologist at the University of Oxford, said: \"Our genetic analyses have helped us understand the cause and effect relationships.\"" } ], "id": "9750_1", "question": "Why China?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3623, "answer_start": 3233, "text": "The researchers say their key message is that there is now clear evidence of no protective effect of moderate drinking on stroke. That means drinking even small amounts of alcohol each day can increase the chances of having a stroke. This is reflected in the current UK guidance - which advises a limit of 14 units of alcohol a week, with several alcohol-free days to keep health risks low." } ], "id": "9750_2", "question": "So what does this mean for me?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4981, "answer_start": 3624, "text": "Dr Stephen Burgess, from the University of Cambridge, said there were some limitations to the study - that it only looked at a Chinese population and focused mainly on the drinking of spirits and beer, not wine. But he said the research reflected the culmination of many years of research into the impact of alcohol consumption. \"It strongly suggests that there is no cardiovascular benefit of light drinking and that risk of stroke increases even with moderate light alcohol consumption,\" he said. \"Risk of stroke increases proportionally with the amount of alcohol consumed, so if people do choose to drink, then they should limit their alcohol consumption.\" Prof Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at the Open University, said the study didn't answer every question. \"It has certainly advanced what we know about the role of alcohol in some diseases but it can't be the last word,\" he said. \"The new study doesn't tie down exactly how alcohol works to increase stroke risk but doesn't appear to increase heart attack risk.\" Prof David Spiegelhalter, Winton professor for the public understanding of risk, at the University of Cambridge, said the study was making him waver. \"I have always been reasonably convinced that moderate alcohol consumption was protective for cardiovascular disease, but now I am having my doubts,\" he said." } ], "id": "9750_3", "question": "What do other experts say?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Three refugees from the war in Syria met in Turkey and crossed into Greece - but they wanted to go further. With money running out and their families in Turkey relying on them to find a new home, they made a last-ditch attempt to get into Italy. Said tells their story. We knew the fuel tank was a bad way to go. There were Syrian guys who had tried it before and they all said, \"Don't do it!\" But we were desperate to get out of Greece. I'd been stuck there for two months, living in a flat in Athens with Anas and Badi. There was no work, no help, no way to survive. The police were hassling us every day, aggressive as hell. \"Where are your papers? Where are your papers?\" The traffickers sat around in the cafes, Kurdish and Arab guys mainly, talking quite openly about the ways they could get people into other Western European countries. By plane. By boat. In the fuel tank of a lorry. The fuel tank was the worst, but it was a surefire way to get in. \"You might be a corpse by the time you arrive,\" they said, \"but you'll get there.\" The guy who told us about the lorry was an Egyptian who ran an internet cafe near Omonia Square. The cafe was just a front for the smuggling operation, really. A lot of Arab kids would be in there talking to their parents on Skype, and he would listen in to find out who was trying to get into France or Italy. He told us he knew a Greek driver going to Milan. For 5,000 euros (PS3,630, $5,386) each, he could take four of us in the second fuel tank. We left Athens in a taxi, me and Badi and Anas and an Iraqi guy who we didn't really know. The driver took us to a warehouse in an industrial zone outside Thessaloniki, not far from the sea. The lorry was hidden inside and the driver shut the warehouse doors so no-one could see what was going on. He told us all to go to the toilet before we got in. The other guys all took a leak, but I just couldn't go. I was too tense. We had to get into the tank by crawling under the axle of the lorry and squeezing through this tiny door. As soon as I saw it I thought, \"We're going to die in there.\" When we'd taken a look we scrambled back out from under the lorry and prayed, there on the floor of the warehouse. We prayed for our children, all four of us together. Then we crammed ourselves into the tank and the driver started the engines. As soon as the lorry started to move we knew we wouldn't last an hour. It was burning hot and filled with diesel fumes. Anas was frantic, banging on the tank and screaming this weird scream. The driver heard him and the lorry stopped before it had left the warehouse. We scrambled out. Anas said, \"I have kids, I don't want to die.\" There was no way all four of us could go in that tank, so we agreed that the Iraqi guy would go back to Athens. The rest of us had been together for months. We were like brothers. We trusted each other. The driver was going to lose 5,000 euros, but he didn't want to arrive with a bunch of dead bodies in the tank. So he squeezed an extra 500 euros out of the three of us and we got back in. Within an hour, I needed to pee so badly it hurt. We were squished together like dough. There was a rubber sheet on the floor of the tank and it just melted in the heat. I mean it turned to liquid. We were covered in this black stuff. It was like an oven, pitch black. It stank of melting plastic and diesel fumes. I was 100% certain that we were going to die. We had a small plastic Pepsi bottle with us, and Badi and Anas managed to pee in it. Well, half of it went in the bottle and half of it went everywhere, all over their clothes and on to the floor of the tank with the melted rubber. Badi emptied the bottle outside the tank, but the lorry was going fast and the wind blew the spray back inside. Syrian refugees often enter the EU in Italy or Greece, but most would prefer to get to a country with more jobs and better social welfare. Police harassment can also be a problem. The most popular countries are in northern Europe. The UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and the Scandinavian states are all seen as places that offer a degree of support to asylum seekers and provide migrants with a chance of finding work. Professional migrant smugglers operate all over Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Some advertise their services and answer enquiries on Facebook. Desperate migrants often pass huge sums of money, saved over years of work or borrowed from families, into the hands of criminal smuggling gangs. By then I was really in agony, but I just couldn't pee in that bottle with my friends there. Towards the end of the journey the pain was so bad that I was actually blacking out. I tried to keep quiet for their sakes, but all the way I was screaming inside. After a while the lorry drove on to a ferry. Without the engine noise we were scared they'd hear us, so we never said a word except when the lorry was going fast. We just stayed there silently, listening to the boat's engines and struggling to breathe. None of us thought we'd make it. I had my mobile in my hand and I kept looking at the screen in the darkness, looking at photos of my wife and my girls. I have twin girls, Deema and Reema. They're four years old. I did this whole journey just for them. I left Syria to get my girls out of this war. I just kept thinking, \"How are they going to survive if I don't make it?\" We had another girl on the way, too. I'd already seen the ultrasound in Turkey, so we knew it was a girl. I just lay there looking at my family on the phone and wondering if God would give me life to see that baby. In the end the battery died. Finally the engines started again and we started to move, slowly slowly slowly. When we stopped we could hear men talking loudly outside - \"Buongiorno! Grazie! Prego! Grazie!\" - and we knew we were in Italy. We were relieved, because whatever happened we would not be sent back to Greece. The driver was supposed to take us to Milan but after a few more hours we just couldn't stand it any more. We started banging on the side of the tank, yelling, but he didn't hear us or he didn't want to stop. Badi still had some juice in his phone, so he called the trafficker in Athens from inside the tank and said, \"Call the driver and tell him to let us out or we're going to die in here.\" Not long after that the driver turned off the big road and after a while he stopped. We collapsed out of the tank on to the floor. We couldn't unfold our legs, couldn't even feel them, so we had to drag ourselves out from under the lorry with our hands. It was the middle of the day. We were in a wood somewhere in Italy. The driver made it clear that he no longer knew us, that we were on our own. After he drove off we rolled down a slope and crawled into a concrete storm tunnel under the road. We just lay in there trying to move our limbs and to breathe. After 10 minutes, lying there on my side, I managed to take a pee. When we got our breath back we sat up and looked at each other. And then we really laughed, because we were covered in black melted rubber and we stank. We stripped of our shirts and turned them inside out and used them to clean off the worst of it. We'd each brought a small bag with a change of clothes, so we got into clean shirts and left the old ones in the tunnel. We had no idea where we were. Badi used the GPS on his phone to find a village, and we started walking towards it. There were vineyards everywhere, and after a while we saw farms. When cars came past we were scared that the villagers would report us to the police as they had in Greece, so we turned our backs on the cars and pointed at the scenery, acting as though were tourists out for a stroll in the hills. When we got into the village we had to ask for help. We hadn't eaten or drunk anything for 24 hours. The other guys pushed me to the front, because I was the whitest and the most educated. I have a degree in economics, and a bit of English, and I'd learned a few Italian words before we set off. So I had to do the talking. The Italians were so kind to us. They actually took us by the hand, physically took our hands, and led us to the restaurant. It was closed, so we went to a cafe instead. There was nothing to eat in there. The waiter brought us coffee and water. The water was fizzy. I had never had fizzy water before, and I just couldn't drink it. So we drank the coffee. It was espresso. Black. Bitter. That was the next time we laughed. We survived the fuel tank, we said, but this coffee's going to kill us. Said split up with Anas and Badi (the narrator of the video, above) in Italy. He took a train over the Alps and arrived in Vienna. Anas bought a fake passport from smugglers in Italy and used it to fly to Sweden. His cousin, Badi, was eventually able to join a cousin in Leeds. All three have been granted asylum. As soon as he was settled, Said sent for his family. Almost a year earlier he'd left a wife and twin daughters in Turkey. They arrived in Austria carrying a new member of the family - Mais, the baby that Said feared he'd never see. He told his story to Daniel Silas Adamson and Mamdouh Akbiek of the BBC World Service. Animation by Osamah Al-Rasbi, video editing by Shayma Alissi. Explore more stories from Syrian refugees. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4476, "answer_start": 3759, "text": "Syrian refugees often enter the EU in Italy or Greece, but most would prefer to get to a country with more jobs and better social welfare. Police harassment can also be a problem. The most popular countries are in northern Europe. The UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and the Scandinavian states are all seen as places that offer a degree of support to asylum seekers and provide migrants with a chance of finding work. Professional migrant smugglers operate all over Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Some advertise their services and answer enquiries on Facebook. Desperate migrants often pass huge sums of money, saved over years of work or borrowed from families, into the hands of criminal smuggling gangs." } ], "id": "9751_0", "question": "Where are Syrian migrants trying to go?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "California companies are generating so much solar power that firms in other states are getting paid to take it. The state has been forced into the arrangement to \"avoid overloading its own power lines\", according to the Los Angeles Times. The situation doesn't necessarily mean we are \"throwing money away\", says economist Severin Borenstein, a professor at UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business. \"But it probably is an indication that there are some serious problems in the way we're running the grid and the way we're making investment decisions.\" Why is this happening? In 2015, California power plants generated about 15 times more electricity from solar sources than they did in 2010, according to the California Energy Commission. And that doesn't include the thousands of individual solar panels installed in recent years. The growth is thanks in part to laws that require half of the electricity sold to consumers to come from renewable energy sources by 2030. About 60% of electricity generated in California came from natural gas in 2015. Supply increased about 7% from 2010, after regulators - in part responding to a series of blackouts and energy problems in the early 2000s - approved more power plants. The LA Times says California has a \"glut of power\". Between 2010-15, residential energy consumption per capita in the US dipped. Some experts say energy efficient light bulbs are one reason why. California, where it tends to be warm and sunny, also has among the lowest per capita electricity consumption of any state in the country. That is a problem. In extreme cases, production spikes can overwhelm power lines and end in power outages. One response from grid operators has been to cut production from solar and wind producers, which they say are responsible for excess supply. In 2016, about 1.6% of solar electricity generation was curtailed, according to the California Independent System Operator, which runs the state's electric grid and wholesale electricity market. Renewable energy is sold using long-term contracts - and in real time on a regional wholesale market, where prices fluctuate based on supply and demand. The price heads below zero on the wholesale market when there's too much supply. In those instances of \"negative pricing\" companies pay other firms to take their power. Solar turns wholesale price of electricity in California negative In some cases, a utility or other company has already paid for the power at a higher price but doesn't need it. In other cases, it is more expensive for the solar power company to stop production than it is to pay a firm in another state to take the electricity because of how their tax benefits are structured. The examples of negative pricing are rare but increasing. They occurred in more than 5% of five-minute market intervals in 2016, up from about 4% the year before, according to CAISO. Yes. The growth of renewable energy has led to negative pricing in Texas, which has a lot of wind power, in the UK and other parts of Europe, including Germany. Not really. California households pay some of the highest electricity rates in the nation. Those reflect higher prices negotiated in the long term renewable contracts as well as fees assessed to pay for new gas and solar plants. What's more, if utilities have to pay other firms to take their power, it cuts into profits - a cost that eventually gets passed on to ratepayers, says Professor Borenstein of the Haas School of Business. Customers of utilities that get paid to take the power may be benefiting, according to the LA Times. And big companies with more flexible electricity packages may also be able to take advantage of the situation, says economist James Bushnell, a professor at UC Davis. One option is to change the way tax subsidies for renewable energy work, so that firms don't have as much incentive to keep their plants running at full capacity when the power isn't needed. Another option would be to make the retail market more flexible. Then families could opt to charge phones, electric cars and the like when electricity is cheapest. \"Economists for a really long time have said let's make retail rates reflect wholesale prices,\" says Lucas Davis, a professor at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. \"Now I think is a great time for economists to renew that push.\" Energy consumption is changing and the growth of renewable energy, especially solar, has left the market in turmoil. Some hope investments will lead to technology that stores energy more effectively. But in the meantime negative prices are one sign of the ways the market is changing. \"All these things started when there were very small amounts of renewables,\" says Mr Bushnell of UC Davis. \"The idea that we would have such a massive quantity that we would want to dump it, wasn't really thought through.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2877, "answer_start": 2383, "text": "In some cases, a utility or other company has already paid for the power at a higher price but doesn't need it. In other cases, it is more expensive for the solar power company to stop production than it is to pay a firm in another state to take the electricity because of how their tax benefits are structured. The examples of negative pricing are rare but increasing. They occurred in more than 5% of five-minute market intervals in 2016, up from about 4% the year before, according to CAISO." } ], "id": "9752_0", "question": "Why would they do that?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3038, "answer_start": 2878, "text": "Yes. The growth of renewable energy has led to negative pricing in Texas, which has a lot of wind power, in the UK and other parts of Europe, including Germany." } ], "id": "9752_1", "question": "Is this happening anywhere else?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3472, "answer_start": 3039, "text": "Not really. California households pay some of the highest electricity rates in the nation. Those reflect higher prices negotiated in the long term renewable contracts as well as fees assessed to pay for new gas and solar plants. What's more, if utilities have to pay other firms to take their power, it cuts into profits - a cost that eventually gets passed on to ratepayers, says Professor Borenstein of the Haas School of Business." } ], "id": "9752_2", "question": "Are California families getting lower electricity bills because of this?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3740, "answer_start": 3473, "text": "Customers of utilities that get paid to take the power may be benefiting, according to the LA Times. And big companies with more flexible electricity packages may also be able to take advantage of the situation, says economist James Bushnell, a professor at UC Davis." } ], "id": "9752_3", "question": "How about families in those other states?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4333, "answer_start": 3741, "text": "One option is to change the way tax subsidies for renewable energy work, so that firms don't have as much incentive to keep their plants running at full capacity when the power isn't needed. Another option would be to make the retail market more flexible. Then families could opt to charge phones, electric cars and the like when electricity is cheapest. \"Economists for a really long time have said let's make retail rates reflect wholesale prices,\" says Lucas Davis, a professor at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. \"Now I think is a great time for economists to renew that push.\"" } ], "id": "9752_4", "question": "What are the proposals to fix this?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4841, "answer_start": 4334, "text": "Energy consumption is changing and the growth of renewable energy, especially solar, has left the market in turmoil. Some hope investments will lead to technology that stores energy more effectively. But in the meantime negative prices are one sign of the ways the market is changing. \"All these things started when there were very small amounts of renewables,\" says Mr Bushnell of UC Davis. \"The idea that we would have such a massive quantity that we would want to dump it, wasn't really thought through.\"" } ], "id": "9752_5", "question": "What's the bigger picture?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Newspaper headlines about rows within political parties are nothing new - but this one seems to have been sparked by a pair of leather trousers. Here's how it all unfolded. It's just over a fortnight since Theresa May gave an \"at home\" interview to the Sunday Times, telling the paper about her childhood and explaining how Brexit keeps her awake at night. But it was her choice of trousers - which cost a reported PS995 - that provoked most discussion. \"I don't have leather trousers. I don't think I've ever spent that much on anything apart from my wedding dress,\" former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan told The Times, adding that the trousers had been \"noticed and discussed\" in Tory circles. She added: \"My barometer is always: 'How am I going to explain this in Loughborough market?\"' It was at this point that the story really took off, with another Conservative backbench MP, Nadine Dorries, taking Mrs Morgan to task. \"I think it shows Nicky Morgan's comments were sexist, because she never criticised David Cameron's extremely expensive suits,\" she told the Daily Mail. Mrs Morgan then found herself \"disinvited\" to a meeting at Downing Street to discuss Brexit, The Guardian reported. Asked during a visit to Bahrain about the suggestion the price tag of the trousers made her \"out of touch\", the PM spoke of \"the importance of a country that works for everyone\", saying she had travelled around the country and \"met people in a whole variety of circumstances\". But the story, inevitably by now dubbed \"trousergate\", was not going away, and at the weekend the Mail on Sunday revealed a terse exchange of text messages involving Mrs Morgan and the PM's joint chief of staff, Fiona Hill. After Ms Hill texted ex-Conservative minister Alistair Burt, who had also been invited to the meeting at Downing Street, to tell him \"don't bring that woman to No 10 again\", Mrs Morgan found out about the message, the paper reported. \"If you don't like something I have said or done, please tell me directly. No man brings me to any meeting,\" she wrote to Ms Hill. \"Your team invites me. If you don't want my views in future meetings you need to tell them.\" Ms Hill replied: \"Well, he just did. So there!\" While the Amanda Wakeley-designed \"bitter chocolate\" clothing has made the headlines, the spat plays into a wider row, largely about Brexit. Mrs Morgan, who was sacked as education secretary by the PM when she took over in Number 10, has been vocal in calling on the government to set out details of its EU exit strategy, despite its refusal to offer a \"running commentary\". She has warned about quitting the EU single market in a \"hard Brexit\" of the kind favoured by some in government and has said MPs should be given a say on the deal struck with Brussels. Brexit aside, leaked letters recently revealed a clash between Mrs Morgan and Mrs May over plans to \"deprioritise\" the children of illegal immigrants in school. Mrs Morgan has also attacked government plans to expand grammar schools, saying they risked \"undermining\" recent progress in schools. None of this is likely to have endeared the Loughborough MP - who considered her own leadership bid in the summer before throwing her weight behind Michael Gove - to the PM. Asked about her stance on Brexit, she told the BBC's Sunday Politics: \"I feel as though I'm one of the people who's stuck my head above the parapet. \"If you do that you're likely to attract attention, you're likely to attract abuse but also levels of support.\" She added: \"I just think as a backbench member of Parliament you've got to be there, particularly when we have a very weak opposition, to ask the questions that government needs to be scrutinised on before we embark on such a huge issue.\" Does the row tell us anything about Theresa May's leadership style? Some pundits think so. Matthew Norman, in the i, thinks the PM made a mistake by disclosing her sense of irritation. He writes: \"To reveal such brittleness about something so minor hints at deeper and more dangerous insecurities.\" In its leading article, the Times says: \"We get few glimpses of Team May's true tone of voice, but this is one, and its childishness is troubling. Mrs May needs to develop a thicker skin.\" Dominic Lawson, writing in the Daily Mail, also finds the episode \"highly revealing\", but he thinks it shows that Mrs May \"is her own woman in public as well as private,\" describing \"a welcome return to unaffectedness\". Former chancellor Ken Clarke has not been impressed, telling the Sunday Politics it was \"tedious\" that stories about what women politicians were wearing featured in the newspapers. \"I feel sorry for women in politics,\" he said. \"I'm glad to say men in politics don't have great news stories about what they are wearing. \"In my case, apart from my suede shoes, I'm probably very lucky because I'm not a very snappy dresser. \"Nicky and Theresa, I hope, will have some serious political discussions. If they want to have an argument about what they are wearing I think all their closest friends would advise them to keep that private.\" Another pro-EU Conservative, Sir Nicholas Soames, said her comments about the PM's trousers were \"completely unacceptable\" saying they \"succeeded in trivialising a very important argument that a group of us was making about Brexit\". Tory MP Des Swayne told BBC Radio 4's the Westminster Hour her remarks were \"impertinent\", adding: \"I'm afraid I come from a background where it was always rude to talk about money and certainly to talk about what people's clothes cost.\" Perhaps wisely, another former education secretary who was sacked from cabinet by Theresa May - Michael Gove - was cautious when Sky News asked him the most he had ever spent on a pair of trousers. \"One of the things I've learned over the last 72 hours is that politicians should not provide fashion commentary,\" he replied.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3734, "answer_start": 2205, "text": "While the Amanda Wakeley-designed \"bitter chocolate\" clothing has made the headlines, the spat plays into a wider row, largely about Brexit. Mrs Morgan, who was sacked as education secretary by the PM when she took over in Number 10, has been vocal in calling on the government to set out details of its EU exit strategy, despite its refusal to offer a \"running commentary\". She has warned about quitting the EU single market in a \"hard Brexit\" of the kind favoured by some in government and has said MPs should be given a say on the deal struck with Brussels. Brexit aside, leaked letters recently revealed a clash between Mrs Morgan and Mrs May over plans to \"deprioritise\" the children of illegal immigrants in school. Mrs Morgan has also attacked government plans to expand grammar schools, saying they risked \"undermining\" recent progress in schools. None of this is likely to have endeared the Loughborough MP - who considered her own leadership bid in the summer before throwing her weight behind Michael Gove - to the PM. Asked about her stance on Brexit, she told the BBC's Sunday Politics: \"I feel as though I'm one of the people who's stuck my head above the parapet. \"If you do that you're likely to attract attention, you're likely to attract abuse but also levels of support.\" She added: \"I just think as a backbench member of Parliament you've got to be there, particularly when we have a very weak opposition, to ask the questions that government needs to be scrutinised on before we embark on such a huge issue.\"" } ], "id": "9753_0", "question": "Is it really about trousers?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A fresh study suggests there may be a link between taking high doses of common anti-inflammatory painkillers - such as ibuprofen - and heart attacks. The paper, published in The BMJ, builds on a previous body of work linking these drugs to heart problems. This research suggests the risk could be greatest in the first 30 days of taking the drugs. But scientists say the findings are not clear cut. They say other factors - not just the pills - could be involved. In the study an international team of scientists analysed data from 446,763 people to try to understand when heart problems might arise. They focused on people prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen, diclofenac, celecoxib and naproxen) by doctors rather than those who bought the painkillers over the counter. Studying the data from Canada, Finland and the UK, researchers suggest taking these Nsaid painkillers to treat pain and inflammation could raise the risk of heart attacks even in the first week of use. And the risk was seen especially in the first month when people were taking high doses (for example more than 1200mg of ibuprofen a day) . But scientists say there are a number of factors that make it difficult to be absolutely certain of the link. Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of statistics at The Open University, said the paper threw some light on possible relationships between Nsaid painkillers and heart attacks. But he added: \"Despite the large number of patients involved, some aspects do still remain pretty unclear. \"It remains possible that the painkillers aren't actually the cause of the extra heart attacks.\" He said if, for example, someone was prescribed a high dose of a painkiller because of severe pain, and then had a heart attack in the following week, it would be \"pretty hard\" to tell whether the heart attack had been caused by the painkiller or by whatever was the reason for prescribing it in the first place, It could even be down to something else entirely, he said. Prof McConway also pointed out that other influences on heart health - such as smoking and obesity - could not be taken into account fully and could be partly to blame. Doctors are already aware from previous studies that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs could increase the risk of heart problems and strokes. And current UK guidelines state that Nsaids must be used carefully in people with heart problems and in some cases (such as very severe heart failure) they should not be used at all. Dr Mike Knapton of the British Heart Foundation, suggests patients and doctors weigh up the risks and benefits of taking high doses of these common painkillers, particularly if they have survived a heart attack or are at higher risk. Meanwhile, GP leader Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard said it was important that any decision to prescribe was based on a patient's individual circumstances and medical history, and was regularly reviewed. She said that as new research was published, it was important that it was taken on board to help inform guidelines. But she added: \"The use of Nsaids in general practice to treat patients with chronic pain is reducing, and some of the drugs in this study are no longer routinely prescribed in the UK, such as coxibs, as we know that long-term use can lead to serious side-effects for some patients.\" This paper looks at patients prescribed painkillers rather than people buying them in a shop or taking them without medical advice. And it suggests higher doses than those often recommended for one-off use (for example more than 1200mg of ibuprofen a day) carry some of the greatest risks. But Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard said the study should also raise awareness among patients who self-medicated with Nsaids to treat their pain. According to NHS advice, people should generally take the lowest dose of Nsaids for the shortest time possible. And if people find they need to take Nsaids very often or are taking higher doses than recommended, medical advice should be sought. Independent researchers say one of the main pitfalls of the study is it does not clearly spell out what the absolute risk - or the baseline risk of people having a heart attacks - is. And they say without an understanding of the baseline, it is then hard to judge the impact of any possible increase in risk. Meanwhile, Prof Stephen Evans, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said though the study indicated that even a few days' use was associated with an increased risk, it might not be as clear as the authors suggested. He added: \"The two main issues are that the risks are relatively small, and for most people who are not at high risk of a heart attack, these findings have minimal implications.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2174, "answer_start": 1254, "text": "Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of statistics at The Open University, said the paper threw some light on possible relationships between Nsaid painkillers and heart attacks. But he added: \"Despite the large number of patients involved, some aspects do still remain pretty unclear. \"It remains possible that the painkillers aren't actually the cause of the extra heart attacks.\" He said if, for example, someone was prescribed a high dose of a painkiller because of severe pain, and then had a heart attack in the following week, it would be \"pretty hard\" to tell whether the heart attack had been caused by the painkiller or by whatever was the reason for prescribing it in the first place, It could even be down to something else entirely, he said. Prof McConway also pointed out that other influences on heart health - such as smoking and obesity - could not be taken into account fully and could be partly to blame." } ], "id": "9754_0", "question": "Are the painkillers definitely to blame?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3336, "answer_start": 2175, "text": "Doctors are already aware from previous studies that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs could increase the risk of heart problems and strokes. And current UK guidelines state that Nsaids must be used carefully in people with heart problems and in some cases (such as very severe heart failure) they should not be used at all. Dr Mike Knapton of the British Heart Foundation, suggests patients and doctors weigh up the risks and benefits of taking high doses of these common painkillers, particularly if they have survived a heart attack or are at higher risk. Meanwhile, GP leader Prof Helen Stokes-Lampard said it was important that any decision to prescribe was based on a patient's individual circumstances and medical history, and was regularly reviewed. She said that as new research was published, it was important that it was taken on board to help inform guidelines. But she added: \"The use of Nsaids in general practice to treat patients with chronic pain is reducing, and some of the drugs in this study are no longer routinely prescribed in the UK, such as coxibs, as we know that long-term use can lead to serious side-effects for some patients.\"" } ], "id": "9754_1", "question": "What should patients do?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Investigators probing the downing of a Malaysia Airlines jet in eastern Ukraine in which 298 people died in 2014 are expected to name suspects. The Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) will present new evidence and announce charges for the first time. Relatives of those killed on the plane said they had been told that four men would be charged with murder. Passenger flight MH17 was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down over conflict-hit Ukraine. Investigators blame Russian-backed separatists who they say targeted the plane with a Russian-made missile. The Boeing 777 crashed in rebel-held eastern Ukraine on 17 July 2014, at the height of the conflict between government troops and separatists. Russia has denied any involvement and has maintained the missile was fired from Ukrainian-held territory. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the BBC on Wednesday that Russia had been given \"no chance to take part\" in the official investigation. Asked whether Russia would hand any suspects over for trial, Mr Peskov said Moscow's position was \"very well known\", but declined to comment further. Dutch investigators will hold a press conference at 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Wednesday after briefing relatives of victims. Relatives who were briefed before the press conference said three Russians and a Ukrainian would be charged with murder ahead of a trial in March 2020. They told reporters the men included ex-rebel leader Igor Girkin, also known as Igor Strelkov. Kateryna Zelenko, a spokeswoman for Ukraine's foreign ministry, said earlier that \"the guilt of the four suspects must be proved first and foremost in court\". The JIT, which seeks to try the suspects under Dutch law, has previously said it had a \"long list\" of persons of interest and appealed for witness help. On Friday, prosecutors announced the release of new findings, prompting widespread reports in Dutch media that suspects will be named. On Wednesday, internet open source investigators Bellingcat released a new report into the crash further detailing its assessment of individuals it alleges were involved in the transportation of a Buk missile used in the downing of MH17. Among the 12 people named are Igor Girkin, the former military leader of pro-Russian rebels in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, and separatist leader Igor Bezler, who was previously identified in voice recordings of phone conversations that took place shortly after the plane was shot down. In earlier reports, the Bellingcat team has alleged that a military intelligence colonel in the rebel-held Donetsk area known as Khmuryi (gloomy) and a military intelligence official commanding Russian-backed separatists in Luhansk who went by the codename of Orion were also involved. Hans de Borst, whose 17-year-old daughter Elsemiek was on board flight MH17, told the BBC's Anna Holligan that he hoped investigators would expose the truth and that naming suspects would be a \"first real step towards justice\". Silene Fredriksz, who lost her son Bryce, said that in the five years since the tragedy, some relatives had died not knowing the truth. \"I hope the trial starts within one or two years. We all get older... I hope that I will know the truth before I close my eyes.\" MH17 left Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport at 10:15 GMT on 17 July 2014 and was due to arrive at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia the following day. About four hours after take-off, the plane lost contact with air traffic control about 50km (30 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border. The plane crashed in the Donetsk area, in territory controlled by separatists. Parts of the wreckage were found distributed over an area of about 50 sq km. In October 2015 the Dutch Safety Board concluded the plane had been hit by a Buk missile, causing it to break apart in mid-air. In 2016, the JIT - which includes officials from the Netherlands, Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and Ukraine - reached a similar conclusion. The Dutch-led team concluded in May 2018 that the missile system belonged to the 53rd Anti Aircraft Missile brigade, based in the western Russian city of Kursk. It produced evidence it said proved how the missile system reached Ukraine. Russia responded by denying any of its anti-aircraft missile systems had ever crossed the Ukrainian border. Its foreign ministry has accused the JIT investigation of being \"biased and politically motivated\". Australia and the Netherlands have both officially held Russia responsible for the crash. A total of 283 passengers, including 80 children, and 15 crew members were killed on the flight. Delays and difficulties in the recovery of victims' remains in the crash aftermath prompted widespread international criticism.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3264, "answer_start": 1126, "text": "Dutch investigators will hold a press conference at 13:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Wednesday after briefing relatives of victims. Relatives who were briefed before the press conference said three Russians and a Ukrainian would be charged with murder ahead of a trial in March 2020. They told reporters the men included ex-rebel leader Igor Girkin, also known as Igor Strelkov. Kateryna Zelenko, a spokeswoman for Ukraine's foreign ministry, said earlier that \"the guilt of the four suspects must be proved first and foremost in court\". The JIT, which seeks to try the suspects under Dutch law, has previously said it had a \"long list\" of persons of interest and appealed for witness help. On Friday, prosecutors announced the release of new findings, prompting widespread reports in Dutch media that suspects will be named. On Wednesday, internet open source investigators Bellingcat released a new report into the crash further detailing its assessment of individuals it alleges were involved in the transportation of a Buk missile used in the downing of MH17. Among the 12 people named are Igor Girkin, the former military leader of pro-Russian rebels in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, and separatist leader Igor Bezler, who was previously identified in voice recordings of phone conversations that took place shortly after the plane was shot down. In earlier reports, the Bellingcat team has alleged that a military intelligence colonel in the rebel-held Donetsk area known as Khmuryi (gloomy) and a military intelligence official commanding Russian-backed separatists in Luhansk who went by the codename of Orion were also involved. Hans de Borst, whose 17-year-old daughter Elsemiek was on board flight MH17, told the BBC's Anna Holligan that he hoped investigators would expose the truth and that naming suspects would be a \"first real step towards justice\". Silene Fredriksz, who lost her son Bryce, said that in the five years since the tragedy, some relatives had died not knowing the truth. \"I hope the trial starts within one or two years. We all get older... I hope that I will know the truth before I close my eyes.\"" } ], "id": "9755_0", "question": "What will investigators say?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu has hit back after police said he should be charged over alleged bribery cases. He called the allegations \"baseless\" and said he was certain the truth would be revealed. His government is \"stable\", he has insisted, despite criticism from a key member of his coalition. A police statement on Tuesday said there was enough evidence to indict him for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in two separate cases. The attorney general's office could take months to decide if Mr Netanyahu should face charges. The 68-year-old is in his second stint as prime minister, and has served in the role for a total of 12 years. Benjamin Netanyahu gave a defiant rebuttal of the allegations in a statement broadcast on Israeli television on Tuesday evening. \"Over the years, I have been the subject of at least 15 inquiries and investigations,\" he said. \"Some have ended with thunderous police recommendations like those of tonight. All of those attempts resulted in nothing, and this time again they will come to nothing.\" At an event in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, he repeated his insistence that he would not be resigning. \"I can reassure you that the coalition is stable,\" he said. \"Neither me nor anyone else has plans for elections. We're going to continue to work together for the good of Israeli citizens until the end of the term.\" One case centres on an allegation that Mr Netanyahu asked the publisher of an Israeli newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, for positive coverage in exchange for help in reining in a rival publication. Police said the editor of Yediot Aharonot, Arnon Mozes, should also face charges. Mr Mozes's lawyer said he had a good defence, and that after further examination of the evidence \"it will become clear that he did not commit a criminal offence\". The second allegation centres on a claim that Mr Netanyahu received gifts worth at least a million shekels ($283,000; PS204,000) from Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and other supporters. The Jerusalem Post says the gifts included champagne and cigars, and were given in exchange for help getting Mr Milchan a US visa. Mr Milchan, the producer of films including Fight Club, Gone Girl and The Revenant, should face bribery charges, police said. The police statement said that Mr Netanyahu, after receiving gifts, pushed for the Milchan Law, which would have ensured that Israelis who return to live in Israel from abroad were exempt from paying taxes for 10 years. The proposal was eventually blocked by the finance ministry. Mr Milchan's lawyer said the police recommendation \"ignored basic facts\". His client and Mr Netanyahu were long-time friends, he said, and \"in this context, gifts were given to the Netanyahu family from time to time, without any business interest\". Police say Mr Netanyahu is also suspected of fraud and breach of trust in a case involving Australian billionaire James Packer. Israel's Channel 10 reported in December that Mr Packer told investigators he gave the prime minister and his wife Sara gifts. A spokesman for Mr Packer told Reuters \"there is no allegation of wrongdoing\" on the part of his client, and both Israeli and Australian police had \"confirmed he was interviewed as a witness, not a suspect\". Israeli media say Mr Netanyahu has been questioned by investigators at least seven times. A key member of the coalition government, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, criticised Mr Netanyahu but said he would stay in the \"good government\" for now. \"A prime minister is not meant to be perfect or live an over-modest lifestyle, but he needs to be someone people look at and say: \"This is how one should act\",\" he said in a speech in Tel Aviv. \"Taking gifts in large sums over a long period of time is not living up to this standard,\" he added, while stressing Mr Netanyahu is innocent until proven guilty. Earlier, Israel's centre-left opposition alliance, the Zionist Union, called on the prime minister to resign. \"The state of Israel needs a leader whose hands are clean and who is solely devoted to the affairs of the country,\" the group's Eyal Ben-Reuven told The Times of Israel. Ilan Gilon, of the left-wing Meretz party, said the allegations cast a \"heavy shadow\" over the prime minister. But members of Mr Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party have been quick to defend him. Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said the police statement was a \"despicable move\" designed to \"carry out a government coup against the will of the voter\". A final decision on whether Mr Netanyahu should face charges will come down to the attorney general's office. A decision could take months to reach. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said any prime minister who has been charged should not be obliged to resign. The next legislative elections are scheduled for November 2019. Mr Netanyahu heads a fragile coalition, but he appears confident the allegations will not spur new elections.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1348, "answer_start": 642, "text": "Benjamin Netanyahu gave a defiant rebuttal of the allegations in a statement broadcast on Israeli television on Tuesday evening. \"Over the years, I have been the subject of at least 15 inquiries and investigations,\" he said. \"Some have ended with thunderous police recommendations like those of tonight. All of those attempts resulted in nothing, and this time again they will come to nothing.\" At an event in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, he repeated his insistence that he would not be resigning. \"I can reassure you that the coalition is stable,\" he said. \"Neither me nor anyone else has plans for elections. We're going to continue to work together for the good of Israeli citizens until the end of the term.\"" } ], "id": "9756_0", "question": "What was Netanyahu's response?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3311, "answer_start": 1349, "text": "One case centres on an allegation that Mr Netanyahu asked the publisher of an Israeli newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, for positive coverage in exchange for help in reining in a rival publication. Police said the editor of Yediot Aharonot, Arnon Mozes, should also face charges. Mr Mozes's lawyer said he had a good defence, and that after further examination of the evidence \"it will become clear that he did not commit a criminal offence\". The second allegation centres on a claim that Mr Netanyahu received gifts worth at least a million shekels ($283,000; PS204,000) from Hollywood mogul Arnon Milchan and other supporters. The Jerusalem Post says the gifts included champagne and cigars, and were given in exchange for help getting Mr Milchan a US visa. Mr Milchan, the producer of films including Fight Club, Gone Girl and The Revenant, should face bribery charges, police said. The police statement said that Mr Netanyahu, after receiving gifts, pushed for the Milchan Law, which would have ensured that Israelis who return to live in Israel from abroad were exempt from paying taxes for 10 years. The proposal was eventually blocked by the finance ministry. Mr Milchan's lawyer said the police recommendation \"ignored basic facts\". His client and Mr Netanyahu were long-time friends, he said, and \"in this context, gifts were given to the Netanyahu family from time to time, without any business interest\". Police say Mr Netanyahu is also suspected of fraud and breach of trust in a case involving Australian billionaire James Packer. Israel's Channel 10 reported in December that Mr Packer told investigators he gave the prime minister and his wife Sara gifts. A spokesman for Mr Packer told Reuters \"there is no allegation of wrongdoing\" on the part of his client, and both Israeli and Australian police had \"confirmed he was interviewed as a witness, not a suspect\". Israeli media say Mr Netanyahu has been questioned by investigators at least seven times." } ], "id": "9756_1", "question": "What are the allegations?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4454, "answer_start": 3312, "text": "A key member of the coalition government, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, criticised Mr Netanyahu but said he would stay in the \"good government\" for now. \"A prime minister is not meant to be perfect or live an over-modest lifestyle, but he needs to be someone people look at and say: \"This is how one should act\",\" he said in a speech in Tel Aviv. \"Taking gifts in large sums over a long period of time is not living up to this standard,\" he added, while stressing Mr Netanyahu is innocent until proven guilty. Earlier, Israel's centre-left opposition alliance, the Zionist Union, called on the prime minister to resign. \"The state of Israel needs a leader whose hands are clean and who is solely devoted to the affairs of the country,\" the group's Eyal Ben-Reuven told The Times of Israel. Ilan Gilon, of the left-wing Meretz party, said the allegations cast a \"heavy shadow\" over the prime minister. But members of Mr Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party have been quick to defend him. Tourism Minister Yariv Levin said the police statement was a \"despicable move\" designed to \"carry out a government coup against the will of the voter\"." } ], "id": "9756_2", "question": "What has the reaction been?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4886, "answer_start": 4455, "text": "A final decision on whether Mr Netanyahu should face charges will come down to the attorney general's office. A decision could take months to reach. Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said any prime minister who has been charged should not be obliged to resign. The next legislative elections are scheduled for November 2019. Mr Netanyahu heads a fragile coalition, but he appears confident the allegations will not spur new elections." } ], "id": "9756_3", "question": "What happens now?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "India has announced plans for a third lunar mission, months after its last one crash landed on the Moon's surface. The chairman of India's space agency, K Sivan, said work was going \"smoothly\" on the Chandrayaan-3 unmanned mission. He said the country was aiming to launch the mission in 2020 but that it \"may spill over\" to 2021. If successful, it would make India the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, and boost its credentials as a low-cost space power. So far, only Russia, the US and China have successfully put a mission on the Moon's surface. Mr Sivan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), told reporters that Chandrayaan-3 would have a \"similar configuration\" to the previous mission. Chandrayaan-2 was the most complex mission ever attempted by India's space agency. It had aimed to land on the south pole of the Moon - in a spot that no other landing craft had reached before - to carry out tasks including searching for water and minerals, and measuring moonquakes. But the high-profile Moon mission failed in September, when the module crash landed. Mr Sivan said the new mission would land in the same area, and would \"have a lander, rover and propulsion module like its predecessor\". The new equipment is set to cost some $35m (PS26m), while the full cost of the mission is set to be significantly more. Jitendra Singh, junior minister for the department of space, has said the new mission will be \"quite economical\". \"The orbiter is already there. So we are going to be cutting cost,\" he told the Times of India. Plans for an unmanned mission to the Moon are just part of India's wider ambitions of becoming a low-cost space power. Mr Sivan said India planned to launch at least 25 space missions in 2020. He said Isro was also making \"good progress\" with plans for its first manned mission into orbit. Four astronauts have been picked for training, which is set to begin in Russia later this month. Up to three astronauts are expected to take part in the mission, which is slated to take place by 2022.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2061, "answer_start": 570, "text": "Mr Sivan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), told reporters that Chandrayaan-3 would have a \"similar configuration\" to the previous mission. Chandrayaan-2 was the most complex mission ever attempted by India's space agency. It had aimed to land on the south pole of the Moon - in a spot that no other landing craft had reached before - to carry out tasks including searching for water and minerals, and measuring moonquakes. But the high-profile Moon mission failed in September, when the module crash landed. Mr Sivan said the new mission would land in the same area, and would \"have a lander, rover and propulsion module like its predecessor\". The new equipment is set to cost some $35m (PS26m), while the full cost of the mission is set to be significantly more. Jitendra Singh, junior minister for the department of space, has said the new mission will be \"quite economical\". \"The orbiter is already there. So we are going to be cutting cost,\" he told the Times of India. Plans for an unmanned mission to the Moon are just part of India's wider ambitions of becoming a low-cost space power. Mr Sivan said India planned to launch at least 25 space missions in 2020. He said Isro was also making \"good progress\" with plans for its first manned mission into orbit. Four astronauts have been picked for training, which is set to begin in Russia later this month. Up to three astronauts are expected to take part in the mission, which is slated to take place by 2022." } ], "id": "9757_0", "question": "What are India's plans?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Five UK nationals are going to court in the Netherlands in a campaign to keep their EU citizenship after Brexit. They want a Dutch judge to press the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to clarify their rights. The ECJ, if it decides to make a ruling, could guarantee such rights as freedom of movement after the UK leaves the European Union. An ECJ decision would affect all British nationals living in the European Union. The European court could rule that all member states must guarantee the rights of Brits in the respective states where they reside - under European law. About 42,500 British nationals live in the Netherlands. The interim deal thrashed out between the UK and Brussels in December does outline some of the rights British citizens in Europe will keep after Brexit, such as the ability to live and work on the continent. But some vital questions, like free movement, still swirl around. Some of the group of five say they have been disheartened by the confusion and speculation about what their life will be like after Brexit. \"Just because the UK voted to leave, it shouldn't be able to force citizens to give up their rights,\" says Stephen Huyton, one of the Brits taking the court action on Wednesday. The Netherlands does not currently allow foreigners to have dual nationality, in most cases. EU citizenship is described in Article 20 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and includes the rights to: - Travel and live anywhere in the EU - Vote and stand as a candidate in European and local elections in another EU country - Get diplomatic protection and consular help from any other EU country in another part of the world Read more: Brexit: Could UK get 'associate EU citizenship'? Would Brexit violate UK citizens' rights? Mr Huyton, the European director of a US firm, has been living in the Netherlands for 24 years and has three children, with the youngest at university in the UK. Like other Brits who have been living outside the UK for more than 15 years, he was not eligible to vote in the EU referendum. \"My children are confronted by choices I don't think are fair or reasonable,\" he says. \"In the Brexit breakup, it feels as though they're just making up the rules as they go along. We feel as though we've been forgotten, so at least now people are noticing us.\" The Dutch judge has the power to ask the ECJ for clarity on a point of law. It is then up to the ECJ to decide whether it needs to provide this. Many Brexit supporters resent the ECJ's power to overrule British court decisions on citizens' rights. Laywer Christiaan Alberdingk Thijm told the BBC his aim in the Dutch case was to establish the grounds under which Brits could lose their European citizenship. \"Can it be taken away from them?\" He added: \"Theresa May said, 'Brexit means Brexit' now we are trying to work out on behalf of these people, what that actually means. \"We know how important it is to so many people.\" British barrister Jolyon Maugham QC, who is funding the legal action and has been behind other Brexit challenges, said the case raised \"a profoundly important question\", which would affect not only Brits living abroad. \"If the case is successful, all of us will continue to benefit from EU citizenship rights after Brexit.\" But this could be \"politically awkward\" for the remaining 27 member states. \"It would take out of their hands the question of what rights UK citizens would enjoy after Brexit. \"Those rights would no longer be a matter of political gift - EU law would continue to guarantee EU citizenship rights to those who are UK citizens at the date of Brexit. It would, potentially, weaken their position at the negotiating table.\" This is a small case relating to one specific group. But if their action is successful, they hope it will benefit some of the 1.2 million British nationals across the continent.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1764, "answer_start": 1314, "text": "EU citizenship is described in Article 20 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and includes the rights to: - Travel and live anywhere in the EU - Vote and stand as a candidate in European and local elections in another EU country - Get diplomatic protection and consular help from any other EU country in another part of the world Read more: Brexit: Could UK get 'associate EU citizenship'? Would Brexit violate UK citizens' rights?" } ], "id": "9758_0", "question": "What does EU citizenship mean?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Reports that North Korea is continuing its weapons programme, despite pledges to denuclearise, have cast doubt on its sincerity in peace talks. The recent reports, based on US intelligence leaks, suggest the country is still upgrading its nuclear enrichment sites, among other activities. So what's actually going on? Here's what has been reported across US media: - North Korea's only official nuclear enrichment site at Yongbyon is being upgraded. - The country is stepping up enrichment at two or more secret sites besides Yongbyon. - Pyongyang continues to produce more mobile launch vehicles for its ballistic missiles. - It has also expanded missile production of solid fuel engines which are more mobile and easier to launch. How reliable are these reports? They are \"only\" reports but they are deemed accurate by respected North Korea watchers. The information is based on multiple unnamed sources from the US intelligence community as well as the 38 North study of satellite images of the Yongbyon site. \"None of that activity is in violation of any agreements made at the Singapore summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un,\" explains Vipin Narang, MIT professor for political science and specialist on nuclear proliferation. In the declaration wrapping up that summit, Pyongyang merely agreed to work towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, something it sees as a phased process. Details of the process still remain to be worked out by the two sides. \"This was never going to be unilateral and immediate,\" says Mr Narang. \"So Kim Jong-un is free to continue operating the existing sites.\" Yet the reports that the North is continuing its nuclear activity is still seen as undermining the spirit of the summit and casts doubt on Pyongyang's sincerity to denuclearise. \"The bigger picture here is that North Korea's nuclear programme continues as directed by Kim Jong-un in his speech in January, where he urged the continued production of warheads and ballistic missiles,\" explains Ankit Panda, editor at The Diplomat magazine. Solid fuel engines are more mobile and hence a big step for Pyongyang. Together with the mobile launchers, it means that North Korea can fire missiles from sites that can be quickly set up and not be detected ahead of time by South Korea or the US. Yet the biggest revelation has been the details about North Korea's secret enrichment sites. So far, Pyongyang has only ever admitted to one enrichment site: Yongbyon. It's been a longstanding suspicion though that there are more, secret sites. An exclusive NBC report based on US intelligence sources confirmed and named one such site and says there is at least one more secret enrichment site. \"You can imagine a North Korean strategy where - without a full disclosure of all their facilities - they can offer to shut down some of the known sites in order to get sanctions relief,\" explains Mr Narang. \"At the same time they would clandestinely push ahead at the secret sites.\" The information coming from the US intelligence sources is presumably something they have known for quite some time. Mr Trump is likely to have been briefed about that very information in the run-up to the Singapore summit. So why is it now being leaked to the media? \"The sheer number of leaks on nuclear activity makes it look like an authorised attempt to get that intel out into the public sphere,\" says Andray Abrahamian of the Griffith Asia Institute. Experts believe there are two reasons why the US intelligence community might have chosen to disclose its information at this point in time. Scenario one would be \"to counter the narrative coming from the White House that it's 'mission accomplished' and that North Korea is no longer a nuclear threat,\" explains Mr Narang. It may therefore \"constrain Trump a bit so he can't claim successes that have not yet be reached\", agrees Mr Abrahamian. \"It gets the foreign policy community riled up and increases pressure on Trump not to be soft on the [North] Koreans.\" The other scenario would be that it's in fact co-ordinated by the Trump administration to generate leverage. By revealing the extent of US intel, Washington can put pressure on North Korea to admit to its secret sites and operations. \"The assumption was always that we would let the North Koreans disclose their own sites and check that against the list the US intelligence community maintains,\" explains Mr Panda. \"Immediately you would have a sense of whether or not the North Koreans are negotiating in good faith. \"Now that we have put out what we know about the covert enrichment sites, we can see if the North Koreans will choose to disclose those or not.\" What remains is the bigger question of whether post-Singapore summit, this kind of pressure will really be able to steer Pyongyang into line. The flurry of recent reports of North Korea's continued nuclear and military efforts suggest the country is intent on maintaining its nuclear and ballistic capabilities and even to continuing to produce them. \"It could be that Pyongyang is calculating that no matter what, China is already off the maximum pressure campaign of sanctions against North Korea. And the US really can't sustain it without China,\" warns Mr Narang. \"Kim Jong-un might simply say 'I've done what I have to in order to break the maximum pressure campaign' - and I think he might be right.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1012, "answer_start": 318, "text": "Here's what has been reported across US media: - North Korea's only official nuclear enrichment site at Yongbyon is being upgraded. - The country is stepping up enrichment at two or more secret sites besides Yongbyon. - Pyongyang continues to produce more mobile launch vehicles for its ballistic missiles. - It has also expanded missile production of solid fuel engines which are more mobile and easier to launch. How reliable are these reports? They are \"only\" reports but they are deemed accurate by respected North Korea watchers. The information is based on multiple unnamed sources from the US intelligence community as well as the 38 North study of satellite images of the Yongbyon site." } ], "id": "9759_0", "question": "What are the allegations?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2082, "answer_start": 1013, "text": "\"None of that activity is in violation of any agreements made at the Singapore summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un,\" explains Vipin Narang, MIT professor for political science and specialist on nuclear proliferation. In the declaration wrapping up that summit, Pyongyang merely agreed to work towards denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, something it sees as a phased process. Details of the process still remain to be worked out by the two sides. \"This was never going to be unilateral and immediate,\" says Mr Narang. \"So Kim Jong-un is free to continue operating the existing sites.\" Yet the reports that the North is continuing its nuclear activity is still seen as undermining the spirit of the summit and casts doubt on Pyongyang's sincerity to denuclearise. \"The bigger picture here is that North Korea's nuclear programme continues as directed by Kim Jong-un in his speech in January, where he urged the continued production of warheads and ballistic missiles,\" explains Ankit Panda, editor at The Diplomat magazine." } ], "id": "9759_1", "question": "How serious are they?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3011, "answer_start": 2083, "text": "Solid fuel engines are more mobile and hence a big step for Pyongyang. Together with the mobile launchers, it means that North Korea can fire missiles from sites that can be quickly set up and not be detected ahead of time by South Korea or the US. Yet the biggest revelation has been the details about North Korea's secret enrichment sites. So far, Pyongyang has only ever admitted to one enrichment site: Yongbyon. It's been a longstanding suspicion though that there are more, secret sites. An exclusive NBC report based on US intelligence sources confirmed and named one such site and says there is at least one more secret enrichment site. \"You can imagine a North Korean strategy where - without a full disclosure of all their facilities - they can offer to shut down some of the known sites in order to get sanctions relief,\" explains Mr Narang. \"At the same time they would clandestinely push ahead at the secret sites.\"" } ], "id": "9759_2", "question": "What is the biggest news?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5402, "answer_start": 4696, "text": "What remains is the bigger question of whether post-Singapore summit, this kind of pressure will really be able to steer Pyongyang into line. The flurry of recent reports of North Korea's continued nuclear and military efforts suggest the country is intent on maintaining its nuclear and ballistic capabilities and even to continuing to produce them. \"It could be that Pyongyang is calculating that no matter what, China is already off the maximum pressure campaign of sanctions against North Korea. And the US really can't sustain it without China,\" warns Mr Narang. \"Kim Jong-un might simply say 'I've done what I have to in order to break the maximum pressure campaign' - and I think he might be right.\"" } ], "id": "9759_3", "question": "Will the pressure work?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A 72-year-old British pilot who went missing while attempting to fly a 1940s plane the length of Africa has been found alive, his son has said. Maurice Kirk, who lives in Bristol, was part of a vintage air rally flying from Crete to Cape Town. A search and rescue operation was launched after the aircraft went missing on Monday somewhere between Sudan and Ethiopia. Mr Kirk's son, Charles Kirk, said he had been told he had now been found. Vintage Air Rally confirmed he has been found and said: \"All participants including the hitherto 'missing' Maurice Kirk are safe and accounted for.\" The pilot had continued to fly despite being asked to withdraw from the Vintage Air Rally event after two engine failures and a lack of navigational equipment. Mr Kirk, who also has links to Taunton in Somerset and the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales, went missing on a three-hour leg of the cross-African flight from southern Sudan into western Ethiopia. Organisers of the Vintage Air Rally said he had been asked to withdraw from the rally because of a lack of satellite tracking or a working compass on his 1943 Piper Cub plane. He previously reported suffering two engine failures, but had apparently decided to continue. On its Facebook page, Vintage Air Rally said earlier that Mr Kirk departed Ad-Damazin, Sudan at approximately 14:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Monday on the three hour flight to Gambella, Ethiopia. The statement added that Mr Kirk had sent no radio communications or satellite tracking at any time during the flight and his location had been unknown. Organisers said they believed he made a precautionary landing before sunset. The rally describes itself as \"following in the footsteps of the pioneering flights in the 1920s\" connecting \"some of the most beautiful and evocative points in Africa\". Once described as the \"bad boy\" of the veterinarian profession, the Bristol University graduate and self-dubbed \"Flying Vet\" is also an amateur pilot and a former drinking friend of the late actor Oliver Reed. Since 1995, he has had a string of court appearances including for hurling abuse at police while he tended to an injured dog on a beach and on another occasion for refusing to give a sample when stopped on suspicion of drink-driving. He was kicked out of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for \"disgraceful conduct\" in 2002 following his court cases. Most famously he was arrested for landing a replica World War One biplane on private land near American President George W Bush's Texan Ranch.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2523, "answer_start": 1814, "text": "Once described as the \"bad boy\" of the veterinarian profession, the Bristol University graduate and self-dubbed \"Flying Vet\" is also an amateur pilot and a former drinking friend of the late actor Oliver Reed. Since 1995, he has had a string of court appearances including for hurling abuse at police while he tended to an injured dog on a beach and on another occasion for refusing to give a sample when stopped on suspicion of drink-driving. He was kicked out of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons for \"disgraceful conduct\" in 2002 following his court cases. Most famously he was arrested for landing a replica World War One biplane on private land near American President George W Bush's Texan Ranch." } ], "id": "9760_0", "question": "Who is Maurice Kirk?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Multigenerational homes are expected to become more common over the next decade. So what's it like to have grandparents, parents and children living under the same roof? Clare Badham, 53, shares her home with partner Rob Breeze, 45, 13-year-old son Jove - and her parents, Roy and Oriel Simpson, aged 84 and 83 respectively. This set-up might not be for everyone, but it could be the model for more families in the future. Insurance company Aviva forecasts the number of households containing two or more families will rise from 1.5 million to 2.2 million by 2025. The study also anticipates 3.8 million people aged between 21 and 34 will be living with their parents - a third more than at present. Clare says their domestic arrangement means the three generations live in a \"much nicer house\" - a Victorian farmhouse by the coast in Sea Palling, Norfolk - than they would as separate family units. There's also the advantage of on-site child care and pooled living costs. But there are potential downsides, too - lack of privacy, squabbling over money, everyone falling out. How does Clare's household make it work? One thing is absolutely crucial to making intergenerational living work, says Clare: \"Make sure you have your own space and privacy.\" Clare and Rob and Clare's parents each have a separate living room, reducing the scope for squabbles over what to watch on television. Everyone shares a kitchen-dining area and eats meals together. The menfolk of the house use a bathroom on the ground floor while Clare and Oriel occupy another on the first floor. Clare and Rob sleep in the attic, where they also have an office, and her parents and Jove each have a first-floor bedroom. Many would feel inhibited by the presence of their parents or in-laws in the marital home. Clare acknowledges there are downsides. \"You feel less inclined to have friends over. It's not as easy,\" she says. Space is at a premium, especially as Rob's sons from his first marriage, aged 19 and 20, often come to stay. The trick, she says, is to make the most of it when her parents go away for the weekend or on holiday. Clare and Rob also make a point of going out on regular date nights - made easier by the presence of two on-site grandparent babysitters. Although all four adults got on well, they had different attitudes to how the house should be run. \"We were more untidy, they did more housework,\" says Clare. And at first Clare often found herself caught in the middle. \"Everyone was moaning - my partner was moaning to me about them and they were moaning to me about him.\" The solution was to agree that everyone needed to be frank and upfront about any problems they might have. \"It's a very good idea to sit down every month to come together in case anyone's got anything to say, if there are any gripes,\" Clare says. \"If you are going to say something, say it.\" Clare and Rob own one third of the property on a mortgage. Roy and Oriel own the remaining two thirds outright. Because the older couple put more money in, they got the bigger lounge - Clare and Rob's is a former dining room. A big advantage of the arrangement is sharing the cost of the council tax and bills. Roy, a retired manager in the publishing industry, is in charge of finances and plans an annual household budget to which all the adults contribute. It's a relief to not have to worry about this, but there are disadvantages, says Clare. \"One of the downsides is you feel you have relinquished your adulthood in a way,\" she adds. But the arrangement has enriched the household in other ways, too. Her parents' ability to look after Jove has also allowed Clare, a yoga teacher, to work longer hours. Stephen Burke, director of United for All Ages, says living together under one roof makes sense for three generations in many families: \"But we do need more homes that give families the chance to share like this.\" In other words, they have to be big enough. There's a clear division of labour in the household, says Clare. \"I do the shopping. My partner does the cooking. My parents do the housework.\" Oriel also looks after the garden, and she and Roy do the washing up after communal meals. Access to the washing machine is regulated, too. Clare's family usually do their laundry on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, while Roy and Oriel use it the rest of the week. What Clare didn't foresee was that she would become the family's de facto chauffeur now her parents are no longer able to drive. \"My work now is driving people to hospital, doctors, dentists, classes. That's something we didn't quite consider.\" It's crucial that everyone is on friendly terms. Clare's partner, a high school teacher, is more sanguine about living with his in-laws than others might be. \"Rob is very laid back about it. I'm very lucky because not everyone would be,\" she says. You need to have a certain type of personality to make the arrangement work, she says. \"We're not really arguing types. There's never any shouting.\" Clare believes it's vital to make sure everyone is compatible before moving in. \"Spend time together before you take the plunge. Maybe go on holiday. You have to be very aware of the sort of characters you are.\" Prof Sarah Harper, Oxford University Institute of Population Ageing Adult children are taking longer to leave home. Part of that is we have the luxury to stay in education later. You can afford to stay at home later. We are also seeing the sort of multigenerational living where my father died last year so my mother moves in with me. What some people get confused about is the idea that you are going to have all these generations living together, but the gaps between the generations are getting bigger and that is outpacing longevity - in the past you had 20 years between the generations, now you have 30 years between the generations. This means it's harder to have all the generations together. Social norms have changed. Houses that once had three generations living in them now have one. We have become more affluent. We have a welfare state that takes care of people. Our housing market is not geared up for the multigenerational living we used to have. The kind of housing we are building is hopeless for multigenerational living - small and box-like. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6343, "answer_start": 5192, "text": "Prof Sarah Harper, Oxford University Institute of Population Ageing Adult children are taking longer to leave home. Part of that is we have the luxury to stay in education later. You can afford to stay at home later. We are also seeing the sort of multigenerational living where my father died last year so my mother moves in with me. What some people get confused about is the idea that you are going to have all these generations living together, but the gaps between the generations are getting bigger and that is outpacing longevity - in the past you had 20 years between the generations, now you have 30 years between the generations. This means it's harder to have all the generations together. Social norms have changed. Houses that once had three generations living in them now have one. We have become more affluent. We have a welfare state that takes care of people. Our housing market is not geared up for the multigenerational living we used to have. The kind of housing we are building is hopeless for multigenerational living - small and box-like. Subscribe to the BBC News Magazine's email newsletter to get articles sent to your inbox." } ], "id": "9761_0", "question": "Will multigenerational living really take off?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The top lawyer in the White House is \"co-operating extensively\" with the Russia inquiry into election meddling, the New York Times reports. Donald McGahn has spent 30 hours sharing detailed accounts of episodes at the heart of the probe, it says. President Donald Trump later said he had authorised Mr McGahn's co-operation with special counsel Robert Mueller. Mr Mueller is investigating possible collusion between Russia and Mr Trump's team in the 2016 US election. The president denies any collusion, and has repeatedly called the Mueller probe \"a witch hunt\". Russia also denies claims it interfered in the polls two years ago, which saw Donald Trump defeat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. Citing a dozen current and former White House officials, the paper says White House counsel Donald McGahn gave at least three voluntary interviews to investigators totalling 30 hours over a nine-month period. During this time, he gave \"a clear view of the president's most intimate moments with his lawyer\", sharing information the paper says investigators would not have previously known about. It said he had recounted Mr Trump's comments and actions \"during the firing of the FBI director James Comey, and Mr Trump's obsession with putting a loyalist in charge of the inquiry, including his repeated urging of Attorney General Jeff Sessions to claim oversight of it\". As well as collusion, the special counsel is scrutinising whether there were any attempts by the president to obstruct justice. Just last month, Mr Trump demanded Mr Sessions fire Robert Mueller and end the probe \"right now\". A source close to the probe told Reuters they did not believe Mr McGahn had provided any incriminating information. After the report was released, President Trump confirmed in a tweet that he had allowed Mr McGahn and other White House staff \"to fully co-operate with the special counsel\". Mr McGahn's own lawyer on Saturday said his client had \"answered the Special Counsel team's questions fulsomely and honestly\". The New York Times said in its report that it was rare for a lawyer to be so open with investigators, but he may have been motivated out of fear of prosecution over White House decisions that might have been construed as obstructing justice. President Trump launched a fresh attack on the newspaper on Sunday, describing its report as \"a fake piece\" for implying Mr McGahn had incriminating information to share. Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether President Trump's campaign team colluded with Russia to influence the outcome of the presidential election. In 2016, US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia had used a state-authorised campaign of cyber attacks and fake news stories planted on social media in an attempt to turn the election against Hillary Clinton. Thirty-two people have now been indicted, including four members of Mr Trump's campaign team and 25 Russians. The president's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is the first person to go on trial as a result of Mr Mueller's investigation. However, the charges are not related to the US election but instead to tax evasion and money-laundering stemming from his political consultancy work in Ukraine. The jury in his case has retired to consider a verdict.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1708, "answer_start": 696, "text": "Citing a dozen current and former White House officials, the paper says White House counsel Donald McGahn gave at least three voluntary interviews to investigators totalling 30 hours over a nine-month period. During this time, he gave \"a clear view of the president's most intimate moments with his lawyer\", sharing information the paper says investigators would not have previously known about. It said he had recounted Mr Trump's comments and actions \"during the firing of the FBI director James Comey, and Mr Trump's obsession with putting a loyalist in charge of the inquiry, including his repeated urging of Attorney General Jeff Sessions to claim oversight of it\". As well as collusion, the special counsel is scrutinising whether there were any attempts by the president to obstruct justice. Just last month, Mr Trump demanded Mr Sessions fire Robert Mueller and end the probe \"right now\". A source close to the probe told Reuters they did not believe Mr McGahn had provided any incriminating information." } ], "id": "9762_0", "question": "What's in the New York Times report?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2422, "answer_start": 1709, "text": "After the report was released, President Trump confirmed in a tweet that he had allowed Mr McGahn and other White House staff \"to fully co-operate with the special counsel\". Mr McGahn's own lawyer on Saturday said his client had \"answered the Special Counsel team's questions fulsomely and honestly\". The New York Times said in its report that it was rare for a lawyer to be so open with investigators, but he may have been motivated out of fear of prosecution over White House decisions that might have been construed as obstructing justice. President Trump launched a fresh attack on the newspaper on Sunday, describing its report as \"a fake piece\" for implying Mr McGahn had incriminating information to share." } ], "id": "9762_1", "question": "What does Trump have to say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3263, "answer_start": 2423, "text": "Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating whether President Trump's campaign team colluded with Russia to influence the outcome of the presidential election. In 2016, US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia had used a state-authorised campaign of cyber attacks and fake news stories planted on social media in an attempt to turn the election against Hillary Clinton. Thirty-two people have now been indicted, including four members of Mr Trump's campaign team and 25 Russians. The president's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, is the first person to go on trial as a result of Mr Mueller's investigation. However, the charges are not related to the US election but instead to tax evasion and money-laundering stemming from his political consultancy work in Ukraine. The jury in his case has retired to consider a verdict." } ], "id": "9762_2", "question": "What is the Russia investigation?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Three of Russia's leading newspapers have come out in support of a reporter charged with drug offences, in a case that has caused a huge public outcry. The front page headlines in Vedomosti, RBC, and Kommersant read \"We are Ivan Golunov\", referring to the investigative journalist. Mr Golunov was charged over the weekend with trying to illegally sell drugs. His lawyer said the drugs were planted. The journalist was reportedly beaten up during his arrest last week. Mr Golunov, 36, is a freelance journalist, who has contributed to a number of media outlets including the Latvia-based news site Meduza. His arrest led to heated discussions among social media users in Russia, with many accusing the authorities of trying to stifle freedom of press. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was made aware of the case last week and was \"keeping a very close eye on all the details\". \"Mistakes cannot be ruled out anywhere or anytime, mistakes are made, among others, by journalists, when they write stories,\" Mr Peskov said. On Sunday, a Moscow court ordered that Mr Golunov be placed under house arrest rather than remanded in custody, which is standard procedure in drug-related cases in Russia. Journalists in Russia have in recent years often been harassed or attacked 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. The three business dailies on Monday published a joint statement, openly questioning the legality of Mr Golunov's arrest. \"We do not consider convincing the evidence presented by investigators into the guilt of Ivan Golunov,\" the statement said. \"We are not ruling out that the detention and the subsequent arrest of Mr Golunov are connected to his professional activities.\" The newspapers also demanded a thorough investigation into how police acted during the arrest. BBC Moscow correspondent Steve Rosenberg writes: In the world of Russian media, acts of solidarity are rare. That's why the decision by Vedomosti, RBC and Kommersant to print almost identical front pages is significant. It feels like Ivan Golunov's detention is a watershed moment: when Russian journalists from across the political spectrum realised the \"system\" had gone too far. Even prominent pro-Kremlin broadcasters have been critical of the case. Anchor Irada Zeynalova of pro-Kremlin channel NTV said: \"Journalists are not angels, but neither are police... If there were no drugs on him (Golunov), those who created this crazy situation must be punished.\" And Russian state TV presenter Dmitry Kiselyov, often referred to as the \"Kremlin's chief propagandist\", admitted that it appeared the two officers who had detained Mr Golunov \"were not blameless and had acted quite roughly\". So, will the authorities backtrack? In one sense they already have (though perhaps only temporarily). The fact that Mr Golunov is currently under house arrest, and not behind bars, is a consequence of the huge public outcry. But getting the charges dropped completely will be difficult. The one lever that the punitive machine constructed under President Vladimir Putin lacks is a reverse gear. In Russia, most cases go to court and end in a guilty verdict. He had been on his way to meet another journalist last Thursday when he was stopped and searched by officers. Police said 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 later charged 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 the images were later withdrawn. Police then 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 they said might be linked to his detention. Meduza said in a statement, published by the Reuters news agency, 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 said. \"Moreover, we have grounds to believe that Golunov is being persecuted because of his journalistic activity.\" A medical examination at hospital showed that Mr Golunov 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 over the weekend. None of his ribs were broken, Dr Myasnikov said, following earlier claims that the journalist had suffered a fracture. Meduza said Mr Golunov was beaten up by officers both during his arrest and later at a police station. He was, the news site said, 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 can be seen lifting 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. Mr Golunov is by no means a household name in Russia, although he is well known among the more independent journalists and their readership, which is admittedly dwarfed by that of Kremlin-controlled media, BBC Monitoring's Vitaliy Shevchenko says. 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. It is these investigations, his supporters say, that caused his arrest, and not the drugs that they said were planted on the journalist. One popular opinion is that his future article about Federal Security Service (FSB) officers allegedly controlling the cut-throat funeral services market in Moscow was the last straw that moved corrupt officials to act. 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 Moscow's Nikulinsky Court. Mr Golunov's mother, Svetlana Golunova, told Reuters the arrest was \"not even a farce, it is something unbelievable\", and she expected \"only victory\". In a separate development on Monday, a Russian court granted the early release of Oyub Titiyev, the head of the Chechen division of human rights group Memorial, who was sentenced to four years in prison in March on drugs charges. The court ruled that Mr Titiyev, 61, must be released within 10 days. He was arrested last year after police discovered marijuana in his car. Shortly after his detention, Mr Titiyev wrote an open letter to Mr Putin insisting that the drugs were planted.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2098, "answer_start": 1629, "text": "The three business dailies on Monday published a joint statement, openly questioning the legality of Mr Golunov's arrest. \"We do not consider convincing the evidence presented by investigators into the guilt of Ivan Golunov,\" the statement said. \"We are not ruling out that the detention and the subsequent arrest of Mr Golunov are connected to his professional activities.\" The newspapers also demanded a thorough investigation into how police acted during the arrest." } ], "id": "9763_0", "question": "What did the Russian papers say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4496, "answer_start": 3447, "text": "He had been on his way to meet another journalist last Thursday when he was stopped and searched by officers. Police said 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 later charged 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 the images were later withdrawn. Police then 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 they said might be linked to his detention. Meduza said in a statement, published by the Reuters news agency, 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 said. \"Moreover, we have grounds to believe that Golunov is being persecuted because of his journalistic activity.\"" } ], "id": "9763_1", "question": "What is known about Mr Golunov's arrest?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5386, "answer_start": 4497, "text": "A medical examination at hospital showed that Mr Golunov 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 over the weekend. None of his ribs were broken, Dr Myasnikov said, following earlier claims that the journalist had suffered a fracture. Meduza said Mr Golunov was beaten up by officers both during his arrest and later at a police station. He was, the news site said, 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 can be seen lifting 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": "9763_2", "question": "What do we know about his condition?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 7084, "answer_start": 5387, "text": "Mr Golunov is by no means a household name in Russia, although he is well known among the more independent journalists and their readership, which is admittedly dwarfed by that of Kremlin-controlled media, BBC Monitoring's Vitaliy Shevchenko says. 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. It is these investigations, his supporters say, that caused his arrest, and not the drugs that they said were planted on the journalist. One popular opinion is that his future article about Federal Security Service (FSB) officers allegedly controlling the cut-throat funeral services market in Moscow was the last straw that moved corrupt officials to act. 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 Moscow's Nikulinsky Court. Mr Golunov's mother, Svetlana Golunova, told Reuters the arrest was \"not even a farce, it is something unbelievable\", and she expected \"only victory\". In a separate development on Monday, a Russian court granted the early release of Oyub Titiyev, the head of the Chechen division of human rights group Memorial, who was sentenced to four years in prison in March on drugs charges. The court ruled that Mr Titiyev, 61, must be released within 10 days. He was arrested last year after police discovered marijuana in his car. Shortly after his detention, Mr Titiyev wrote an open letter to Mr Putin insisting that the drugs were planted." } ], "id": "9763_3", "question": "Who is Ivan Golunov?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Two people who were being treated in hospital after the eruption of New Zealand's White Island volcano have died, bringing the official number of victims to eight, police say. Nine people are still officially missing, presumed dead, and efforts to retrieve bodies from the island were put on hold on Wednesday amid signs of increased seismic activity. Another 20 people are in intensive care with severe burns. Five have been moved to Australia. Australian brothers Matthew Hollander, 13, and Berend Hollander, 16, have died in hospital, their school confirmed on Thursday. The volcano, also known as Whakaari, erupted on Monday when dozens of tourists were on the island. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said several more Australians were missing and presumed dead, adding on Thursday: \"In the days ahead, there will be worse news.\" Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said: \"I've spoken to many of those involved in the operation and they are very, very eager to get back there, they want to bring people's loved ones home\". White Island is a popular tourist destination with frequent day tours and scenic flights available. At least 47 visitors from around the world were on the volcano crater at the time of two explosions in quick succession. Police Minister Stuart Nash explained the injuries to the survivors were so severe that some of them were unable to identify themselves. \"There are a number of people in hospital who cannot communicate, they have significant burns not only to skin but internal organs,\" he told Radio New Zealand. \"We wish them the best but we're not out of the woods yet, of that there's no doubt.\" Dr Peter Watson, chief medical officer at New Zealand's National Burns Unit, said an estimated 1.2m sq cm of replacement skin would be needed for the patients. An order has been placed from the US. Several patients would be transferred to Australia by the Australian Defence Force using an intensive-care acceptable aircraft, Dr Watson said. Analysis by James Gallagher, BBC health and science correspondent Donated skin is vital for helping to save the life of a major burns patient. Skin is our largest organ and its main job is keeping dangerous viruses and bacteria out. The damage caused by severe burns leaves patients at very high risk of infection. Donor skin is a short-term fix. It comes from dead organ donors - in the same way as hearts, kidneys and corneas - and can be banked for several years. The donor skin aids healing, cuts the risk of infection and can reduce pain. The immune system is so weak after such an injury that rejection is not an issue. A single major burns patient needs a lot of donor skin. New Zealand is treating many at the same time and has needed to turn to other countries for help. New Zealand's chief coroner on Wednesday declared the eruption a \"mass fatality incident\". Officials said they were working with disaster specialists and forensic experts to identify the victims so their bodies could be returned to their families. New Zealand police have now listed nine people as officially missing - though they say this is a partial list as they have not been able to speak to all the next of kin. These are: - Hayden Inman (New Zealand) - Tipene Maangi (New Zealand) - Julie Richards (Australia) - Jessica Richards (Australia) - Gavin Dallow (Australia) - Zoe Hosking (Australia) - Richard Elzer (Australia) - Karla Matthews (Australia) - Krystal Browitt (Australia) At least seven people on the list are believed to be dead or presumed dead, based on relatives talking to media. The parents of the Hollander brothers, Martin and Barbara Hollander, are not on the list but remain missing. Tour guide Hayden Inman was identified as among the dead by his brother on Facebook. Julie Richards and her daughter Jessica from Brisbane, Australia, were identified as victims by a family spokesperson. Adelaide father Gavin Dallow has been named as dead, with his stepdaughter Zoe Hosking presumed dead, according to media reports. Australian tourist Jason Griffiths, who was travelling with Karla Matthews and Richard Elzer, died in hospital on Wednesday. According to a statement released by their friends, both Karla and Richard are presumed dead. There is also a definitive list of all victims who are in hospital but police say they cannot release this for privacy reasons. On Wednesday morning, geological agency GeoNet said \"the level of volcanic tremor has significantly increased at the island\". Scientists view tremors, which result from a release of energy under the Earth's surface, as one sign of a possible eruption. In a later update, the agency said volcanic tremor, known as seismic activity, was now at the highest level seen since 2016. \"The level of volcanic tremor continues to rise and there is medium likelihood of future eruptive activity in the next 24 hours,\" the agency said. At a news conference on Wednesday, volcanologist Graham Leonard said seismic activity on White Island was escalating. \"Yesterday there was a high risk of an eruption,\" Mr Leonard said. \"Today there is an even higher risk of an eruption. And the parameters are worsening at the moment.\" Police said the latest seismology update meant recovery teams had no choice but to wait, but they were on constant standby to return to the island as soon as possible. Police Minister Nash said there were also poisonous gases coming from the volcanic vent and that the island was blanketed in a thick layer of acidic ash. With measuring equipment on the island still intact, GeoNet can give regular updates on the situation, allowing police to assess the risk of sending recovery teams. Reconnaissance flights have shown no signs of life on the island and officials believe there are no survivors among the missing. Police said a drone conducted four fly-overs of the island on Wednesday, and analysis of that footage was ongoing. Are you in the area? If it's safe to share your experiences then please email [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 7756 165803 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send pictures/video to [email protected] - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2023, "answer_start": 1078, "text": "White Island is a popular tourist destination with frequent day tours and scenic flights available. At least 47 visitors from around the world were on the volcano crater at the time of two explosions in quick succession. Police Minister Stuart Nash explained the injuries to the survivors were so severe that some of them were unable to identify themselves. \"There are a number of people in hospital who cannot communicate, they have significant burns not only to skin but internal organs,\" he told Radio New Zealand. \"We wish them the best but we're not out of the woods yet, of that there's no doubt.\" Dr Peter Watson, chief medical officer at New Zealand's National Burns Unit, said an estimated 1.2m sq cm of replacement skin would be needed for the patients. An order has been placed from the US. Several patients would be transferred to Australia by the Australian Defence Force using an intensive-care acceptable aircraft, Dr Watson said." } ], "id": "9764_0", "question": "What condition are the injured in?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2803, "answer_start": 2024, "text": "Analysis by James Gallagher, BBC health and science correspondent Donated skin is vital for helping to save the life of a major burns patient. Skin is our largest organ and its main job is keeping dangerous viruses and bacteria out. The damage caused by severe burns leaves patients at very high risk of infection. Donor skin is a short-term fix. It comes from dead organ donors - in the same way as hearts, kidneys and corneas - and can be banked for several years. The donor skin aids healing, cuts the risk of infection and can reduce pain. The immune system is so weak after such an injury that rejection is not an issue. A single major burns patient needs a lot of donor skin. New Zealand is treating many at the same time and has needed to turn to other countries for help." } ], "id": "9764_1", "question": "Where does donor skin come from?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4394, "answer_start": 2804, "text": "New Zealand's chief coroner on Wednesday declared the eruption a \"mass fatality incident\". Officials said they were working with disaster specialists and forensic experts to identify the victims so their bodies could be returned to their families. New Zealand police have now listed nine people as officially missing - though they say this is a partial list as they have not been able to speak to all the next of kin. These are: - Hayden Inman (New Zealand) - Tipene Maangi (New Zealand) - Julie Richards (Australia) - Jessica Richards (Australia) - Gavin Dallow (Australia) - Zoe Hosking (Australia) - Richard Elzer (Australia) - Karla Matthews (Australia) - Krystal Browitt (Australia) At least seven people on the list are believed to be dead or presumed dead, based on relatives talking to media. The parents of the Hollander brothers, Martin and Barbara Hollander, are not on the list but remain missing. Tour guide Hayden Inman was identified as among the dead by his brother on Facebook. Julie Richards and her daughter Jessica from Brisbane, Australia, were identified as victims by a family spokesperson. Adelaide father Gavin Dallow has been named as dead, with his stepdaughter Zoe Hosking presumed dead, according to media reports. Australian tourist Jason Griffiths, who was travelling with Karla Matthews and Richard Elzer, died in hospital on Wednesday. According to a statement released by their friends, both Karla and Richard are presumed dead. There is also a definitive list of all victims who are in hospital but police say they cannot release this for privacy reasons." } ], "id": "9764_2", "question": "What do we know about the victims?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5935, "answer_start": 4395, "text": "On Wednesday morning, geological agency GeoNet said \"the level of volcanic tremor has significantly increased at the island\". Scientists view tremors, which result from a release of energy under the Earth's surface, as one sign of a possible eruption. In a later update, the agency said volcanic tremor, known as seismic activity, was now at the highest level seen since 2016. \"The level of volcanic tremor continues to rise and there is medium likelihood of future eruptive activity in the next 24 hours,\" the agency said. At a news conference on Wednesday, volcanologist Graham Leonard said seismic activity on White Island was escalating. \"Yesterday there was a high risk of an eruption,\" Mr Leonard said. \"Today there is an even higher risk of an eruption. And the parameters are worsening at the moment.\" Police said the latest seismology update meant recovery teams had no choice but to wait, but they were on constant standby to return to the island as soon as possible. Police Minister Nash said there were also poisonous gases coming from the volcanic vent and that the island was blanketed in a thick layer of acidic ash. With measuring equipment on the island still intact, GeoNet can give regular updates on the situation, allowing police to assess the risk of sending recovery teams. Reconnaissance flights have shown no signs of life on the island and officials believe there are no survivors among the missing. Police said a drone conducted four fly-overs of the island on Wednesday, and analysis of that footage was ongoing." } ], "id": "9764_3", "question": "Why has the recovery been delayed?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Members of the RMT and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) unions are taking industrial action in protest at plans to close ticket offices on the London Underground. The 24-hour strike will continue until 18:00 GMT on Monday. Tube bosses have warned commuters the majority of underground stations in Central London will be closed, and a normal service is not expected to resume until Tuesday morning. Latest live updates on the Tube strike Transport for London (TfL) says the number of Tube stations closed are subject to change. At 11:00 GMT, 114 stations were closed. Check if your Tube station is closed here. This is the current status on the various Tube lines: The Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground and Tram are all running with a good service but TfL have warned that services will be busier. National Rail services are not directly affected but there is no Underground services from stations such as Victoria, King's Cross, Waterloo, Paddington, Euston, Bank and London Bridge. Tube bosses previously warned that while the strike officially ends at 18:00, some stations may close by 19:00 on Monday. Click here for real-time updates on what's running and what's not. You can keep up to date on the real-time travel situation with @BBCTravelAlert or visit the BBC London travel page. Buses, roads and rail services including the DLR are all expected to be much busier than usual. TfL has laid on over 100 extra buses and \"enhanced\" river services to help customers get around the city. Travel Ambassadors are on hand to advise on alternative routes, but your best bet might be to walk or cycle if you are able. Here is a walking map of central London showing the walking time, in minutes, between stops. If you are planning to drive, be aware of these major road works that may affect your journey: LONDON BRIDGE: Tooley Street eastbound is closed for major long-term upgrades at London Bridge Station from the A3 Borough High Street/Duke Street Hill to Bermondsey Street FARRINGDON: There are narrow lanes because of major Crossrail works on the A201 Farringdon Road between Cowcross Street (Farringdon Station) and Charterhouse Street MILLBANK: There are narrow lanes and one lane is closed because of junction improvements on the A3212 Millbank at Horseferry Road (Lambeth Bridge) CANNON STREET: Westbound is closed for carriageway repairs between King William Street and Queen Victoria Street (Mansion House) BLOOMSBURY: Great Russell Street Westbound is closed for gas mains work between Museum Street and the A400 Bloomsbury Street. It is only one-way (eastbound) from Bloomsbury Street towards the British Museum HOLLOWAY: The A1 Holloway Road is closed in both directions because of major roadworks between Fairbridge Road (Upper Holloway Station) and Marlborough Road Roads on the edge of the congestion charge zone are also expected to be busier than normal. Let us know how the strike affects you. You can contact the BBC London Travel desk on 0207 224 2000 or tweet @BBCTravelAlert or @BBCLondonNews.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1199, "answer_start": 450, "text": "Transport for London (TfL) says the number of Tube stations closed are subject to change. At 11:00 GMT, 114 stations were closed. Check if your Tube station is closed here. This is the current status on the various Tube lines: The Docklands Light Railway (DLR), London Overground and Tram are all running with a good service but TfL have warned that services will be busier. National Rail services are not directly affected but there is no Underground services from stations such as Victoria, King's Cross, Waterloo, Paddington, Euston, Bank and London Bridge. Tube bosses previously warned that while the strike officially ends at 18:00, some stations may close by 19:00 on Monday. Click here for real-time updates on what's running and what's not." } ], "id": "9765_0", "question": "Which lines are running?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1735, "answer_start": 1200, "text": "You can keep up to date on the real-time travel situation with @BBCTravelAlert or visit the BBC London travel page. Buses, roads and rail services including the DLR are all expected to be much busier than usual. TfL has laid on over 100 extra buses and \"enhanced\" river services to help customers get around the city. Travel Ambassadors are on hand to advise on alternative routes, but your best bet might be to walk or cycle if you are able. Here is a walking map of central London showing the walking time, in minutes, between stops." } ], "id": "9765_1", "question": "How should I travel?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Australia's largest independent beer company has found itself at the centre of a boycott over a video discussing same-sex marriage. Several Australian bars have dumped Coopers Brewery after it was featured by religious group the Bible Society. The video shows two MPs debating their opposing views on same-sex marriage - which is not legal in Australia - as they clutch Coopers beers. It has led to claims Coopers is against marriage equality, a claim it denies. The backlash has gathered pace in recent days and, by Tuesday, a string of drinking spots in favour of same-sex marriage had boycotted the brand. The Bible Society posted the \"Keeping It Light\" video on Thursday. It features conservative MPs Tim Wilson (for same-sex marriage) and Andrew Hastie (against) debating the issue in what they call a \"civil and respectful way\". Coopers has since claimed it \"did not give permission\" to be included in the video. However, the brand recently celebrated the Bible Society's 200-year anniversary with a commemorative beer featuring Bible verses. In the video, Mr Wilson argues: \"I believe that it would be sensible to change the act that deals with issues around civil marriage to include two people regardless of their gender.\" Mr Hastie counters: \"I'm for retaining the current definition of marriage, which is between a man and a woman.\" Despite Mr Wilson's inclusion, critics interpreted the video as one-sided. One commentator said Coopers risked sponsoring a \"political act by a religious organisation\", while another said \"homophobia lite is still homophobia\". \"I have respected Coopers all my life, and it was crushing to realise that as a queer person, they don't respect me,\" wrote Chloe Sargeant for the Special Broadcasting Service. Opposition to the video has picked up steam since the weekend. By Tuesday, at least eight drinking spots in Sydney and Melbourne had publicly declared they would not stock Coopers. One widely shared video showed two people throwing full bottles in the bin. Luke Hiscox, from Sydney's Union Hotel, which plans to take Coopers off tap, said people were upset by the phrase \"keeping it light\". \"That irks people because for them it's not in the slightest a light topic,\" he told the BBC. \"I don't think they really realised what they were saying.\" Another venue, The Old Bar in Melbourne, said it would boycott Coopers because it was \"very obvious that our values are at odds\". In a statement, Cooper said it was not \"trying to push a religious message\" with its commemorative beer range. It maintained it had not sponsored the video. \"We respect the beliefs of our community and do not wish to try and change them,\" the company said. In a subsequent statement, it said it had cancelled the release of its Bible Society commemorative cans and would be joining Australian Marriage Equality. \"\"Our company supports marriage equality,\" Director of Corporate Affairs Melanie Cooper said. Bible Society chief executive Greg Clarke said the video sought to have a \"civil conversation on a serious issue\". \"At first I was surprised the reaction was so immediate and extreme, but then on reflection [I] wasn't surprised because this really seems to be how social media works at the moment,\" he told the BBC. Mr Wilson has described the boycott as absurd, saying it only proves the value of the discussion. \"I'm disappointed Coopers appears to have distanced themselves from a sensible conversation that they should be proud to align themselves with,\" he told news.com.au. Advertising commentator Jane Caro agreed the video was not promoting a view. She said same-sex marriage advocates were often suspicious of religious messaging. \"They have lost patience and lost tolerance for the idea that there should be mutual respect on both sides,\" Ms Caro told the BBC. \"I think Coopers have probably inadvertently found themselves in the eye of the storm.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1747, "answer_start": 609, "text": "The Bible Society posted the \"Keeping It Light\" video on Thursday. It features conservative MPs Tim Wilson (for same-sex marriage) and Andrew Hastie (against) debating the issue in what they call a \"civil and respectful way\". Coopers has since claimed it \"did not give permission\" to be included in the video. However, the brand recently celebrated the Bible Society's 200-year anniversary with a commemorative beer featuring Bible verses. In the video, Mr Wilson argues: \"I believe that it would be sensible to change the act that deals with issues around civil marriage to include two people regardless of their gender.\" Mr Hastie counters: \"I'm for retaining the current definition of marriage, which is between a man and a woman.\" Despite Mr Wilson's inclusion, critics interpreted the video as one-sided. One commentator said Coopers risked sponsoring a \"political act by a religious organisation\", while another said \"homophobia lite is still homophobia\". \"I have respected Coopers all my life, and it was crushing to realise that as a queer person, they don't respect me,\" wrote Chloe Sargeant for the Special Broadcasting Service." } ], "id": "9766_0", "question": "How did the backlash begin?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2422, "answer_start": 1748, "text": "Opposition to the video has picked up steam since the weekend. By Tuesday, at least eight drinking spots in Sydney and Melbourne had publicly declared they would not stock Coopers. One widely shared video showed two people throwing full bottles in the bin. Luke Hiscox, from Sydney's Union Hotel, which plans to take Coopers off tap, said people were upset by the phrase \"keeping it light\". \"That irks people because for them it's not in the slightest a light topic,\" he told the BBC. \"I don't think they really realised what they were saying.\" Another venue, The Old Bar in Melbourne, said it would boycott Coopers because it was \"very obvious that our values are at odds\"." } ], "id": "9766_1", "question": "How have bars responded?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3245, "answer_start": 2423, "text": "In a statement, Cooper said it was not \"trying to push a religious message\" with its commemorative beer range. It maintained it had not sponsored the video. \"We respect the beliefs of our community and do not wish to try and change them,\" the company said. In a subsequent statement, it said it had cancelled the release of its Bible Society commemorative cans and would be joining Australian Marriage Equality. \"\"Our company supports marriage equality,\" Director of Corporate Affairs Melanie Cooper said. Bible Society chief executive Greg Clarke said the video sought to have a \"civil conversation on a serious issue\". \"At first I was surprised the reaction was so immediate and extreme, but then on reflection [I] wasn't surprised because this really seems to be how social media works at the moment,\" he told the BBC." } ], "id": "9766_2", "question": "What do those involved say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3888, "answer_start": 3246, "text": "Mr Wilson has described the boycott as absurd, saying it only proves the value of the discussion. \"I'm disappointed Coopers appears to have distanced themselves from a sensible conversation that they should be proud to align themselves with,\" he told news.com.au. Advertising commentator Jane Caro agreed the video was not promoting a view. She said same-sex marriage advocates were often suspicious of religious messaging. \"They have lost patience and lost tolerance for the idea that there should be mutual respect on both sides,\" Ms Caro told the BBC. \"I think Coopers have probably inadvertently found themselves in the eye of the storm.\"" } ], "id": "9766_3", "question": "Is there room for debate?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A US Navy Seal who was tried for war crimes was described by members of his unit as \"evil\", \"toxic\", and \"perfectly OK with killing anybody\", according to footage obtained by the New York Times. The case of Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher gained national attention when President Trump championed him. Gallagher was demoted by the Navy after his trial earlier this year but Mr Trump reversed the decision. In doing so, the president contradicted the Navy's most senior leaders. Mr Trump recently hosted Gallagher and his wife at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and described the soldier at a rally as one of the country's \"great fighters\". Gallagher denied any wrongdoing, claiming the case against him was concocted by disgruntled members of his unit who wanted to force him out. The video recordings obtained by the New York Times show Navy Seals giving evidence to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). They have never been shown publicly before, the Times reported. The soldiers from Alpha Platoon Seal Team 7 were visibly nervous and some broke down into tears as they recalled what they had witnessed. \"The guy is freaking evil,\" said Special Operator Craig Miller. In a separate interview, Special Operator First Class Joshua Vriens, a sniper, described their platoon chief as \"toxic\". Special Operator First Class Corey Scott said: \"You could tell he was perfectly OK with killing anybody that was moving.\" Gallagher was accused of stabbing a captured teenager Islamic State fighter to death and randomly shooting civilians while serving in Iraq, including a young girl. Footage from a helmet camera showed the former unit chief approaching the body of the semi-conscious IS fighter in May 2017. The camera was then shut off, but three members of Gallagher's unit testified that he stabbed the boy in the neck with his hunting knife, before holding an impromptu ceremony over the body as if it were a trophy. A photograph taken at the scene showed Chief Gallagher posing over the body, holding the boy's hair in one hand his hunting knife in the other. \"I was listening to it and I was just thinking, like, this is the most disgraceful thing I've ever seen in my life,\" Special Operator Miller told NCIS investigators. The Seals told investigators that they had tried to report what they had seen but the chain of command above them took no action. In April 2018, they went to the NCIS and Gallagher was arrested months later. But Gallagher's was acquitted of the most serious charges after a trial in which a key witness suddenly reversed his testimony. He was convicted only of the lesser charge of posing with the IS prisoner's corpse. For that he was demoted, but President Trump intervened and reinstated his rank. Gallagher was then formally notified by Navy leaders that he would face a disciplinary review which could result in his being stripped of his Trident pin - a gold-coloured insignia that shows he is a member of the Seals unit. In a remarkable intervention that put him directly at odds with the Navy's senior command, Mr Trump tweeted to say the Navy would \"NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher's Trident Pin\". The US Navy chief Richard Spencer was fired over his handling of the case In a statement released through his lawyer, Gallagher said his first reaction to seeing the videos was \"surprise and disgust that they would make up blatant lies about me.\" He added: \"But I quickly realised that they were scared that the truth would come out of how cowardly they acted on deployment. \"I felt sorry for them that they thought it necessary to smear my name, but they never realised what the consequences of their lies would be. As upset as I was, the videos also gave me confidence because I knew that their lies would never hold up under real questioning and the jury would see through it. Their lies and NCIS's refusal to ask hard questions or corroborate their stories strengthened my resolve to go to trial and clear my name,\" he said.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1444, "answer_start": 800, "text": "The video recordings obtained by the New York Times show Navy Seals giving evidence to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). They have never been shown publicly before, the Times reported. The soldiers from Alpha Platoon Seal Team 7 were visibly nervous and some broke down into tears as they recalled what they had witnessed. \"The guy is freaking evil,\" said Special Operator Craig Miller. In a separate interview, Special Operator First Class Joshua Vriens, a sniper, described their platoon chief as \"toxic\". Special Operator First Class Corey Scott said: \"You could tell he was perfectly OK with killing anybody that was moving.\"" } ], "id": "9767_0", "question": "What does the new footage show?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4019, "answer_start": 3265, "text": "In a statement released through his lawyer, Gallagher said his first reaction to seeing the videos was \"surprise and disgust that they would make up blatant lies about me.\" He added: \"But I quickly realised that they were scared that the truth would come out of how cowardly they acted on deployment. \"I felt sorry for them that they thought it necessary to smear my name, but they never realised what the consequences of their lies would be. As upset as I was, the videos also gave me confidence because I knew that their lies would never hold up under real questioning and the jury would see through it. Their lies and NCIS's refusal to ask hard questions or corroborate their stories strengthened my resolve to go to trial and clear my name,\" he said." } ], "id": "9767_1", "question": "Has Gallagher responded to the videos?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Moscow has vowed there will be a swift response to the expulsion of 23 of its diplomats by Britain. President Vladimir Putin would make a final decision and \"won't take long\" to respond, his spokesman said. The UK took its action after Moscow refused to explain how a Russian-made nerve agent was used on a former spy and his daughter in the UK. Russia denies it was involved. Its foreign ministry called the allegations by Prime Minister Theresa May \"insane\". On Thursday, the leaders of France, Germany, the US and UK issued a joint statement on the attack, condemning the \"first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since the Second World War\". Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has been speaking on the issue at an event in Moscow, although Russian media reports of what he has said have been conflicting. The RIA Novosti agency quoted him as saying Russia would \"definitely\" expel UK diplomats \"soon\". But he was quoted by others as saying that Russia would inform British authorities first before any media announcement. \"This is, in my view, being polite; this is how gentlemen behave,\" he said. Mr Lavrov was also quoted by Tass as saying he hoped the former spy, Sergei Skripal, would recover so he could shed light on events. Interfax quoted the foreign minister as saying a motive behind the UK's actions might be to complicate Russia's hosting of Fifa's World Cup this summer. President Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the foreign ministry was working out measures but added that \"it is indeed the president who will make the final decision\". Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned what she said were \"absolutely insane accusations made by the UK prime minister against Russia\", adding that the UK had failed to provide any factual information about the case. She said diplomatic notes sent to the Foreign Office had received replies that \"made no sense\". Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson stepped up the war of words with Russia on Thursday. He said the attack was Russia's \"way of saying to people this is what happens to people who stand up to our regime\". Mr Johnson said: \"Now is the moment for Putin to jam the lid down and send a signal to people: 'You do this, you're going to die'.\" He told the BBC a sample of the nerve agent would be sent to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - the independent international body set up to stop chemical warfare - for analysis. But he added that Russia's \"smug, sarcastic\" response indicated their \"fundamental guilt\". Moscow wanted to \"simultaneously deny it and at the same time to glory in it\", he said, adding the nerve agent was chosen \"to show that it is Russia\". Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said Russia \"should go away and should shut up\". Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, 33, were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on 4 March and remain critically ill in hospital. The chemical used in the attack has been identified as part of a group of nerve agents developed by Russia known as Novichok, Mrs May said. The prime minister, who visited Salisbury on Thursday, said there was \"no alternative conclusion\" than to believe Russia was \"culpable\" for the poisonings. She had given Russia a deadline of last Tuesday evening to explain the use of the nerve agent. Mr Lavrov then said Moscow would co-operate if the UK submitted a formal request under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which gives a 10-day time limit to respond. But after Tuesday's deadline passed, the UK announced the expulsions. In addition, the UK has announced measures that include increased checks on private flights, customs and freight as well as a boycott of this year's Fifa World Cup in Russia by ministers and the Royal Family. Thursday's four-nation joint statement said the western allies shared the UK's view that Russia was responsible. \"Russia's failure to address the legitimate request by the UK government further underlines its responsibility,\" it said. \"We call on Russia to live up to its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council to uphold international peace and security.\" Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would announce unspecified \"measures\" in the coming days over the poisoning. He said: \"I condemn in the strongest possible terms this unacceptable attack. Everything leads us to believe that responsibility can be attributed to Russia.\" On Wednesday, the White House said it \"stands in solidarity\" with \"its closest ally\" the UK and supported its decision to expel the Russian diplomats. President Donald Trump's spokeswoman accused Russia of undermining the security of countries worldwide.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1891, "answer_start": 652, "text": "Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has been speaking on the issue at an event in Moscow, although Russian media reports of what he has said have been conflicting. The RIA Novosti agency quoted him as saying Russia would \"definitely\" expel UK diplomats \"soon\". But he was quoted by others as saying that Russia would inform British authorities first before any media announcement. \"This is, in my view, being polite; this is how gentlemen behave,\" he said. Mr Lavrov was also quoted by Tass as saying he hoped the former spy, Sergei Skripal, would recover so he could shed light on events. Interfax quoted the foreign minister as saying a motive behind the UK's actions might be to complicate Russia's hosting of Fifa's World Cup this summer. President Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said the foreign ministry was working out measures but added that \"it is indeed the president who will make the final decision\". Foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned what she said were \"absolutely insane accusations made by the UK prime minister against Russia\", adding that the UK had failed to provide any factual information about the case. She said diplomatic notes sent to the Foreign Office had received replies that \"made no sense\"." } ], "id": "9768_0", "question": "What have the Russians actually said?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2754, "answer_start": 1892, "text": "Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson stepped up the war of words with Russia on Thursday. He said the attack was Russia's \"way of saying to people this is what happens to people who stand up to our regime\". Mr Johnson said: \"Now is the moment for Putin to jam the lid down and send a signal to people: 'You do this, you're going to die'.\" He told the BBC a sample of the nerve agent would be sent to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - the independent international body set up to stop chemical warfare - for analysis. But he added that Russia's \"smug, sarcastic\" response indicated their \"fundamental guilt\". Moscow wanted to \"simultaneously deny it and at the same time to glory in it\", he said, adding the nerve agent was chosen \"to show that it is Russia\". Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said Russia \"should go away and should shut up\"." } ], "id": "9768_1", "question": "What is the latest from the UK?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3750, "answer_start": 2755, "text": "Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, 33, were found slumped on a bench in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on 4 March and remain critically ill in hospital. The chemical used in the attack has been identified as part of a group of nerve agents developed by Russia known as Novichok, Mrs May said. The prime minister, who visited Salisbury on Thursday, said there was \"no alternative conclusion\" than to believe Russia was \"culpable\" for the poisonings. She had given Russia a deadline of last Tuesday evening to explain the use of the nerve agent. Mr Lavrov then said Moscow would co-operate if the UK submitted a formal request under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which gives a 10-day time limit to respond. But after Tuesday's deadline passed, the UK announced the expulsions. In addition, the UK has announced measures that include increased checks on private flights, customs and freight as well as a boycott of this year's Fifa World Cup in Russia by ministers and the Royal Family." } ], "id": "9768_2", "question": "How did we get here?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4664, "answer_start": 3751, "text": "Thursday's four-nation joint statement said the western allies shared the UK's view that Russia was responsible. \"Russia's failure to address the legitimate request by the UK government further underlines its responsibility,\" it said. \"We call on Russia to live up to its responsibilities as a member of the UN Security Council to uphold international peace and security.\" Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would announce unspecified \"measures\" in the coming days over the poisoning. He said: \"I condemn in the strongest possible terms this unacceptable attack. Everything leads us to believe that responsibility can be attributed to Russia.\" On Wednesday, the White House said it \"stands in solidarity\" with \"its closest ally\" the UK and supported its decision to expel the Russian diplomats. President Donald Trump's spokeswoman accused Russia of undermining the security of countries worldwide." } ], "id": "9768_3", "question": "How have other nations reacted?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Financial institutions ANZ, Deutsche Bank and Citigroup will be prosecuted on criminal cartel charges, Australia's consumer watchdog says. The allegations concern arrangements for the sale of A$2.5bn (PS1.4bn; $1.9bn) worth of ANZ shares in 2015. The three banks said they would fight the charges. ANZ said it would also defend allegations against an employee. Australia's scandal-plagued financial sector is at the centre of a national inquiry into misconduct. Several \"other individuals\" are also expected to be charged by prosecutors, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said. \"The charges will involve alleged cartel arrangements relating to trading in ANZ shares following an ANZ institutional share placement in August 2015,\" chairman Rod Sims said in a statement. \"It will be alleged that ANZ and the individuals were knowingly concerned in some or all of the conduct.\" The consumer watchdog said it would not provide further details at this stage. ANZ, one of Australia's so-called \"big four\" banks, said the charges related to a placement of 80.8 million shares. The deal was underwritten by global giants Deutsche Bank, Citigroup and JP Morgan, as part of a bid by ANZ to raise capital to meet regulatory requirements. ANZ said regulators were now investigating whether it should have stated that 25.5 million shares of the placement had been taken up by \"joint lead managers\". That amount constituted 0.91% of total shares on issue at the time, it said. The ACCC says cartel behaviour happens when businesses act together to drive up profit, rather than compete against each other. ANZ said it believed the bank and its group treasurer, Rick Moscati, had acted lawfully, adding that it would co-operate with authorities. Citigroup and Deutsche Bank also vowed to \"vigorously defend\" defend the charges. The allegations were \"highly technical\" and involved \"an area of financial markets activity that has not been considered by any Australian court\" or by regulators, Citigroup said in a statement. Australia's banking and financial services sector has been rocked by a series of scandals over the last decade. The royal commission inquiry, which began in February, has heard evidence of rampant industry misconduct.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1614, "answer_start": 978, "text": "ANZ, one of Australia's so-called \"big four\" banks, said the charges related to a placement of 80.8 million shares. The deal was underwritten by global giants Deutsche Bank, Citigroup and JP Morgan, as part of a bid by ANZ to raise capital to meet regulatory requirements. ANZ said regulators were now investigating whether it should have stated that 25.5 million shares of the placement had been taken up by \"joint lead managers\". That amount constituted 0.91% of total shares on issue at the time, it said. The ACCC says cartel behaviour happens when businesses act together to drive up profit, rather than compete against each other." } ], "id": "9769_0", "question": "What is known about the allegations?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2248, "answer_start": 1615, "text": "ANZ said it believed the bank and its group treasurer, Rick Moscati, had acted lawfully, adding that it would co-operate with authorities. Citigroup and Deutsche Bank also vowed to \"vigorously defend\" defend the charges. The allegations were \"highly technical\" and involved \"an area of financial markets activity that has not been considered by any Australian court\" or by regulators, Citigroup said in a statement. Australia's banking and financial services sector has been rocked by a series of scandals over the last decade. The royal commission inquiry, which began in February, has heard evidence of rampant industry misconduct." } ], "id": "9769_1", "question": "What have the banks said?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The onset of wrinkles, muscle wasting and cataracts has been delayed and even eliminated in mice, say researchers in the US. It was done by \"flushing out\" retired cells that had stopped dividing. They accumulate naturally with age. The scientists believe their findings could eventually \"really have an impact\" in the care of the elderly. Experts said the results were \"fascinating\", but should be taken with a bit of caution. The study, published in Nature, focused on what are known as \"senescent cells\". They stop dividing into new cells and have an important role in preventing tumours from progressing. These cells are cleared out by the immune system, but their numbers build up with time. The researchers estimated that around 10% of cells are senescent in very old people. Scientists at the Mayo Clinic, in the US, devised a way to kill all senescent cells in genetically engineered mice. The animals would age far more quickly than normal, and when they were given a drug, the senescent cells would die. The researchers looked at three symptoms of old age: formation of cataracts in the eye; the wasting away of muscle tissue; and the loss of fat deposits under the skin, which keep it smooth. Researchers said the onset of these symptoms was \"dramatically delayed\" when the animals were treated with the drug. When it was given after the mice had been allowed to age, there was an improvement in muscle function. One of the researchers, Dr James Kirkland, said: \"I've never seen anything quite like it.\" His colleague Dr Jan van Deursen told the BBC: \"We were very surprised by the very profound effect. I really think this is very significant.\" The treatment had no effect on lifespan, but that may be due to the type of genetically engineered mouse used. The study raises the tantalising prospect of slowing the signs of ageing in humans. However, senescent cells cannot be just flushed out of human beings. Dr Deursen said: \"I'm very optimistic that this could really have an impact. Nobody wants to live longer if the quality of life is poor.\" He argued that young people were already clearing out their senescent cells. \"If you can prime the immune system, boost it a little bit, to make sure senescent cells are removed, that might be all it needs. \"Or develop a drug that targets senescent cells because of the unique proteins the cells make.\" Dr Jesus Gil, from the Medical Research Council's Clinical Sciences Centre, said the findings needed to be \"taken with a bit of caution. It is a preliminary study\". However, he said it was a fascinating study which \"suggests if you get rid of senescent cells you can improve phenotypes [physical traits] associated with ageing and improve quality of life in aged humans\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2732, "answer_start": 1767, "text": "The study raises the tantalising prospect of slowing the signs of ageing in humans. However, senescent cells cannot be just flushed out of human beings. Dr Deursen said: \"I'm very optimistic that this could really have an impact. Nobody wants to live longer if the quality of life is poor.\" He argued that young people were already clearing out their senescent cells. \"If you can prime the immune system, boost it a little bit, to make sure senescent cells are removed, that might be all it needs. \"Or develop a drug that targets senescent cells because of the unique proteins the cells make.\" Dr Jesus Gil, from the Medical Research Council's Clinical Sciences Centre, said the findings needed to be \"taken with a bit of caution. It is a preliminary study\". However, he said it was a fascinating study which \"suggests if you get rid of senescent cells you can improve phenotypes [physical traits] associated with ageing and improve quality of life in aged humans\"." } ], "id": "9770_0", "question": "Eternal youth?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "More than 3,000 people have been evacuated in buses and ambulances from a besieged rebel-held enclave in the Syrian city of Aleppo, officials say. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says the full evacuation of civilians and rebels is likely to take several days. Government forces, backed by Russian allies, took nearly all remaining rebel-held parts of Aleppo this week. It represents a major victory for President Bashar al-Assad. He hailed the \"liberation\" of Aleppo and said history was being made. Global solidarity over Aleppo How Srebrenica's survivors view Aleppo What's happening in Aleppo? What happens next? The evacuation of civilians, rebels and their families had been due to take place on Wednesday but an earlier ceasefire deal collapsed. \"Some 3,000 civilians and more than 40 wounded, including children, were brought out,\" the head of the ICRC in Syria, Marianne Gasser, said after two convoys left. \"No-one knows how many people are left in the east, and the evacuation could take days,\" she added. The evacuees are being transferred to rebel-held areas in neighbouring Idlib province. US Secretary of State John Kerry meanwhile accused Syrian leaders of carrying out \"nothing short of a massacre\" in Aleppo and urged them to return to peace talks in Geneva. \"The only remaining question is whether the Syrian regime, with Russia's support, is willing to go to Geneva prepared to negotiate constructively, and whether or not they're willing to stop this slaughter of their own people,\" he said in Washington. John Kerry expressed moral outrage at the fate of Aleppo and he stressed that the Syrian regime was responsible for the failure of a year's worth of US-Russian negotiations aimed at a nationwide ceasefire and peace talks. But he didn't offer any new plan to end the conflict. Nor did he accept that the fall of Aleppo was also due to a failure of US diplomatic strategy. \"You can't make someone do something through diplomacy that they're not prepared to negotiate,\" he told me. Critics in Washington, though, have slammed the Obama administration for refusing to back that diplomacy with the threat of credible force, giving Mr Kerry very little to work with other than good faith. Some have faulted the secretary of state for having too much faith in Russia's willingness for a deal - \"delusional diplomacy\", the Washington Post called it. Mr Kerry made clear he would continue his tireless efforts to reach a peace deal. But the fall of Aleppo almost certainly means he has run out of time to do so in the waning weeks of this administration, and the Syria crisis will be passed on to the next one. Syrian state media said rebels had blown up their ammunition dumps and destroyed documents before leaving the city. A statement from the Russian Centre for the Reconciliation of Opposing Sides in Syria, part of Russia's ministry of defence, said the Syrian authorities had guaranteed the safety of all members of the armed groups who decided to leave Aleppo. The rebels confirmed a fresh ceasefire had come into effect at 03:00 GMT and that a new deal had been agreed. As operations began, an ambulance service official in eastern Aleppo said that one convoy of ambulances had been shot at, with three people injured. The White Helmets civil defence group tweeted that one senior volunteer had been shot and injured by a sniper while clearing an evacuation route for ambulances. Buses and ambulances are taking the injured, civilians and rebel fighters to the neighbouring province of Idlib, most of which is controlled by a powerful rebel alliance that includes the jihadist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. The buses left Aleppo via the road through the government-controlled south-western district of Ramousseh, heading towards the nearby rebel-held towns of Khan Touman and Khan al-Asal. The chief of the Russian military's General Staff, Gen Valery Gerasimov, told a news briefing: \"A humanitarian corridor has been created for the evacuation of militants.\" \"This corridor is 21km long,\" he said, adding, \"6km lie across Aleppo's territories controlled by government troops and another 15km through territories in the hands of illegal armed groups.\" Turkey, which helped to broker the evacuation, is preparing to receive some of the most vulnerable civilians, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. In a televised address, he said Turkey would take \"children, elders, those who are really in difficult conditions\". The head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kinik, told reporters that the wounded would be the first to be transferred. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said about 50,000 people were still trapped and he warned that moving those evacuated to Idlib might not prove much safer. \"If there is no political agreement and a ceasefire, Idlib will become the next Aleppo,\" he told reporters in Paris. The 50,000 are said to include about 4,000 fighters and about 10,000 of their family members. Aleppo's besieged residents have faced weeks of bombardment and chronic food and fuel shortages. Russian Lt Gen Viktor Poznikhir said on Thursday that, with the evacuation, the Syrian armed forces had almost finished their operations in Aleppo. Fighting has raged there for four years. In October, President Assad said victory in Aleppo would be \"the springboard... to liberate other areas from terrorists\", a term the government uses to describe all rebel fighters. He singled out Idlib province, west of Aleppo, that is almost entirely controlled by an alliance of Islamist rebel factions and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front. Idlib contains border crossings used by rebels to receive supplies from Turkey, a key backer. It also borders the coastal province of Latakia, the heartland of Mr Assad's minority Alawite sect.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4581, "answer_start": 3427, "text": "Buses and ambulances are taking the injured, civilians and rebel fighters to the neighbouring province of Idlib, most of which is controlled by a powerful rebel alliance that includes the jihadist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. The buses left Aleppo via the road through the government-controlled south-western district of Ramousseh, heading towards the nearby rebel-held towns of Khan Touman and Khan al-Asal. The chief of the Russian military's General Staff, Gen Valery Gerasimov, told a news briefing: \"A humanitarian corridor has been created for the evacuation of militants.\" \"This corridor is 21km long,\" he said, adding, \"6km lie across Aleppo's territories controlled by government troops and another 15km through territories in the hands of illegal armed groups.\" Turkey, which helped to broker the evacuation, is preparing to receive some of the most vulnerable civilians, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. In a televised address, he said Turkey would take \"children, elders, those who are really in difficult conditions\". The head of the Turkish Red Crescent, Kerem Kinik, told reporters that the wounded would be the first to be transferred." } ], "id": "9771_0", "question": "Where are the evacuees being taken?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5235, "answer_start": 4582, "text": "UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said about 50,000 people were still trapped and he warned that moving those evacuated to Idlib might not prove much safer. \"If there is no political agreement and a ceasefire, Idlib will become the next Aleppo,\" he told reporters in Paris. The 50,000 are said to include about 4,000 fighters and about 10,000 of their family members. Aleppo's besieged residents have faced weeks of bombardment and chronic food and fuel shortages. Russian Lt Gen Viktor Poznikhir said on Thursday that, with the evacuation, the Syrian armed forces had almost finished their operations in Aleppo. Fighting has raged there for four years." } ], "id": "9771_1", "question": "How many remain in eastern Aleppo?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5794, "answer_start": 5236, "text": "In October, President Assad said victory in Aleppo would be \"the springboard... to liberate other areas from terrorists\", a term the government uses to describe all rebel fighters. He singled out Idlib province, west of Aleppo, that is almost entirely controlled by an alliance of Islamist rebel factions and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as al-Nusra Front. Idlib contains border crossings used by rebels to receive supplies from Turkey, a key backer. It also borders the coastal province of Latakia, the heartland of Mr Assad's minority Alawite sect." } ], "id": "9771_2", "question": "What will the government do next?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The UN says representatives of Ecuador's government and the country's indigenous groups will hold their first direct talks later on Sunday in a bid to end days of violent protests. Protesters are demanding the return of fuel subsidies which the government scrapped as part of austerity measures. Reports say President Lenin Moreno has agreed to reassess the subsidies, but not necessarily repeal them. Nearly two weeks of unrest have left much of the capital, Quito, in chaos. On Saturday, President Moreno announced a curfew would be imposed in Quito and surrounding areas, enforced by the military. \"I've ordered the joint command of the armed forces to immediately take steps necessary to re-establish order in all of Ecuador,\" he said in a televised address. The armed forces said movement would be restricted across the country for 24 hours. Ecuador is already subject to a two-month national emergency. Mr Moreno also revealed that protesters had agreed to direct talks for the first time. In a statement later on Twitter, the UN said talks between the two sides would take place in Quito at 15:00 (20:00 GMT). Members of the indigenous umbrella group CONAIE had previously rejected calls for the talks but agreed on the condition that they be broadcast and not held behind closed doors, according to reports. Earlier on Saturday, protesters attacked a television station and newspaper office in Quito. The Teleamazonas channel broadcast pictures of its broken windows and a burning vehicle. El Comercio newspaper tweeted that a \"group of unknowns\" had attacked its offices. No injuries were reported in either incident. Elsewhere, masked men threw petrol bombs at a government building in Quito housing the comptroller general's office and then overran it. On Twitter, Interior Minister Maria Paula Romo said the area around the building was being evacuated so fire crews could put out the flames. She said 30 people had been arrested outside the building. Protests began after the government announced an end to fuel subsidies as part of public spending cuts agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in return for a loan. The deal reached in March will allow Ecuador to borrow $4.2bn (PS3.4bn). Mr Moreno has said the fuel subsidies, introduced in the 1970s with an annual cost of $1.3bn, were no longer affordable. Eliminating them is part of his plan to shore up Ecuador's flagging economy and ease its debt burden. Petrol prices soared and thousands took to the streets. In recent days, they set up barricades, stormed buildings and clashed with security forces, who have tried to disperse the crowds with tear gas. Protesters have also entered some oil fields, affecting production in the Andean nation, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Some have also called for the resignation of the president. Indigenous-led protests have toppled three presidents in the past few decades. Since the current unrest began, protesters have taken dozens of officers hostage in various locations throughout the country .", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3057, "answer_start": 1964, "text": "Protests began after the government announced an end to fuel subsidies as part of public spending cuts agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in return for a loan. The deal reached in March will allow Ecuador to borrow $4.2bn (PS3.4bn). Mr Moreno has said the fuel subsidies, introduced in the 1970s with an annual cost of $1.3bn, were no longer affordable. Eliminating them is part of his plan to shore up Ecuador's flagging economy and ease its debt burden. Petrol prices soared and thousands took to the streets. In recent days, they set up barricades, stormed buildings and clashed with security forces, who have tried to disperse the crowds with tear gas. Protesters have also entered some oil fields, affecting production in the Andean nation, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Some have also called for the resignation of the president. Indigenous-led protests have toppled three presidents in the past few decades. Since the current unrest began, protesters have taken dozens of officers hostage in various locations throughout the country ." } ], "id": "9772_0", "question": "What's the background?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees are moving to Turkey's border to flee heavy fighting near the city of Aleppo, officials and activists have said. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said up to 70,000 might be heading to the border, while a monitoring group put the number at about 40,000. Intense Russian air strikes have helped Syria's government troops make advances near the country's largest city. Meanwhile, Russia accused Turkey of preparing an invasion into Syria. Also on Thursday, a Saudi military spokesman said the country was ready to send ground troops to Syria to fight the so-called Islamic State group. Any decision would have to be accepted by leaders of the US-led coalition during a meeting in Brussels next month, Saudi Brig Gen Ahmad Bin-Hasan al-Asiri told the Associated Press news agency. The offer was welcomed by US Defence Secretary Ash Carter, who said that he would discuss the issue with the Saudi defence minister in Brussels next week. In other developments: - Twenty-one civilians were killed in Russian strikes on rebel-held districts of Aleppo, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The claim has not been independently verified - A spokesman for aid group Mercy Corps, David Evans, said the main humanitarian route to Aleppo was now cut off, adding: \"It feels like a siege of Aleppo is about to begin\" - At a donor conference for Syria, the EU promised more than $3.3bn (EUR3bn; PS2.3bn) in aid - Germany pledged $2.6bn, the UK $1.7bn and the US $925m - But the pledges were overshadowed by the suspension of peace talks in Geneva Talks break down - but who's to blame? Speaking at the donor conference in London, Mr Davutoglu said: \"Now 10,000 new refugees are waiting in front of the door of Kilis (Turkey's border town) because of air bombardment and attacks against Aleppo.\" He added that 60,000-70,000 people \"in the camps in north Aleppo are moving towards Turkey\". The Observatory put the number at about 40,000. However, a BBC correspondent at the Kilis border crossing on Friday said there was no indication yet of large numbers of refugees on either side of the crossing. Mark Lowen said that were reports however that 2,000 Syrian refugees were either waiting out of sight or had moved elsewhere. In a related development, Turkey said it had activated an emergency protocol allowing for the rapid processing of refugees. A similar protocol was enacted during the siege of Kobane last year when around 200,000 refugees crossed the border. Mr Davutoglu also condemned Russia's involvement in Syria, saying that both Moscow and the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad were guilty of war crimes. Both Moscow and Damascus have repeatedly rejected such accusations. Turkey is clearly incensed by the extent of the military support Russia is giving its ally - the government forces of President Assad, the BBC World Service's Middle East editor Alan Johnston says. Russia's defence ministry said that since 1 February it had hit 875 \"terrorist objects in the Aleppo, Latakia, Homs, Hama and Deir ez-Zor provinces\". This helped the Syrian army to cut the main rebel supply from the Turkish border to Aleppo, according to reports. Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia's strikes against opposition forces were \"undermining efforts to find a political solution to this conflict\". The rebel siege of the towns of Nubul and Zahraa, northern Aleppo province, has now been broken, the government in Damascus said. Separately, Russian defence ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Moscow \"has reasonable grounds to suspect intensive preparation of Turkey for a military invasion\" into Syria. He added that Russia had already presented \"incontrovertible video evidence\" which reportedly showed Turkish shelling of Syria. Ankara has not publicly commented on the claim. The Middle Eastern press carries some positive comment on the outcome of the Syria donors' conference in London. However, they also say that it shows the Syrian crisis is expected to last for a long time and needs a political solution. Kuwait's Al-Qabas praises the \"generous assistance\" pledged, but highlights the Kuwaiti emir's remarks that \"the humanitarian tragedy will not end until a political solution that puts an end to bloodshed is found.\" An editorial in Qatar's Al-Rayah says what's needed is not just support for the Syrian people, but rescuing them from what it terms the \"systematic genocide committed by the regime, and the countries and sectarian militias that support it.\" Tensions between Turkey and Russia have escalated since Turkish fighter jets shot down a Russian bomber last November. Ankara said it acted after the aircraft violated Turkey's air space - but Russia insisted the plane was shot down over Syria. More than 250,000 people have died in almost five years of war in Syria. Eleven million others have fled their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other, as well as IS jihadists. 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 so-called 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, who are strongest in the north and east. These groups are also battling each other. 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": 5982, "answer_start": 5025, "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 so-called 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, who are strongest in the north and east. These groups are also battling each other. 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": "9773_0", "question": "What is the Syria conflict?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a new cabinet in which, for the first time in the country's history, half of all ministers are women. In another unexpected move, one of the women is from the opposition. He appointed veteran opposition politician Patricia de Lille, who had stood for the Good Party, as minister of infrastructure development. The African National Congress party won a general election on 8 May. South African journalist Verashni Pillay told BBC Newsday that the move to have half of all cabinet posts occupied by women was a \"surprise\". But it shows that the head of state is \"astute\", she said. By Milton Nkosi, BBC News, Johannesburg South Africans have welcomed the move to have equal gender representation. Tanya Cohen from Business Unity South Africa (Busa) said it sent \"good signals to have qualified ministers like Dr Naledi Pandor as International Relations minister\". On Thursday President Ramaphosa made a point of hosting the \"take a girl child to work\" day, where he told students he wanted to be a lawyer from a very young age. Many hope that the presence of women will help in poverty alleviation especially among rural women. The most unexpected move was the appointment of the former Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille. She set up the Good party after she was forced to resign from the opposition Democratic Alliance following an acrimonious power struggle. Mr Ramaphosa reduced the amount of ministers in what he called a \"bloated\" cabinet from 36 to 28 ministers. However, the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters party said in a statement that the idea that he had reduced the size of the cabinet was \"the first sign of absolute dishonesty\" because, at the same time, he had increased the number of deputy ministers. Mr Ramaphosa has pledged to root out corruption, but correspondents say eyebrows have been raised that he retained Deputy President David Mabuza. Mr Mabuza denies allegations of involvement in political killings and illegal tenders. Pravin Gordhan was also retained as public enterprises minister. The respected political figure in the anti-apartheid struggle was found to have violated the constitution by a corruption watchdog, the Public Protector. He was accused of unlawfully granting a senior executive in the revenue service early retirement without following due process. He is challenging the veracity of the report in court. Former African Union chairperson Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who narrowly lost the 2017 ANC leadership election to Mr Ramaphosa, and was seen as the candidate of former President Jacob Zuma, her former husband, also kept her place in cabinet.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1411, "answer_start": 634, "text": "By Milton Nkosi, BBC News, Johannesburg South Africans have welcomed the move to have equal gender representation. Tanya Cohen from Business Unity South Africa (Busa) said it sent \"good signals to have qualified ministers like Dr Naledi Pandor as International Relations minister\". On Thursday President Ramaphosa made a point of hosting the \"take a girl child to work\" day, where he told students he wanted to be a lawyer from a very young age. Many hope that the presence of women will help in poverty alleviation especially among rural women. The most unexpected move was the appointment of the former Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille. She set up the Good party after she was forced to resign from the opposition Democratic Alliance following an acrimonious power struggle." } ], "id": "9774_0", "question": "What's been the reaction to a 50% female cabinet?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Killer whales are in deep trouble because of persistent chemical pollution in the environment, researchers say. A new study suggests the long-term viability of more than half of the different orca groups around the globe is now in question. Some populations, such as those around the UK, the Strait of Gibraltar, off Brazil, Japan and California, are almost certainly doomed. The assessment is in Science magazine. The issue is polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. These chemical compounds were once manufactured in vast quantities, and used in everything from plastics and paints to electrical equipment and sealants. But they are highly toxic and although banned decades ago have amassed in the environment, leaching into the ocean. Killer whales, or orcas, are top predators so they absorb all the PCB pollution taken in by the different prey in their food chain - from fish, right up to seals and sharks. The PCBs stunt the ovaries of female orcas, limiting their ability to produce calves. The chemicals also suppress the immune system. The new study models the future of the killer whales' reproductive success and survivability against the chemical challenge. For those populations living in clean waters, it is positive. Orcas in places like the Antarctic and the Arctic should increase their numbers. But for those living in the most polluted seas, the next 30-50 years will be grim. The killer whales that live on the west coast of Scotland, for example, are now down to just eight individuals and they have not produced a calf in more than 20 years. Paul Jepson, from the Zoological Society of London, says this group will \"disappear in my lifetime\". \"Over 50% of the populations that we've got data for will actually collapse in our model,\" he told the BBC's Science In Action programme. \"PCBs are such highly toxic chemicals, and they persist in the environment. And it's the killer whales that have by a long way the highest exposures now of any species on Earth; certainly any mammalian species.\" - Polychlorinated biphenyls were manufactured from the 1920s - Banned in the US in 1979, the UK in 1981 and the rest of the EU - Europe produced some 300,000 tonnes from 1954 to 1984 - The majority has yet to be destroyed or safely stored away - PCBs were popular in coolant fluids in electrical apparatus - They were used in building construction, especially in sealants - Also in cutting fluids for machining, and carbonless copy paper - Today, only North Korea still manufactures polychlorinated biphenyls Everything in this story works against the killer whales. Not only do they accumulate contaminants because of their position as top predators, but the toxic effects hit them where they are particularly vulnerable - in their ability to reproduce. These are animals that take a long time to reach sexual maturity and even then have perhaps one calf every few years. This puts very precise pressure on a population. In addition, PCBs are soluble in fat - and killer whales are extremely fat-rich animals. A mother's milk will be loaded with PCBs which she will pass on to her offspring during lactation. Most PCBs have yet to be destroyed or safely stored away. Some countries have done better than others. In the US, where federal \"superfunds\" have been used to clean up the most heavily contaminated sites, PCB levels entering the ocean have come down. But there needs to be much more urgency in places such as Europe. \"Improper disposal of PCB-containing equipment in landfills may lead to leakage and leaching of PCBs into nearby streams, river, estuaries, and ocean,\" said lead author on the new report, Jean-Pierre Desforges from Aarhus University, Denmark. \"We know that PCBs were used in paints and sealants in old buildings and for outer coating on ships, so if contaminated building materials are improperly disposed of they could also reach the environment, and demolition of buildings may cause PCBs to enter the air.\" There is very little that can be done to recover the PCBs once they have reached the ocean. And the robustness of the chemicals means they will hang around in the environment for a very long time. But there are parallel problems we could conceivably fix, said co-author Ailsa Hall from the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrews University, UK. \"We should recognise that this is just one of many stresses on the animals,\" she told BBC News. \"There are things such as noise, changes in habitat, changes in the availability of prey - that we do have influence over. And if we do something about these factors, maybe we can reduce the overall burden of stress, and perhaps then our predictions won't be so dire.\" Paul Jepson added: \"I don't think there'll ever be another PCB story. \"I think the chemical industries have learnt the lesson - we know that being fat-soluble is a big risk factor, because that allows things to bioaccumulate. \"So, nowadays, no chemical with those properties would be allowed. But PCBs are so difficult to get rid of that we'll be dealing with the legacy for a long time.\" Follow on Twitter: @BBCAmos and @Vic_Gill", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2010, "answer_start": 1041, "text": "The new study models the future of the killer whales' reproductive success and survivability against the chemical challenge. For those populations living in clean waters, it is positive. Orcas in places like the Antarctic and the Arctic should increase their numbers. But for those living in the most polluted seas, the next 30-50 years will be grim. The killer whales that live on the west coast of Scotland, for example, are now down to just eight individuals and they have not produced a calf in more than 20 years. Paul Jepson, from the Zoological Society of London, says this group will \"disappear in my lifetime\". \"Over 50% of the populations that we've got data for will actually collapse in our model,\" he told the BBC's Science In Action programme. \"PCBs are such highly toxic chemicals, and they persist in the environment. And it's the killer whales that have by a long way the highest exposures now of any species on Earth; certainly any mammalian species.\"" } ], "id": "9775_0", "question": "What is the outlook for orcas?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3120, "answer_start": 2520, "text": "Everything in this story works against the killer whales. Not only do they accumulate contaminants because of their position as top predators, but the toxic effects hit them where they are particularly vulnerable - in their ability to reproduce. These are animals that take a long time to reach sexual maturity and even then have perhaps one calf every few years. This puts very precise pressure on a population. In addition, PCBs are soluble in fat - and killer whales are extremely fat-rich animals. A mother's milk will be loaded with PCBs which she will pass on to her offspring during lactation." } ], "id": "9775_1", "question": "Why are the animals so exposed?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3947, "answer_start": 3121, "text": "Most PCBs have yet to be destroyed or safely stored away. Some countries have done better than others. In the US, where federal \"superfunds\" have been used to clean up the most heavily contaminated sites, PCB levels entering the ocean have come down. But there needs to be much more urgency in places such as Europe. \"Improper disposal of PCB-containing equipment in landfills may lead to leakage and leaching of PCBs into nearby streams, river, estuaries, and ocean,\" said lead author on the new report, Jean-Pierre Desforges from Aarhus University, Denmark. \"We know that PCBs were used in paints and sealants in old buildings and for outer coating on ships, so if contaminated building materials are improperly disposed of they could also reach the environment, and demolition of buildings may cause PCBs to enter the air.\"" } ], "id": "9775_2", "question": "How do we tackle the PCB legacy?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A group of Labour and Conservative MPs is promoting what they call Common Market 2.0 as an alternative model for the UK's future relationship with the EU after Brexit. You may have also heard it referred to as Norway Plus. The MPs promoting it say it would go back to the sort of economic relationship the UK had with the European Economic Community in the 1970s and 80s, without having to be involved with closer political union or the direct involvement of the European Court of Justice. They also say it could be agreed with the EU quickly and that there could be a majority for it in the House of Commons. Critics point out that it would still involve freedom of movement, making significant contributions to the EU Budget and following EU regulations without membership of the bodies that create them. It crosses several of Theresa May's red lines. The European Economic Area (EEA) includes all 28 EU countries and three nations that are not members of the EU: Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, which are part of the Single Market but not the EU or its Customs Union. They are members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), along with Switzerland, which is not part of the EEA, having single market membership as a result of a complicated set of trade deals with the EU. They make substantial contributions to the EU budget, and have to follow many EU rules and laws. EFTA members are not part of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) or the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), so they can set their own policies in those areas. They are also exempt from EU rules on justice and home affairs. EFTA members are not members of the EU Customs Union, which means they can sign their own trade deals with other countries, but they do not benefit from EU trade deals with other countries. There have to be some customs checks on goods travelling between EFTA countries and EU countries. Norway's border with Sweden, for example, is one of the most frictionless in the world between two countries that do not have a customs union, but it still takes about 20 minutes on average for a lorry to pass through its main border crossing at Svinesund. This is a problem for the Common Market 2.0 plan because in order to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, its supporters are proposing that there should be a customs arrangement that basically mirrors the Customs Union. It is the extra customs arrangement that makes the proposed solution a \"Norway plus\" deal. But having that sort of customs arrangement would be against EFTA's current rules. As an EFTA member, the UK would continue to make contributions to the EU Budget. They would be calculated based on which EU programmes the UK wished to continue to be involved with. It is likely that the bill would be considerably lower than it is as an EU member. It's not clear exactly how much lower it would be, with estimates ranging between two thirds and 88% of the current level, which is about PS9bn a year on average. When the EU adopts a measure that is relevant to the single market, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein have to bring it into their domestic laws. The three countries do not get seats in the European Parliament, membership of the European Council or the right to appoint a commissioner, but they do have some influence over legislation. At the early stages they sit on committees at the European Commission, and they are entitled to submit comments on upcoming legislation. At a later stage, they can challenge a new law relating to the single market via the EEA Joint Committee, which includes representatives of the EU as well as the three countries. Through that body, they may secure exemptions from new laws and regulations. EFTA members have to follow the four freedoms of the single market - freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and people. That means people from across the EU are free to live and work in EFTA countries, and people from EFTA countries can live and work across the EU. But the MPs promoting Common Market 2.0 have suggested that EFTA rules could allow freedom of movement to be restricted in exceptional circumstances. \"We would have critical new powers that we would unilaterally be able to bring in if we needed to, if a new country joined the EU, for example,\" Labour MP Lucy Powell told BBC News. But imposing restrictions on migrants from new EU member states is not a new power. All the existing EU states apart from the UK and Ireland temporarily imposed restrictions on the right to work for citizens of the eight countries that joined the bloc in 2004: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The UK did the same to Romania and Bulgaria in 2007. Ms Powell's claim is based on Article 112-114 of the EEA Agreement, which says countries can take unilateral action if they are facing \"serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties\". The measures have to be taken in consultation with other EEA members, and reviewed every three months. The only EEA country that has managed to use this is Liechtenstein, which was allowed a restriction on freedom of movement based on it being a very small country, with a population that would only fill about half of Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium. There is considerable doubt that a country with the size, population and economy of the UK would be able to do the same thing. Clearly, European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings on single market matters would still be relevant to the UK, but the court would no longer have direct powers to rule on matters of European law arising in the UK. Instead, such issues would be heard by the EFTA Court, which has a judge from each of the member countries, so currently it has three judges and presumably if the UK were to join EFTA it would also get to nominate a judge. The EFTA Court tends to follow ECJ rulings closely. Also, its rulings are not legally binding on the member states, unlike the ECJ's. What do you want BBC Reality Check to investigate? Get in touch Read more from Reality Check Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1605, "answer_start": 854, "text": "The European Economic Area (EEA) includes all 28 EU countries and three nations that are not members of the EU: Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, which are part of the Single Market but not the EU or its Customs Union. They are members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), along with Switzerland, which is not part of the EEA, having single market membership as a result of a complicated set of trade deals with the EU. They make substantial contributions to the EU budget, and have to follow many EU rules and laws. EFTA members are not part of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) or the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), so they can set their own policies in those areas. They are also exempt from EU rules on justice and home affairs." } ], "id": "9776_0", "question": "How would it work?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2583, "answer_start": 1606, "text": "EFTA members are not members of the EU Customs Union, which means they can sign their own trade deals with other countries, but they do not benefit from EU trade deals with other countries. There have to be some customs checks on goods travelling between EFTA countries and EU countries. Norway's border with Sweden, for example, is one of the most frictionless in the world between two countries that do not have a customs union, but it still takes about 20 minutes on average for a lorry to pass through its main border crossing at Svinesund. This is a problem for the Common Market 2.0 plan because in order to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, its supporters are proposing that there should be a customs arrangement that basically mirrors the Customs Union. It is the extra customs arrangement that makes the proposed solution a \"Norway plus\" deal. But having that sort of customs arrangement would be against EFTA's current rules." } ], "id": "9776_1", "question": "What about the Customs Union?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3011, "answer_start": 2584, "text": "As an EFTA member, the UK would continue to make contributions to the EU Budget. They would be calculated based on which EU programmes the UK wished to continue to be involved with. It is likely that the bill would be considerably lower than it is as an EU member. It's not clear exactly how much lower it would be, with estimates ranging between two thirds and 88% of the current level, which is about PS9bn a year on average." } ], "id": "9776_2", "question": "How much would it cost?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3739, "answer_start": 3012, "text": "When the EU adopts a measure that is relevant to the single market, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein have to bring it into their domestic laws. The three countries do not get seats in the European Parliament, membership of the European Council or the right to appoint a commissioner, but they do have some influence over legislation. At the early stages they sit on committees at the European Commission, and they are entitled to submit comments on upcoming legislation. At a later stage, they can challenge a new law relating to the single market via the EEA Joint Committee, which includes representatives of the EU as well as the three countries. Through that body, they may secure exemptions from new laws and regulations." } ], "id": "9776_3", "question": "What about having no say in the rules?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5431, "answer_start": 3740, "text": "EFTA members have to follow the four freedoms of the single market - freedom of movement of goods, services, capital and people. That means people from across the EU are free to live and work in EFTA countries, and people from EFTA countries can live and work across the EU. But the MPs promoting Common Market 2.0 have suggested that EFTA rules could allow freedom of movement to be restricted in exceptional circumstances. \"We would have critical new powers that we would unilaterally be able to bring in if we needed to, if a new country joined the EU, for example,\" Labour MP Lucy Powell told BBC News. But imposing restrictions on migrants from new EU member states is not a new power. All the existing EU states apart from the UK and Ireland temporarily imposed restrictions on the right to work for citizens of the eight countries that joined the bloc in 2004: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. The UK did the same to Romania and Bulgaria in 2007. Ms Powell's claim is based on Article 112-114 of the EEA Agreement, which says countries can take unilateral action if they are facing \"serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties\". The measures have to be taken in consultation with other EEA members, and reviewed every three months. The only EEA country that has managed to use this is Liechtenstein, which was allowed a restriction on freedom of movement based on it being a very small country, with a population that would only fill about half of Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium. There is considerable doubt that a country with the size, population and economy of the UK would be able to do the same thing." } ], "id": "9776_4", "question": "Could freedom of movement be restricted?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6000, "answer_start": 5432, "text": "Clearly, European Court of Justice (ECJ) rulings on single market matters would still be relevant to the UK, but the court would no longer have direct powers to rule on matters of European law arising in the UK. Instead, such issues would be heard by the EFTA Court, which has a judge from each of the member countries, so currently it has three judges and presumably if the UK were to join EFTA it would also get to nominate a judge. The EFTA Court tends to follow ECJ rulings closely. Also, its rulings are not legally binding on the member states, unlike the ECJ's." } ], "id": "9776_5", "question": "What about the European Court of Justice?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "It may sound like the title of a low budget sci-fi movie, but for planetary scientists, \"Hothouse Earth\" is a deadly serious concept. Researchers believe we could soon cross a threshold leading to boiling hot temperatures and towering seas in the centuries to come. Even if countries succeed in meeting their CO2 targets, we could still lurch on to this \"irreversible pathway\". Their study shows it could happen if global temperatures rise by 2C. An international team of climate researchers, writing in the journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, says the warming expected in the next few decades could turn some of the Earth's natural forces - that currently protect us - into our enemies. Each year the Earth's forests, oceans and land soak up about 4.5 billion tonnes of carbon that would otherwise end up in our atmosphere adding to temperatures. But as the world experiences warming, these carbon sinks could become sources of carbon and make the problems of climate change significantly worse. So whether it is the permafrost in northern latitudes that now holds millions of tonnes of warming gases, or the Amazon rainforest, the fear is that the closer we get to 2 degrees of warming above pre-industrial levels, the greater the chances that these natural allies will spew out more carbon than they currently now take in. Back in 2015, governments of the world committed themselves to keeping temperature rises well below 2 degrees, and to strive to keep them under 1.5. According to the authors, the current plans to cut carbon may not be enough if their analysis is correct. \"What we are saying is that when we reach 2 degrees of warming, we may be at a point where we hand over the control mechanism to Planet Earth herself,\" co-author Prof Johan Rockstrom, from the Stockholm Resilience Centre, told BBC News. \"We are the ones in control right now, but once we go past 2 degrees, we see that the Earth system tips over from being a friend to a foe. We totally hand over our fate to an Earth system that starts rolling out of equilibrium.\" Currently, global temperatures have risen about 1 degree above pre-industrial levels and they are rising by around 0.17C per decade. In their new study the authors looked at 10 natural systems, which they term \"feedback processes\". Right now, these help humanity to avoid the worst impacts of carbon and temperature rises, and include forests, Arctic sea-ice, and methane hydrates on the ocean floor. The worry is that if one of these systems tips over and starts pushing large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, the rest could follow like a row of dominoes. In short, it's not good. According to the research paper, crossing into a Hothouse Earth period would see a higher global temperature than at any time in the past 1.2 million years. The climate might stabilise with 4-5 degrees C of warming above the pre-industrial age. Thanks to the melting of ice sheets, the seas could be 10-60 metres higher than now. Essentially, this would mean that some parts of the Earth would become uninhabitable. The impacts would be \"massive, sometimes abrupt and undoubtedly disruptive,\" say the authors. The only upside, if you can call it that, is that the worst impacts may not be felt for a century or two. The downside is that we wouldn't really be able to do anything about it, once it starts. The authors say the extreme weather events we are seeing right now around the world cannot be immediately associated with the risk of passing 2 degrees C. However, they argue that it may be evidence that the Earth is more sensitive to warming than previously thought. \"One should learn from these extreme events and take these as a piece of evidence that we should be even more cautious,\" said Prof Rockstrom. \"It may support the conclusion that if this can happen at one degree, then we should at least not be surprised or too dismissive of conclusions that things can happen more abruptly than we previously thought.\" What these authors are saying is that up to now, we've underestimated the power and sensitivity of natural systems. People have been thinking that climate change would be a global emergency for everyone if temperatures rose 3-4 degrees by the end of this century. But this paper argues that beyond 2 degrees, there is a significant risk of turning natural systems - that presently help keep temperatures down - into massive sources of carbon that would put us on an \"irreversible pathway\" to a world that is 4-5 degrees warmer than before the industrial revolution. Surprisingly, yes! We can avoid the hothouse scenario but it's going to take a fundamental re-adjustment of our relationship with the planet. \"Climate and other global changes show us that we humans are impacting the Earth system at the global level. This means that we as a global community can also manage our relationship with the system to influence future planetary conditions. \"This study identifies some of the levers that can be used to do so,\" says co-author Katherine Richardson from the University of Copenhagen. So not only are we going to have to stop burning fossil fuels by the middle of this century, we are going to have to get very busy with planting trees, protecting forests, working out how to block the Sun's rays and developing machines to suck carbon out of the air. The authors say a total re-orientation of human values, equity, behaviour and technologies is required. We must all become stewards of the Earth. Some say the authors of this paper are too extreme. Many others say their conclusions are sound. \"As a result of human impacts on climate, the new paper argues that we've gone beyond any chance of the Earth cooling 'of its own accord',\" said Dr Phil Williamson from the University of East Anglia, UK. \"Together these effects could add an extra half a degree Celsius by the end of the century to the warming that we are directly responsible for - thereby crossing thresholds and tipping points that seem likely to occur around 2 degrees C, and committing the planet to irreversible further change, as Hothouse Earth.\" Others are concerned that the authors' faith in humanity to grasp the serious nature of the problem is misplaced. \"Given the evidence of human history, this would seem a naive hope,\" said Prof Chris Rapley, from University College London. \"At a time of the widespread rise of right-wing populism, with its associated rejection of the messages of those perceived as 'cosmopolitan elites' and specific denial of climate change as an issue, the likelihood that the combination of factors necessary to allow humanity to navigate the planet to an acceptable 'intermediate state' must surely be close to zero.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3358, "answer_start": 2629, "text": "In short, it's not good. According to the research paper, crossing into a Hothouse Earth period would see a higher global temperature than at any time in the past 1.2 million years. The climate might stabilise with 4-5 degrees C of warming above the pre-industrial age. Thanks to the melting of ice sheets, the seas could be 10-60 metres higher than now. Essentially, this would mean that some parts of the Earth would become uninhabitable. The impacts would be \"massive, sometimes abrupt and undoubtedly disruptive,\" say the authors. The only upside, if you can call it that, is that the worst impacts may not be felt for a century or two. The downside is that we wouldn't really be able to do anything about it, once it starts." } ], "id": "9777_0", "question": "What exactly is a Hothouse Earth scenario?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3978, "answer_start": 3359, "text": "The authors say the extreme weather events we are seeing right now around the world cannot be immediately associated with the risk of passing 2 degrees C. However, they argue that it may be evidence that the Earth is more sensitive to warming than previously thought. \"One should learn from these extreme events and take these as a piece of evidence that we should be even more cautious,\" said Prof Rockstrom. \"It may support the conclusion that if this can happen at one degree, then we should at least not be surprised or too dismissive of conclusions that things can happen more abruptly than we previously thought.\"" } ], "id": "9777_1", "question": "Are the current heatwaves in the UK and Europe evidence of a Hothouse Earth?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4544, "answer_start": 3979, "text": "What these authors are saying is that up to now, we've underestimated the power and sensitivity of natural systems. People have been thinking that climate change would be a global emergency for everyone if temperatures rose 3-4 degrees by the end of this century. But this paper argues that beyond 2 degrees, there is a significant risk of turning natural systems - that presently help keep temperatures down - into massive sources of carbon that would put us on an \"irreversible pathway\" to a world that is 4-5 degrees warmer than before the industrial revolution." } ], "id": "9777_2", "question": "Surely we've known about these risks before?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5481, "answer_start": 4545, "text": "Surprisingly, yes! We can avoid the hothouse scenario but it's going to take a fundamental re-adjustment of our relationship with the planet. \"Climate and other global changes show us that we humans are impacting the Earth system at the global level. This means that we as a global community can also manage our relationship with the system to influence future planetary conditions. \"This study identifies some of the levers that can be used to do so,\" says co-author Katherine Richardson from the University of Copenhagen. So not only are we going to have to stop burning fossil fuels by the middle of this century, we are going to have to get very busy with planting trees, protecting forests, working out how to block the Sun's rays and developing machines to suck carbon out of the air. The authors say a total re-orientation of human values, equity, behaviour and technologies is required. We must all become stewards of the Earth." } ], "id": "9777_3", "question": "Any good news here at all?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "One in six young people eat fast food twice a day, according to a survey of the nation's eating habits. The BBC Good Food Nation Survey found that most people ate fast food on average two days per week. But in the 16 to 20-year-old category, one in six ate fast food at least twice a day, with one in eight among 21 to 34-year-olds eating as frequently. The study of more than 5,000 people found that half of them thought \"a meal isn't a meal without meat\". However, the same proportion were unaware of how much meat is a recommended daily amount. The Department of Health advises an average of no more than 70g per day, which is the equivalent of two-and-a-half rashers of bacon. But nearly one in four people thought the recommended amount of meat was at least double that. The survey found that a fifth of men (21%), and 32% of 16 to 21-year-old men and women, ate meat at least three times a day. The typical adult now eats meat at least twice a day and has only six meat-free days a month. Christine Hayes, brand editorial director of BBC Good Food, said it showed it was \"easy to be confused about the amount of meat one can enjoy while still eating a healthy, balanced diet\". She added: \"Those who do eat meat can still cook a Sunday roast and eat the occasional steak when balanced with some meat-free dishes.\" The survey found that two in five people aged 21 to 34-year-olds had posted a photo of a meal they had cooked, on social networking sites such as Instagram. A third had posted a photo of a meal they had eaten in a restaurant. And almost one in three have been inspired to cook a meal after seeing a photo on social media. Also, 43% in that age group used the internet on their mobile phones to find a recipe while 26% will follow a video recipe on their phone. The same proportion of people were influenced by YouTube when purchasing food. Among the other findings of the survey, more than a quarter of adults always or almost always skipped eating breakfast. When it came to the 21 to 34-year-old age group, one in four said they missed breakfast most of the time. This age group was also the one most likely to skip eating lunch. However they were the generation most likely to exercise regularly, with 86% claiming they did so. The 21 to 34-year-olds were also the age group most likely to be vegetarian (15%) or vegan (7%). And they were also the age group least likely to be concerned about fat content when buying food (18%), while only half considered the issue of quality when choosing food. The survey found only 6% of young people were satisfied with their current eating habits. The foods we need to eat can be divided into five separate groups. The average household spent PS54.65 a week on food, about PS20 on eating out, and PS10 on takeaways, the survey found. That was a fall from PS57.30 a week spent on food shopping in 2015 - a difference of PS137.80 annually. The results of the survey also revealed that 49% of respondents ate fresh food less than once a day in an average week, with nearly one in 10 eating fresh food no more than once a week. Sarah Toule, head of health information at World Cancer Research Fund, said the survey results were worrying. \"It's frightening that people, especially younger generations, are eating so much junk food loaded with fat, sugar and salt, but offers little nutritional value.\" \"Especially high in calories, junk food leads to unhealthy weight gain - which in turn increases the risk of 11 cancers later in life. \"It's also worrying that people don't know they're eating a dangerous amount of red meat,\" she added. She called on the government to include stronger policies in its childhood obesity plan to improve things. \"Having junk food splashed across our television screens before the 9pm watershed only helps feed the unhealthy food environment we live in - especially in the eyes of children\", she said The poll found that classic British dishes such as fish and chips and a full English breakfast had dropped out of the nation's top five favourite meals. The top five meals in 2016, according to the survey, were: However among the 16 to 20-year-olds the top five meals were:", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2675, "answer_start": 2609, "text": "The foods we need to eat can be divided into five separate groups." } ], "id": "9778_0", "question": "What foods do our bodies need to stay healthy?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "It was only in April that Spain held a general election in which the Socialists (PSOE) of incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez won. And yet Spanish voters are returning to the polls on Sunday for their fourth general election in four years. Lacking a majority, the Socialists needed the support of other parties to form a government. Drawn-out negotiations with their most natural ally, the leftist Podemos party, descended into a public feud. The two parties disagreed on the format of a governing partnership. Without the support of any of the other main parliamentary forces, a September deadline came and went for Mr Sanchez to form a new administration, triggering Sunday's vote. For more than three decades the Socialists and conservatives dominated a two-party landscape. But in 2015, the arrival of two relatively new parties changed that: Podemos (We Can) and further to the right Ciudadanos (Citizens). A more recent surge by the far-right Vox means that there is now a five-party system on a national level. This fragmented landscape makes the formation of governments more difficult and no party has won a parliamentary majority since the conservative Popular Party (PP) in 2011. Polls suggest that acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists, who have 123 seats, will win again, but will again fall well short of a majority. However, much will depend on the overall balance between left and right in the 350-seat Congress. After the last election, a left-leaning government looked feasible due to the 42 seats of Podemos and other seats held by smaller nationalist and regional parties, as well as the collapse of the main, opposition Popular Party. Since then, yet another party has emerged: Mas Pais (More Country), which is led by the 35-year-old former deputy leader of Podemos, Inigo Errejon. Although it is polling in single figures and will only run in around a third of Spain's provinces, Mas Pais is expected to take seats from both Podemos and the Socialists. Mr Errejon has brushed aside warnings that he risks splitting - and therefore depleting - the left-wing vote. \"We are going to facilitate the formation of a leftist government,\" he said. \"We don't have to agree on everything.\" However, an overall swing to the right could make a leftist government impossible, or even open the door to a right-wing administration. This vote comes less than a month after the Spain's Supreme Court handed out lengthy jail sentences to nine Catalan independence leaders, triggering a massive backlash on the streets of cities in the north-east region, including scenes of violence. Secessionists' anger at the court verdicts shows little sign of fading and Catalonia has dominated the election campaign. Parties on the right have been urging the government to clamp down on the independence movement by taking command of the Catalan police force, introducing direct rule, or even declaring a state of emergency. \"This is not Burkina Faso, Mr Sanchez, this is not Yemen - restore order in Catalonia,\" said PP leader Pablo Casado. Mr Sanchez has insisted he prefers to employ what he sees as a moderate line, saying he \"does not want to throw more petrol on the fire of discord\". But although the prime minister has resisted calls to intervene in the region, he has refused to meet pro-independence Catalan president Quim Torra, unless he is more explicit with his condemnation of recent street violence and more supportive of the regional police. With fears that pro-independence activists are planning to disrupt voting on Sunday, thousands of extra police have been deployed to the region. The government will closely follow results in Catalonia, to see if the recent developments there have boosted support for pro-independence parties. The Popular Party and Ciudadanos have promised economic reforms and tax cuts while warning that the slowdown Spain is seeing could lead to an economic crisis. Vox has promised to take a tough line on illegal immigration, while Podemos has campaigned on social justice and equality. However, the big question for many voters remains how willing parties will be to work together to break the political stalemate and form a new government. Having suffered its worst ever general election performance in April, the PP has bounced back, according to polls, allowing it to eclipse Ciudadanos, its main competition until now on the right. In the summer, Ciudadanos's leader Albert Rivera refused to negotiate the formation of a government with the Socialist PSOE, leading to a number of high-profile defections from his party and, polls suggest, an exodus of voters. \"Rivera dreamed of being the Spanish Macron,\" noted Ignacio Escolar, editor of the El Diario news site. \"But right now all Rivera can aspire to... is to be a junior partner to the PP or PSOE.\" Many polls show Vox surging in recent weeks. Having taken 24 seats in April and become the first far-right party to have a parliamentary presence in recent decades, Vox is now aiming to overtake both Ciudadanos and Podemos to become Spain's third political force. Many observers believe the government's exhumation of Gen Francisco Franco from his mausoleum on 24 October has mobilised voters on the far right who feel nostalgia for the dictator. Also, the recent turmoil in Catalonia is likely to provide a boost to the party, which has taken a particularly tough unionist line on the issue.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1193, "answer_start": 687, "text": "For more than three decades the Socialists and conservatives dominated a two-party landscape. But in 2015, the arrival of two relatively new parties changed that: Podemos (We Can) and further to the right Ciudadanos (Citizens). A more recent surge by the far-right Vox means that there is now a five-party system on a national level. This fragmented landscape makes the formation of governments more difficult and no party has won a parliamentary majority since the conservative Popular Party (PP) in 2011." } ], "id": "9779_0", "question": "Why so many elections?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1669, "answer_start": 1194, "text": "Polls suggest that acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists, who have 123 seats, will win again, but will again fall well short of a majority. However, much will depend on the overall balance between left and right in the 350-seat Congress. After the last election, a left-leaning government looked feasible due to the 42 seats of Podemos and other seats held by smaller nationalist and regional parties, as well as the collapse of the main, opposition Popular Party." } ], "id": "9779_1", "question": "Will this vote change anything?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3759, "answer_start": 2354, "text": "This vote comes less than a month after the Spain's Supreme Court handed out lengthy jail sentences to nine Catalan independence leaders, triggering a massive backlash on the streets of cities in the north-east region, including scenes of violence. Secessionists' anger at the court verdicts shows little sign of fading and Catalonia has dominated the election campaign. Parties on the right have been urging the government to clamp down on the independence movement by taking command of the Catalan police force, introducing direct rule, or even declaring a state of emergency. \"This is not Burkina Faso, Mr Sanchez, this is not Yemen - restore order in Catalonia,\" said PP leader Pablo Casado. Mr Sanchez has insisted he prefers to employ what he sees as a moderate line, saying he \"does not want to throw more petrol on the fire of discord\". But although the prime minister has resisted calls to intervene in the region, he has refused to meet pro-independence Catalan president Quim Torra, unless he is more explicit with his condemnation of recent street violence and more supportive of the regional police. With fears that pro-independence activists are planning to disrupt voting on Sunday, thousands of extra police have been deployed to the region. The government will closely follow results in Catalonia, to see if the recent developments there have boosted support for pro-independence parties." } ], "id": "9779_2", "question": "What part will Catalonia play?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4196, "answer_start": 3760, "text": "The Popular Party and Ciudadanos have promised economic reforms and tax cuts while warning that the slowdown Spain is seeing could lead to an economic crisis. Vox has promised to take a tough line on illegal immigration, while Podemos has campaigned on social justice and equality. However, the big question for many voters remains how willing parties will be to work together to break the political stalemate and form a new government." } ], "id": "9779_3", "question": "Have other issues featured in the campaign?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4812, "answer_start": 4197, "text": "Having suffered its worst ever general election performance in April, the PP has bounced back, according to polls, allowing it to eclipse Ciudadanos, its main competition until now on the right. In the summer, Ciudadanos's leader Albert Rivera refused to negotiate the formation of a government with the Socialist PSOE, leading to a number of high-profile defections from his party and, polls suggest, an exodus of voters. \"Rivera dreamed of being the Spanish Macron,\" noted Ignacio Escolar, editor of the El Diario news site. \"But right now all Rivera can aspire to... is to be a junior partner to the PP or PSOE.\"" } ], "id": "9779_4", "question": "How are parties on the right likely to perform?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5405, "answer_start": 4813, "text": "Many polls show Vox surging in recent weeks. Having taken 24 seats in April and become the first far-right party to have a parliamentary presence in recent decades, Vox is now aiming to overtake both Ciudadanos and Podemos to become Spain's third political force. Many observers believe the government's exhumation of Gen Francisco Franco from his mausoleum on 24 October has mobilised voters on the far right who feel nostalgia for the dictator. Also, the recent turmoil in Catalonia is likely to provide a boost to the party, which has taken a particularly tough unionist line on the issue." } ], "id": "9779_5", "question": "What about the far-right Vox party?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Throughout the confusion of Donald Trump's campaign and the chaotic events of his early days in the White House, one controversy has clung to the Trump team like glue: Russia. US intelligence agencies have concluded Moscow tried to sway the presidential election in favour of Mr Trump. It is alleged that Russian hackers stole information linked to the campaign of his rival Hillary Clinton and passed it to Wikileaks so it could be released to undermine her. Congressional committees were set up to investigate the matter and, in March, then-FBI director James Comey confirmed the bureau had its own inquiry. President Trump sacked Mr Comey on 9 May, citing his reason as \"this Russia thing\", in a move that shocked Washington and fuelled claims of a cover-up. However, it did not halt the investigation. On 18 May, the department of justice appointed ex-FBI director Robert Mueller as special counsel to look into the matter. Mr Mueller has not given any details of his investigation but US media have reported he is investigating Mr Trump for possible obstruction of justice, both in the firing of Mr Comey and whether Mr Trump tried to end an inquiry into sacked national security adviser Michael Flynn. Mr Flynn resigned in February after failing to reveal the extent of his contacts with Sergei Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to Washington. In December, he pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI about his meetings with Mr Kislyak. President Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia, calling the allegations a \"witch hunt\". It was back in May 2016 that the first reports emerged of hackers targeting the Democratic Party. Over the next two months, the reports suggested US intelligence agencies had traced the breaches back to Russian hackers. In July, on the eve of the Democratic National Convention, Wikileaks published 20,000 internal emails stolen by the hackers. US intelligence officials said they believed with \"high confidence\" that Russia was behind the operation, but the Trump campaign publicly refused to accept the findings. Instead, at a press conference, Mr Trump caused outrage by inviting Russian hackers to target Hillary Clinton's controversial personal email server, saying: \"Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing\". About the same time the hacking scandal was beginning to unfold, Mr Trump's then campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was accused of accepting millions of dollars in cash for representing Russian interests in Ukraine and US, including dealings with an oligarch with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. While Mr Manafort was running the campaign, the Republican Party changed the language in its manifesto regarding the conflict in Ukraine, removing anti-Russian sentiment, allegedly at the behest of two Trump campaign representatives. Subsequently, further allegations were made in Ukraine about secret funds said to have been paid to Mr Manafort, and it has also been claimed that he secretly worked for a Russian billionaire to assist President Putin's political ends. Mr Manafort has denied both allegations. He was found guilty in August 2018 of eight counts of financial fraud and tax evasion crimes. In September 2018, he pleaded guilty to two remaining charges - and agreed to co-operate with the special counsel's investigation in exchange for a reduced jail sentence. In October, the US intelligence community released a unanimous statement formally accusing Russia of being behind the hacking of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). Mr Trump continued to argue against the finding, claiming in a presidential debate that it \"could be Russia, but it could also be China, it could also be lots of other people. It also could be somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds\". The same day that the intelligence agencies released their findings, the explosive \"Access Hollywood\" recording emerged of Mr Trump's obscene remarks about women in 2005. An hour later, Wikileaks began dumping thousands more leaked Clinton emails. Mr Trump continued to refuse to acknowledge the consensus that Russia was behind the hack. In December, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security published a report of the US intelligence findings linking Russia to the hack. In response, President Barack Obama expelled 35 Russian diplomats and levied new sanctions on Russia. The world awaited Mr Putin's response but he chose not retaliate. Mr Trump, by then the president-elect, sided with the Russian president, tweeting: \"Great move on delay (by V. Putin) - I always knew he was very smart!\" Mr Putin's decision not to respond in kind struck many as a canny PR move, but reportedly set off suspicions among US intelligence officials that Russia was confident the sanctions would not last. The same month, Mr Trump picked Rex Tillerson as his nominee for secretary of state, arguably the most important job in the cabinet. The biggest hurdle for Mr Tillerson's confirmation? Close ties to Mr Putin. As CEO of the ExxonMobil oil company, Mr Tillerson cultivated a close personal relationship with the Russian leader, leading many to speculate on whether he was fit to serve as America's most senior diplomat. Mr Tillerson was sworn in as secretary of state on 2 February. In January, Buzzfeed published a dossier compiled by Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence official and Russia expert, which alleged that Moscow had compromising material on the then-president-elect, making him liable to blackmail. Among the various memos in the dossier was an allegation that Mr Trump had been recorded by Russian security services consorting with prostitutes at a Moscow hotel. Mr Trump dismissed the claims as fake news. CNN revealed that President Obama and President-elect Trump had been briefed on the existence of the dossier by intelligence officials, and Buzzfeed went one further, publishing the entire thing. In February, the most concrete and damaging Russia scandal finally surfaced, months after suspicions were raised among intelligence officials. US media reported that Mr Flynn had discussed the potential lifting of Mr Obama's Russia sanctions with the Russian ambassador, Sergei Kislyak, before Mr Trump took the reins of government. It is illegal for private citizens to conduct US diplomacy. He resigned as Mr Trump's national security adviser after 23 days on the job, saying he had \"inadvertently briefed the vice-president-elect and others with incomplete information regarding my phone calls with the Russian ambassador\" late last year. Since leaving the White House, the Pentagon has launched an investigation into whether he failed to disclose payments from Russian and Turkish lobbyists that he was given for speeches and consulting work. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was being accused of lying at his confirmation hearing when he said he had had \"no communications with the Russians\" during the election campaign. It later emerged that he too had met Mr Kislyak - at a private meeting in September and as part of a group of ambassadors in July last year. The Alabama senator was one of the most prominent players in Mr Trump's bid to take the White House. But he says his meetings with Mr Kislyak were related to his role as a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and had nothing to do with the election campaign. But Mr Sessions recused himself from the FBI investigation into the Russian hacking claims, an investigation he is overseeing. Two months into the Trump presidency, Mr Comey confirmed at a rare open hearing of the House Intelligence Committee that the agency was investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election. It is an \"ongoing\" investigation that began in July 2016, he said. But on 9 May, Mr Comey was fired. The White House initially said it was over his handling of the inquiry into Hillary Clinton's emails. But Mr Trump later said \"this Russia thing\" was a factor. On 10 May, Mr Trump met the Russian ambassador and foreign minister in the Oval Office. He told them firing Mr Comey had eased \"great pressure\", the New York Times reported. He also reportedly shared with them highly-sensitive \"codeword\" material relating to terrorism and airline safety, sending more shockwaves through Washington. Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel a week later. In his much anticipated testimony before a Senate panel, Mr Comey said that Mr Trump had asked him to pledge his loyalty, confirming previous media reports about a January meeting between the pair. \"I need loyalty, I expect loyalty,\" Mr Trump said, according to Mr Comey's testimony. Mr Comey said: \"I didn't move, speak, or change my facial expression in any way during the awkward silence that followed. We simply looked at each other in silence.\" Mr Comey also said Mr Trump had asked him to drop the investigation into Mr Flynn. \"[Trump] said: 'I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.' I replied only that 'he is a good guy.'\" But Mr Comey did confirm the president's account that he had told Mr Trump the FBI was not investigating him personally. He said he had kept written memos on his meetings and phone calls with the president, fearing Mr Trump might lie. He denied asking for Mr Comey's loyalty, although he added: \"I don't think it would be a bad question to ask.\" The White House also denied that Mr Trump had asked for the Flynn inquiry to be dropped. Mr Trump has also questioned the neutrality of Robert Mueller, saying the special counsel's friendship with Mr Comey is \"bothersome\". He has criticised the FBI on numerous occasions and, in one tweet, said the organisation's reputation was \"in tatters\". On 9 July came news of what was thought to be the first confirmed private meeting between a Russian national and members of President Trump's inner circle. The president's son, Donald Trump Jr, admitted meeting Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower after being told that she had damaging material on Hillary Clinton. But he insisted the lawyer had provided \"no meaningful information\" in a meeting that also included the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Mr Manafort. Mr Trump Jr told the House Intelligence committee he discussed the Trump Tower meeting with his father once it became public in a New York Times report earlier this year, but he refused to provide details of their conversation, citing attorney-client privilege. September saw Facebook reveal it had discovered that politically charged advertising had been targeted at American voters during the 2016 campaign. The social network said it believed this had been paid for by Russians with links to the Kremlin. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said his company would share 3,000 Russia-linked political adverts with US investigators. The adverts did not support a specific candidate, Facebook said, but instead posted inflammatory information on hot topics such as immigration. Rival network Twitter said it had shut down about 200 accounts linked to a Russian misinformation campaign. President Trump responded to Facebook's revelations by saying the site had always been against him. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg rejected his comments, saying his company did not take sides. In October 2017, Mr Manafort, who quit as Mr Trump's campaign chairman last August, was charged with conspiring to defraud the US in his dealings with Ukraine. The good news for Mr Trump was that these charges - of which he was later convicted - were not directly linked to the Russia investigation. But the bad news is that Mr Manafort later agreed to co-operate with prosecutors in exchange for a reduced prison sentence. Another of his advisers, George Papadopoulos, admitted making false statements to FBI agents about his dealings with an unnamed overseas academic who allegedly informed him that the Russians possessed \"dirt\" on Hillary Clinton. The charges against Mr Papadopoulos were the first to be brought by Robert Mueller as part of the Russia investigation. In December, Michael Flynn admitted making false statements to the FBI about meetings with the Russian ambassador, making him the most senior member of the administration to be indicted. He also revealed he was co-operating with Mr Mueller's inquiry. A statement made by Mr Flynn to prosecutors appeared to implicate a more senior, though unnamed, Trump team official - indicating the direction in which Mr Mueller's investigation may be heading. Numerous US media outlets said the senior official now under the spotlight is Jared Kushner - Mr Trump's adviser and son-in-law. Soon after Mr Flynn was charged, the president appeared to suggest that he had known Mr Flynn had lied about meetings with the Russian ambassador, contradicting his own account from the time - and prompting accusations that he obstructed justice. A White House lawyer later said he had written the tweet and that the controversial line had actually been an error.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 9767, "answer_start": 9314, "text": "He denied asking for Mr Comey's loyalty, although he added: \"I don't think it would be a bad question to ask.\" The White House also denied that Mr Trump had asked for the Flynn inquiry to be dropped. Mr Trump has also questioned the neutrality of Robert Mueller, saying the special counsel's friendship with Mr Comey is \"bothersome\". He has criticised the FBI on numerous occasions and, in one tweet, said the organisation's reputation was \"in tatters\"." } ], "id": "9780_0", "question": "Trump's response?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Barcelona midfielder Arda Turan has received a suspended jail sentence of nearly three years for firing a gun in a hospital after a fight with a singer. Turan - currently on loan to Istanbul Basaksehir - got into a brawl with Berkay Sahin last year which ended with a broken nose for the pop star. The footballer, 32, then turned up at the hospital and shot at the floor. He was sentenced for firing a gun to cause panic, illegal possession of weapons and intentional injury. A court gave him a jail sentence of two years and eight months but he will not spend time in prison unless he commits another crime in the next five years. Istanbul Basaksehir has fined the midfielder 2.5 million Turkish lira (PS350,000) over the incident. Reports say Berkay Sahin was with his wife Ozlem Ada Sahin at an upscale Istanbul nightclub last October when the fight broke out. Ms Sahin told Haberturk newspaper at the time that Turan made suggestive remarks to her, and then attacked her husband, who is well-known in Turkey. The singer was then taken to hospital for surgery on his broken nose. But the incident didn't end there. Turan appeared at the hospital with a gun, allegedly begging for forgiveness. Panic ensued after the footballer fired the weapon at the ground. Writing on Instagram on Wednesday, Turan apologised to his club and his family for his \"momentary mistake\". However, he said the allegation he verbally harassed Ms Sahin was \"a heavy and ugly slander\". The Turkish court acquitted him of sexual harassment charges on Wednesday. \"I learned lessons from these events,\" he wrote. \"My greatest aim is to make my family, my dear wife, my club and friends proud.\" The Turkish midfielder began his career at Galatasaray as a teenager. He was named captain at the age of 21. He moved to Spanish club Atletico Madrid in 2011, and then to Barcelona in 2015. The club loaned him to Istanbul Basaksehir in 2018. Turan has scored 17 goals in 100 senior appearances for his country, making him the fourth most-capped Turkish player of all time. But he announced his international retirement in 2017 after he allegedly abused a journalist on the national team's plane. Last year, Turan received a 16-game ban for shoving an assistant referee with both hands. He received a straight red card and a fine.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2298, "answer_start": 1669, "text": "The Turkish midfielder began his career at Galatasaray as a teenager. He was named captain at the age of 21. He moved to Spanish club Atletico Madrid in 2011, and then to Barcelona in 2015. The club loaned him to Istanbul Basaksehir in 2018. Turan has scored 17 goals in 100 senior appearances for his country, making him the fourth most-capped Turkish player of all time. But he announced his international retirement in 2017 after he allegedly abused a journalist on the national team's plane. Last year, Turan received a 16-game ban for shoving an assistant referee with both hands. He received a straight red card and a fine." } ], "id": "9781_0", "question": "Who is Arda Turan?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A North Korean Olympic official has said that his country is \"likely to participate\" in next month's Winter Olympic Games, reports say. Chang Ung, Pyongyang's representative to the International Olympic Committee, reportedly made the comment at Beijing International Airport on Saturday. Mr Chang is believed to be travelling to Switzerland to discuss the subject, Japanese news agency Kyodo reports. It comes a day after Pyongyang agreed to official talks with South Korea. US President Donald Trump, who has exchanged insults with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said the talks showed his \"tough stance\" had worked. He said he wanted the talks to go \"beyond the Olympics\". During his New Year's Day address, Mr Kim said he hoped that the Pyeongchang Winter Games would be a success, adding that he was considering sending a delegation. In response, South Korea's President Moon Jae-in proposed a meeting with North Korean officials to discuss the subject in detail. Mr Moon's proposal and Mr Kim's remarks about the Olympics were the result of two secret meetings between South and North Korean sports officials, which took place in China in late December. In those meetings, the two Koreas agreed to participate in sports exchanges during 2018. North Korea this week accepted an offer to attend a meeting on 9 January that will focus on finding a way for its athletes to attend the Games in South Korea from 9-25 February. It will be the first such meeting in more than two years and is expected to be held at Panmunjom, the so-called peace village in the heavily guarded demilitarised zone (DMZ) where the two sides have historically held talks. It is not yet clear who will be attending. According to an official from South Korea's presidential office, the meeting's priority will be the Pyeongchang Winter Games. However, he told South Korea's Yonhap news agency that he believed there would also \"be discussions related to improving South-North ties after the North's participation in the Olympics becomes final\". The tentative moves towards the Olympic appearance come after months of escalating rhetoric from North Korea and the US. The leaders of both countries have previously each threatened the other with nuclear annihilation. Now, as part of efforts to smooth the path to the Olympics, the US has agreed to a request from South Korea to suspend joint military operations, scheduled to take place during the Games. Earlier this week, North Korea also restored a telephone hotline at their mutual border, to enable the first contact about talks to be made. Mr Kim has said that sending a delegation to the Games would be \"a good opportunity to show unity of the people\". \"We hope the two Koreas will sit down and find a solution to lower tensions and establish peace on the Korean peninsula,\" he added. While Mr Moon has previously said he sees the Winter Olympics as a \"groundbreaking chance\" to improve relations between the Koreas, the two countries still technically at war. Some have expressed uncertainty over the significance of next week's talks and the North's possible participation in the Games. US Defence Secretary James Mattis said on Thursday that it was unclear whether the agreement was \"a real olive branch\" or a \"one-off from [Mr Kim]\". Japan's defence minister said his country would remain vigilant, adding that the North went through \"phases of apparent dialogue and provocation\" and would continue its weapons programme. In his New Year's Day speech, Mr Kim said that Pyongyang had \"achieved the goal of completing our state nuclear force in 2017\", adding: \"We need to mass-produce nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles and accelerate their deployment.\" North Korea has come under increasing international pressure in the past year over its nuclear weapons programme and repeated testing of conventional missiles. Mr Moon has said the North's continuing tests would be the backdrop to any new discussions about the Olympics.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1248, "answer_start": 676, "text": "During his New Year's Day address, Mr Kim said he hoped that the Pyeongchang Winter Games would be a success, adding that he was considering sending a delegation. In response, South Korea's President Moon Jae-in proposed a meeting with North Korean officials to discuss the subject in detail. Mr Moon's proposal and Mr Kim's remarks about the Olympics were the result of two secret meetings between South and North Korean sports officials, which took place in China in late December. In those meetings, the two Koreas agreed to participate in sports exchanges during 2018." } ], "id": "9782_0", "question": "How did this all start?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2021, "answer_start": 1249, "text": "North Korea this week accepted an offer to attend a meeting on 9 January that will focus on finding a way for its athletes to attend the Games in South Korea from 9-25 February. It will be the first such meeting in more than two years and is expected to be held at Panmunjom, the so-called peace village in the heavily guarded demilitarised zone (DMZ) where the two sides have historically held talks. It is not yet clear who will be attending. According to an official from South Korea's presidential office, the meeting's priority will be the Pyeongchang Winter Games. However, he told South Korea's Yonhap news agency that he believed there would also \"be discussions related to improving South-North ties after the North's participation in the Olympics becomes final\"." } ], "id": "9782_1", "question": "What are next week's talks about?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2992, "answer_start": 2022, "text": "The tentative moves towards the Olympic appearance come after months of escalating rhetoric from North Korea and the US. The leaders of both countries have previously each threatened the other with nuclear annihilation. Now, as part of efforts to smooth the path to the Olympics, the US has agreed to a request from South Korea to suspend joint military operations, scheduled to take place during the Games. Earlier this week, North Korea also restored a telephone hotline at their mutual border, to enable the first contact about talks to be made. Mr Kim has said that sending a delegation to the Games would be \"a good opportunity to show unity of the people\". \"We hope the two Koreas will sit down and find a solution to lower tensions and establish peace on the Korean peninsula,\" he added. While Mr Moon has previously said he sees the Winter Olympics as a \"groundbreaking chance\" to improve relations between the Koreas, the two countries still technically at war." } ], "id": "9782_2", "question": "Is this a sign of progress?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3963, "answer_start": 2993, "text": "Some have expressed uncertainty over the significance of next week's talks and the North's possible participation in the Games. US Defence Secretary James Mattis said on Thursday that it was unclear whether the agreement was \"a real olive branch\" or a \"one-off from [Mr Kim]\". Japan's defence minister said his country would remain vigilant, adding that the North went through \"phases of apparent dialogue and provocation\" and would continue its weapons programme. In his New Year's Day speech, Mr Kim said that Pyongyang had \"achieved the goal of completing our state nuclear force in 2017\", adding: \"We need to mass-produce nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles and accelerate their deployment.\" North Korea has come under increasing international pressure in the past year over its nuclear weapons programme and repeated testing of conventional missiles. Mr Moon has said the North's continuing tests would be the backdrop to any new discussions about the Olympics." } ], "id": "9782_3", "question": "What are the doubts?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "President Donald Trump has revoked a policy set by his predecessor requiring US intelligence officials to publish the number of civilians killed in drone strikes outside of war zones. The 2016 executive order was brought in by then-President Barack Obama, who was under pressure to be more transparent. Since the 9/11 terror attack, drone strikes have been increasingly used against terror and military targets. The Trump administration said the rule was \"superfluous\" and distracting. The order applied to the CIA, which has carried out drone strikes in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Somalia. \"This action eliminates superfluous reporting requirements, requirements that do not improve government transparency, but rather distract our intelligence professionals from their primary mission,\" an official said. It required the head of the CIA to release annual summaries of US drone strikes and assess how many died as a result. Mr Trump's executive order does not overturn reporting requirements on civilian deaths set for the military by Congress. There have been 2,243 drone strikes in the first two years of the Trump presidency, compared with 1,878 in Mr Obama's eight years in office, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, a UK-based think tank. Tara McKelvey, BBC News, White House Reporter Human-rights activists complained about the drone programme under the Obama administration, saying the operations were overly secretive and hid the fact that civilians were sometimes killed in the strikes. President Obama responded by saying that strikes were carried out in a precise manner - and that intelligence officials would release data on civilians who were accidentally killed in the strikes that occurred outside of war zones. President Trump has built on the existing programme and made it even more ambitious. During Mr Obama's eight years in office, 1,878 drone strikes were carried out, according to researchers. Since Mr Trump was elected in 2016, there have been 2,243 drone strikes. The Republican president has also made some of the operations, the ones outside of war zones, more secretive. As a result, things have different today: under Mr Trump, there are more drone strikes - and less transparency. Lawmakers and rights groups have criticised Mr Trump's decision, saying it could allow the CIA to conduct drone strikes without accountability. \"The Trump administration's action is an unnecessary and dangerous step backwards on transparency and accountability for the use of lethal force, and the civilian casualties they cause,\" Rita Siemion of Human Rights First told AFP news agency. Representative Adam Schiff, a Democrat who chairs Congress's intelligence committee, called the requirement issued by Obama \"an important measure of transparency,\" and said \"there is simply no justification\" for cancelling it.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1280, "answer_start": 825, "text": "It required the head of the CIA to release annual summaries of US drone strikes and assess how many died as a result. Mr Trump's executive order does not overturn reporting requirements on civilian deaths set for the military by Congress. There have been 2,243 drone strikes in the first two years of the Trump presidency, compared with 1,878 in Mr Obama's eight years in office, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, a UK-based think tank." } ], "id": "9783_0", "question": "What was the rule?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2864, "answer_start": 2250, "text": "Lawmakers and rights groups have criticised Mr Trump's decision, saying it could allow the CIA to conduct drone strikes without accountability. \"The Trump administration's action is an unnecessary and dangerous step backwards on transparency and accountability for the use of lethal force, and the civilian casualties they cause,\" Rita Siemion of Human Rights First told AFP news agency. Representative Adam Schiff, a Democrat who chairs Congress's intelligence committee, called the requirement issued by Obama \"an important measure of transparency,\" and said \"there is simply no justification\" for cancelling it." } ], "id": "9783_1", "question": "What is the reaction?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump and North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un have begun their high-profile second summit in Vietnam's capital, Hanoi. They shook hands for the media before holding talks and having dinner at the five-star Metropole hotel. They are expected to discuss a roadmap for ridding the Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons in two days of talks. There has been little progress on that and other issues since the first Trump-Kim summit in Singapore last year. Mr Trump said he thought this latest meeting would be \"very successful\". He denied he was \"walking back\" on denuclearisation. Asked whether a formal end to the Korean War might be declared, he said: \"We'll see.\" He said he looked forward to helping Mr Kim achieve a \"tremendous\" economic future for his country. Mr Kim, whom the US president described as a \"great leader\", said he was confident there would be an \"excellent outcome that everyone welcomes\". \"I'll do my best to make it happen,\" he told reporters, before the men sat down to eat. According to the Washington Post, four journalists were banned from attending the dinner - they reported for Bloomberg News, the LA Times, and the Associated Press and Reuters news agencies. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said the number of journalists had been limited \"due to the sensitive nature of the meetings\". Earlier, Mr Trump tweeted in praise of the host country, writing: \"Vietnam is thriving like few places on earth. North Korea would be the same, and very quickly, if it would denuclearize.\" \"The potential is AWESOME,\" he added. The US leader and Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong signed trade deals worth around $20bn (PS15bn). The deals secured contracts for Vietnamese airline firms to purchase US made planes and technology. Wednesday's meetings were limited to brief questions from reporters, one-on-one talks and dinner with aides. It's expected that any major events - the signing of agreements or significant press conferences - will take place on Thursday. The two leaders will attend a series of meetings together, but their exact agenda is unclear. North Korean state media praised Mr Kim for making the 4,000km (2,485-mile) trip, with state paper Rodong Sinmun dedicating four out of its six pages to it. It said North Koreans had reacted to his visit with \"boundless excitement and emotion\", and urged people to work harder to \"give him reports of victory when he returns\". The paper also added that his overseas trip had caused some of its citizens sleepless nights, with one woman telling a state broadcaster saying that she \"really missed\" Mr Kim. North Korea has been ruled since its creation in 1948 by three generations of the Kim family. The country has a woeful human rights record, and the UN says its people live under \"systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations\". Kim Jong-un carried out a brutal purge after taking charge of the country in 2011, ordering the death of his own uncle to secure his position. About 140 senior military officers and government officials were executed between 2012 and 2016, according to South Korea's Institute for National Security Strategy. The economy is tightly controlled by the government, with widespread shortages of food, fuel and other basic necessities as the state funnels funds into the military and its nuclear weapons programme. Reporters Without Borders ranks North Korea last in its World Press Freedom Index, with all news and information coming from state media. The Hanoi meeting is expected to build on the groundwork of what was achieved at the Singapore summit last June. That meeting produced a vaguely worded agreement, with both leaders agreeing to \"work towards denuclearisation\" - though it was never made clear what this would entail. Little diplomatic progress was made following the summit. This time round, both leaders will be very conscious of the need to answer their critics with signs of concrete progress. However, Mr Trump appeared to be managing expectations ahead of the summit, saying he was in \"no rush\" to press for North Korea's denuclearisation. \"I don't want to rush anybody. I just don't want testing. As long as there's no testing, we're happy,\" he said. Washington had previously said that North Korea had to unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons before there could be any sanctions relief. It's an ideal location for many reasons. It has diplomatic relations with both the US and North Korea, despite once having been enemies with the US - and could be used by the US as an example of two countries working together and setting aside their past grievances. Ideologically, both Vietnam and North Korea are communist countries, though Vietnam has over the last few decades opened up to foreign investment and emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in Asia.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2604, "answer_start": 2101, "text": "North Korean state media praised Mr Kim for making the 4,000km (2,485-mile) trip, with state paper Rodong Sinmun dedicating four out of its six pages to it. It said North Koreans had reacted to his visit with \"boundless excitement and emotion\", and urged people to work harder to \"give him reports of victory when he returns\". The paper also added that his overseas trip had caused some of its citizens sleepless nights, with one woman telling a state broadcaster saying that she \"really missed\" Mr Kim." } ], "id": "9784_0", "question": "What has North Korean media said about their meeting?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3490, "answer_start": 2605, "text": "North Korea has been ruled since its creation in 1948 by three generations of the Kim family. The country has a woeful human rights record, and the UN says its people live under \"systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations\". Kim Jong-un carried out a brutal purge after taking charge of the country in 2011, ordering the death of his own uncle to secure his position. About 140 senior military officers and government officials were executed between 2012 and 2016, according to South Korea's Institute for National Security Strategy. The economy is tightly controlled by the government, with widespread shortages of food, fuel and other basic necessities as the state funnels funds into the military and its nuclear weapons programme. Reporters Without Borders ranks North Korea last in its World Press Freedom Index, with all news and information coming from state media." } ], "id": "9784_1", "question": "Why is North Korea so isolated?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4352, "answer_start": 3491, "text": "The Hanoi meeting is expected to build on the groundwork of what was achieved at the Singapore summit last June. That meeting produced a vaguely worded agreement, with both leaders agreeing to \"work towards denuclearisation\" - though it was never made clear what this would entail. Little diplomatic progress was made following the summit. This time round, both leaders will be very conscious of the need to answer their critics with signs of concrete progress. However, Mr Trump appeared to be managing expectations ahead of the summit, saying he was in \"no rush\" to press for North Korea's denuclearisation. \"I don't want to rush anybody. I just don't want testing. As long as there's no testing, we're happy,\" he said. Washington had previously said that North Korea had to unilaterally give up its nuclear weapons before there could be any sanctions relief." } ], "id": "9784_2", "question": "Why are the leaders meeting again?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4826, "answer_start": 4353, "text": "It's an ideal location for many reasons. It has diplomatic relations with both the US and North Korea, despite once having been enemies with the US - and could be used by the US as an example of two countries working together and setting aside their past grievances. Ideologically, both Vietnam and North Korea are communist countries, though Vietnam has over the last few decades opened up to foreign investment and emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in Asia." } ], "id": "9784_3", "question": "Why Vietnam?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Bolivian President Evo Morales has resigned after nearly 14 years in power, amid turmoil following his disputed re-election last month. The head of the army had called on him to go after protests over his election win. Auditors found irregularities with the poll but Mr Morales said he had been the victim of a coup. He said he was leaving to help protect families of political allies, after their homes were burned down. In a televised address, Mr Morales urged protesters to \"stop attacking the brothers and sisters, stop burning and attacking\". The biggest criticism of Evo Morales was his lack of respect for Bolivia's democracy - accused of overstaying his welcome and refusing to step down. But the fact that the military has called the shots on the president standing down does not do much for Bolivia's democracy either. Now Evo Morales has gone, there is a power vacuum. Increasing numbers of his Mas party are resigning, and it feels like there is a need for retribution - for Evo Morales and his people to pay the price for the mistakes they made while in power. His supporters have called this a coup - his detractors the end of tyranny. The priority now is to choose an interim leader, call new elections and bring a polarised Bolivia together or face yet more unrest and violence in the coming weeks. Vice-President Alvaro Garcia and Senate President Adriana Salvatierra also resigned. Protesters took to the streets to celebrate, chanting \"yes we could\" and setting off fire crackers. Bolivia has been rattled by weeks of anti-government protests, following the reports of election fraud. Tensions first flared on the night of the presidential election after the results count was inexplicably stopped for 24 hours. The final result gave Mr Morales slightly more than the 10-percentage-point lead he needed to win outright in the first round of the race. At least three people died during clashes that followed. Some uniformed police officers also joined the protesters. On Sunday, the Organization of American States, which monitored the elections, said it had found evidence of wide-scale data manipulation, and could not certify the result of the previous polls. Pressure continued to build on Mr Morales during the day, as several of his political allies resigned, some citing fears for the safety of their families. The army chief, Gen Williams Kaliman, urged Mr Morales to resign \"to allow for pacification and the maintaining of stability\". The military also said it would conduct operations to \"neutralise\" any armed groups that attacked the protesters. Opposition leader Carlos Mesa - who came second in last month's poll - thanked protesters for \"the heroism of peaceful resistance\". In a tweet, he described the development as \"the end of tyranny\" and a \"historical lesson\", saying, \"Long live Bolivia!\" However, the Cuban and Venezuelan leaders - who had previously voiced their support for Mr Morales - condemned the events as a \"coup\". Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel described it as a \"violent and cowardly\" attempt against democracy, while Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro said tweeted: \"We categorically condemn the coup realised against our brother president.\" Mexico says it is considering granting asylum to Mr Morales. Bolivia's first indigenous president, he had served as leader since 2006. He ran for a fourth consecutive term in the October elections after a controversial decision by the constitutional court to scrap presidential term limits. In a 2016 referendum, a majority had voted \"no\" to dropping the limit of term numbers that Bolivians could serve. However, Mr Morales' party took the issue to the constitutional court, which abolished the term limits altogether.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2576, "answer_start": 1500, "text": "Bolivia has been rattled by weeks of anti-government protests, following the reports of election fraud. Tensions first flared on the night of the presidential election after the results count was inexplicably stopped for 24 hours. The final result gave Mr Morales slightly more than the 10-percentage-point lead he needed to win outright in the first round of the race. At least three people died during clashes that followed. Some uniformed police officers also joined the protesters. On Sunday, the Organization of American States, which monitored the elections, said it had found evidence of wide-scale data manipulation, and could not certify the result of the previous polls. Pressure continued to build on Mr Morales during the day, as several of his political allies resigned, some citing fears for the safety of their families. The army chief, Gen Williams Kaliman, urged Mr Morales to resign \"to allow for pacification and the maintaining of stability\". The military also said it would conduct operations to \"neutralise\" any armed groups that attacked the protesters." } ], "id": "9785_0", "question": "How did we get here?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3256, "answer_start": 2577, "text": "Opposition leader Carlos Mesa - who came second in last month's poll - thanked protesters for \"the heroism of peaceful resistance\". In a tweet, he described the development as \"the end of tyranny\" and a \"historical lesson\", saying, \"Long live Bolivia!\" However, the Cuban and Venezuelan leaders - who had previously voiced their support for Mr Morales - condemned the events as a \"coup\". Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel described it as a \"violent and cowardly\" attempt against democracy, while Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro said tweeted: \"We categorically condemn the coup realised against our brother president.\" Mexico says it is considering granting asylum to Mr Morales." } ], "id": "9785_1", "question": "What reaction has there been?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3715, "answer_start": 3257, "text": "Bolivia's first indigenous president, he had served as leader since 2006. He ran for a fourth consecutive term in the October elections after a controversial decision by the constitutional court to scrap presidential term limits. In a 2016 referendum, a majority had voted \"no\" to dropping the limit of term numbers that Bolivians could serve. However, Mr Morales' party took the issue to the constitutional court, which abolished the term limits altogether." } ], "id": "9785_2", "question": "Who is Evo Morales?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A judge retrying ex-English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson for contempt of court has referred the case to the government's top legal adviser. Mr Robinson faced an allegation that he had committed contempt by filming people before a criminal trial. But Judge Nicholas Hilliard QC ruled the case needed to be referred up to the attorney general to decide. The brief appearance was the latest in a long-running case that began in 2017. The 35-year-old - who appeared under his real name, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - was released on bail. About 1,000 of his supporters, plus some opponents, gathered outside the Old Bailey court in London. After the hearing, Mr Yaxley-Lennon told the cheering crowd: \"I shouldn't face another trial. I've been here three times with a prison bag. I've kissed my kids goodbye three times.\" But he welcomed the referral to the attorney general and said he hoped he \"makes the right decision\". The attorney general has the power to discontinue the case. By Dominic Casciani, BBC home affairs correspondent This is the second time the allegations against Mr Yaxley-Lennon have been heard at the Old Bailey - and the second time a decision on the case has been postponed. It is also the second time that hundreds of his supporters have turned out - perhaps even more than before - and that the City of London Police have run a significant public order operation to contain both supporters and a smaller counter-demo. He arrived in the security cordon flanked by his closest advisers from his days running the English Defence League to loud cheers and chanting. Some supporters were carrying far-right banners - including two banners from organisations which are considered to be highly Islamophobic. Office workers in the swish buildings around the Old Bailey and a fair few court staff looked on from above. One of the most unexpected episodes this morning came when they began singing \"How they Rule Ya\" to the tune of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. After the case, his supporters were jubilant, hailing him as some kind of martyr for free speech. Mr Yaxley-Lennon's counsel, Richard Furlong, said the case should be referred to the attorney general - currently Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox. Judge Hilliard then confirmed the case would be referred up, saying the matter was so complex it needed further consideration. The move would also allow lawyers to cross-examine witnesses. Judge Hilliard added: \"All the evidence must be rigorously tested.\" Now the case has been referred to the attorney general's office, who will decide whether to send the case to the High Court or to drop the contempt proceedings. The attorney general's office confirmed there was no set timescale for this decision to be made. In May 2017, Mr Yaxley-Lennon filmed four men outside a court, who were later convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl. The trial was subject to reporting restrictions, and a judge at Canterbury Crown Court gave him a three-month suspended sentence for contempt of court. In May 2018, he was jailed for potentially prejudicing a court case after broadcasting on social media outside Leeds Crown Court. He was sentenced to 13 months - 10 months for the contempt of court in Leeds and a further three months for breaching the previous suspended sentence. Mr Yaxley-Lennon appealed against both contempt findings. Three judges quashed the Leeds ruling, saying the judge should not have commenced contempt proceedings that day. They ordered the case be reheard so that the allegations could be fully examined and, after a brief appearance at the Old Bailey in September, the case was adjourned until today. Mr Yaxley-Lennon says the whole thing is a \"political witch-hunt\" designed to stop him telling the truth about what he calls \"Muslim rape gangs\". The anti-Islam campaigner described the media as the \"enemy of the people\" and blamed the government, police and social services for \"sacrificing a generation of our daughters at the hands of the multiculturalism altar\". Supporters, some of whom are funding his legal campaign, cheered Mr Robinson outside Central Criminal Court. Criticism of MR Robinson came from a group of anti-racism campaigners who were also outside the court. One woman said: \"He [Mr Yaxley-Lennon] was the [co-]founder of the English Defence League, which is a fascist party, and we've got to stop it. \"If people believe they're joining something that is a bit more innocuous they're wrong. \"The fact of the matter is not only is it racist, but a hard core of them are fascists.\" Joe Mulhall of anti-racism group Hope Not Hate said: \"He's dividing this country in a whole host of ways and, worst of all, he's dividing communities.\" Contempt of court laws are designed to protect the rule of law, ensure fair trials - and avoid trial by media. Contempt can be committed by a broad range of people and organisations including the press, jurors, and social media users. The maximum sentence for contempt of court is two years' imprisonment, but it can also be punished with a fine. Read more about the contempt law from BBC Legal Affairs Correspondent Clive Coleman.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2473, "answer_start": 2073, "text": "Mr Yaxley-Lennon's counsel, Richard Furlong, said the case should be referred to the attorney general - currently Conservative MP Geoffrey Cox. Judge Hilliard then confirmed the case would be referred up, saying the matter was so complex it needed further consideration. The move would also allow lawyers to cross-examine witnesses. Judge Hilliard added: \"All the evidence must be rigorously tested.\"" } ], "id": "9786_0", "question": "What did the judge say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2731, "answer_start": 2474, "text": "Now the case has been referred to the attorney general's office, who will decide whether to send the case to the High Court or to drop the contempt proceedings. The attorney general's office confirmed there was no set timescale for this decision to be made." } ], "id": "9786_1", "question": "What happens next?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4685, "answer_start": 2732, "text": "In May 2017, Mr Yaxley-Lennon filmed four men outside a court, who were later convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl. The trial was subject to reporting restrictions, and a judge at Canterbury Crown Court gave him a three-month suspended sentence for contempt of court. In May 2018, he was jailed for potentially prejudicing a court case after broadcasting on social media outside Leeds Crown Court. He was sentenced to 13 months - 10 months for the contempt of court in Leeds and a further three months for breaching the previous suspended sentence. Mr Yaxley-Lennon appealed against both contempt findings. Three judges quashed the Leeds ruling, saying the judge should not have commenced contempt proceedings that day. They ordered the case be reheard so that the allegations could be fully examined and, after a brief appearance at the Old Bailey in September, the case was adjourned until today. Mr Yaxley-Lennon says the whole thing is a \"political witch-hunt\" designed to stop him telling the truth about what he calls \"Muslim rape gangs\". The anti-Islam campaigner described the media as the \"enemy of the people\" and blamed the government, police and social services for \"sacrificing a generation of our daughters at the hands of the multiculturalism altar\". Supporters, some of whom are funding his legal campaign, cheered Mr Robinson outside Central Criminal Court. Criticism of MR Robinson came from a group of anti-racism campaigners who were also outside the court. One woman said: \"He [Mr Yaxley-Lennon] was the [co-]founder of the English Defence League, which is a fascist party, and we've got to stop it. \"If people believe they're joining something that is a bit more innocuous they're wrong. \"The fact of the matter is not only is it racist, but a hard core of them are fascists.\" Joe Mulhall of anti-racism group Hope Not Hate said: \"He's dividing this country in a whole host of ways and, worst of all, he's dividing communities.\"" } ], "id": "9786_2", "question": "Why was he in court?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5117, "answer_start": 4686, "text": "Contempt of court laws are designed to protect the rule of law, ensure fair trials - and avoid trial by media. Contempt can be committed by a broad range of people and organisations including the press, jurors, and social media users. The maximum sentence for contempt of court is two years' imprisonment, but it can also be punished with a fine. Read more about the contempt law from BBC Legal Affairs Correspondent Clive Coleman." } ], "id": "9786_3", "question": "What is contempt of court?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "More than 100 migrant children have been returned to a Texas border station just a day after being transferred, US border officials say. About 250 migrant children were moved from the overcrowded centre after lawyers granted access by a judge said the children were \"severely neglected\". The top US border official meanwhile has said he is stepping down. It comes as the number of migrants apprehended at the border surged in May to the highest level since 2006. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that its acting commissioner, John Sanders, would be leaving his role on 5 July. Mr Sanders announced his resignation in an email to CBP staff, obtained by US media. \"Although I will leave it to you to determine whether I was successful, I can unequivocally say that helping support the amazing men and women of CBP has been the most fulfilling and satisfying opportunity of my career,\" he wrote. President Donald Trump plans to name Mark Morgan, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to replace Mr Sanders, according to US media. In an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, Mr Morgan said he does not believe there is a \"systemic problem\" at detention facilities. \"I just don't agree that it's egregious conditions, like a systemic problem,\" he said. \"Are there issues that we can improve and get better? Absolutely.\" The New York Times reports the 100 children were transported back to the facility after it made changes to alleviate its overcrowding. They had been held there for weeks. A lawyer who visited the facility in Clint, just outside El Paso, told the BBC that children were \"locked up in horrific cells where there's an open toilet in the middle of the room\" where they ate and slept. \"There was nobody taking care of these children... they were not being bathed on a regular basis,\" Prof Warren Binford of Williamette University in Oregon said. \"Several hundred of the children had been kept in a warehouse that was recently erected on the facility grounds.\" \"The cells are overcrowded... there's a lice infestation there, there is an influenza outbreak. Children are being locked up in isolation with no adult supervision, who are very, very ill and they're just lying on the ground on mats.\" Elora Mukherjee, another lawyer who visited the facility, told CBS News: \"They were wearing the same dirty clothing they crossed the border with. \"It is degrading and inhumane and shouldn't be happening in America.\" In a statement, the border authority acknowledged that the Clint facility was not suited to the task. \"US Customs and Border Protection leverages our limited resources to provide the best care possible to those in our custody, especially children,\" it said. \"As our leadership have noted numerous times, our short-term holding facilities were not designed to hold vulnerable populations, and we urgently need additional humanitarian funding to manage this crisis.\" The agency said it had moved children to more suitable facilities as soon as space was available. On Monday, Democratic Representative Veronica Escobar, who had been deeply critical of the reported conditions, said she had been told that only 30 children remained in the Clint facility. On Tuesday, Democrats in the House of Representatives pushed through a $4.5bn bill in emergency aid for the border, but the issue has divided liberals. One lawmakers, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said: \"I will not fund another dime to allow ICE to continue its manipulative tactics.\" Others, like Appropriations Committee chair Nita Lowey, said her fellow Democrats should not allow anger at President Donald Trump \"to blind us to the horrific conditions at facilities along the border as the agencies run out of money\". The most powerful elected Democrat, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, met her rank-and-file members on Monday to discuss changes to the bill ahead of a Tuesday vote. Democratic leaders said they would add language to the bill to ensure higher standards of medical care and nutrition for migrants in US custody. They also want to set a three-month limit for any unaccompanied child migrant to spend at a shelter. Some Democrats are opposed to the $155m in the bill that would go to the US Marshals Service, a law enforcement agency that detains migrants who illegally re-enter the country after deportation. The White House has already threatened to veto the bill, saying it \"does not provide adequate funding to meet the current crisis and... it contains partisan provisions designed to hamstring the Administration's border enforcement efforts\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1349, "answer_start": 463, "text": "Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that its acting commissioner, John Sanders, would be leaving his role on 5 July. Mr Sanders announced his resignation in an email to CBP staff, obtained by US media. \"Although I will leave it to you to determine whether I was successful, I can unequivocally say that helping support the amazing men and women of CBP has been the most fulfilling and satisfying opportunity of my career,\" he wrote. President Donald Trump plans to name Mark Morgan, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to replace Mr Sanders, according to US media. In an interview with CBS News on Tuesday, Mr Morgan said he does not believe there is a \"systemic problem\" at detention facilities. \"I just don't agree that it's egregious conditions, like a systemic problem,\" he said. \"Are there issues that we can improve and get better? Absolutely.\"" } ], "id": "9787_0", "question": "Why is the border chief quitting?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2456, "answer_start": 1350, "text": "The New York Times reports the 100 children were transported back to the facility after it made changes to alleviate its overcrowding. They had been held there for weeks. A lawyer who visited the facility in Clint, just outside El Paso, told the BBC that children were \"locked up in horrific cells where there's an open toilet in the middle of the room\" where they ate and slept. \"There was nobody taking care of these children... they were not being bathed on a regular basis,\" Prof Warren Binford of Williamette University in Oregon said. \"Several hundred of the children had been kept in a warehouse that was recently erected on the facility grounds.\" \"The cells are overcrowded... there's a lice infestation there, there is an influenza outbreak. Children are being locked up in isolation with no adult supervision, who are very, very ill and they're just lying on the ground on mats.\" Elora Mukherjee, another lawyer who visited the facility, told CBS News: \"They were wearing the same dirty clothing they crossed the border with. \"It is degrading and inhumane and shouldn't be happening in America.\"" } ], "id": "9787_1", "question": "How are conditions at the Texas border station?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3208, "answer_start": 2457, "text": "In a statement, the border authority acknowledged that the Clint facility was not suited to the task. \"US Customs and Border Protection leverages our limited resources to provide the best care possible to those in our custody, especially children,\" it said. \"As our leadership have noted numerous times, our short-term holding facilities were not designed to hold vulnerable populations, and we urgently need additional humanitarian funding to manage this crisis.\" The agency said it had moved children to more suitable facilities as soon as space was available. On Monday, Democratic Representative Veronica Escobar, who had been deeply critical of the reported conditions, said she had been told that only 30 children remained in the Clint facility." } ], "id": "9787_2", "question": "What have the authorities said?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4567, "answer_start": 3209, "text": "On Tuesday, Democrats in the House of Representatives pushed through a $4.5bn bill in emergency aid for the border, but the issue has divided liberals. One lawmakers, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said: \"I will not fund another dime to allow ICE to continue its manipulative tactics.\" Others, like Appropriations Committee chair Nita Lowey, said her fellow Democrats should not allow anger at President Donald Trump \"to blind us to the horrific conditions at facilities along the border as the agencies run out of money\". The most powerful elected Democrat, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, met her rank-and-file members on Monday to discuss changes to the bill ahead of a Tuesday vote. Democratic leaders said they would add language to the bill to ensure higher standards of medical care and nutrition for migrants in US custody. They also want to set a three-month limit for any unaccompanied child migrant to spend at a shelter. Some Democrats are opposed to the $155m in the bill that would go to the US Marshals Service, a law enforcement agency that detains migrants who illegally re-enter the country after deportation. The White House has already threatened to veto the bill, saying it \"does not provide adequate funding to meet the current crisis and... it contains partisan provisions designed to hamstring the Administration's border enforcement efforts\"." } ], "id": "9787_3", "question": "What are lawmakers doing?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Two small incidents at this week's EU summit in Brussels shed light on how ridiculously delicate the Brexit process is. The cameras caught a magic moment at the start of the first working session, when the Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel presented Theresa May with a Red Devils shirt. It was to celebrate his national team playing against England in the World Cup on Thursday night. Cue a hundred newspaper stories about the PM being caught with no gift to give in return. Or being tricked into holding up an item of clothing with the word \"Hazard\" on the back (because it was No 10 - which is Eden Hazard's position.) It turns out to be much more complicated. The plan all along was for BOTH sides to swap shirts. Theresa May even had multiple shirts for members of Mr Michel's family. But the Belgian jumped the gun and handed the present over earlier than planned, when Mrs May was empty-handed. An apparent British own-goal had travelled round the world before the truth had even laced up its football boots. Then the EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier arrived at the summit on Friday morning, saying that he had invited the UK for a round of Brexit negotiations \"next Monday\" as part of a plan to speed up the talks. After a few texts confirmed that he meant Monday 2 July and not Monday 9 July, there was another friction-filled episode. Two possible versions emerged of what might have happened: The second is not true. An email was sent on 26 June. I've seen it with my own eyes. But even reports that it might be the case caused outrage at the Commission. And then came claims that the reason the last round of Brexit talks wasn't more productive was because the EU side was under-prepared. \"We always suck it up when the Commission says it's our fault for not making any progress, but not this time,\" a British source complained. None of this has a substantive impact on the Brexit talks but it's juicy evidence of a relationship that's rocky rather than rosy. And neither side seems to mind if you know about it.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1019, "answer_start": 120, "text": "The cameras caught a magic moment at the start of the first working session, when the Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel presented Theresa May with a Red Devils shirt. It was to celebrate his national team playing against England in the World Cup on Thursday night. Cue a hundred newspaper stories about the PM being caught with no gift to give in return. Or being tricked into holding up an item of clothing with the word \"Hazard\" on the back (because it was No 10 - which is Eden Hazard's position.) It turns out to be much more complicated. The plan all along was for BOTH sides to swap shirts. Theresa May even had multiple shirts for members of Mr Michel's family. But the Belgian jumped the gun and handed the present over earlier than planned, when Mrs May was empty-handed. An apparent British own-goal had travelled round the world before the truth had even laced up its football boots." } ], "id": "9788_0", "question": "Dude, where's my shirt?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2030, "answer_start": 1020, "text": "Then the EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier arrived at the summit on Friday morning, saying that he had invited the UK for a round of Brexit negotiations \"next Monday\" as part of a plan to speed up the talks. After a few texts confirmed that he meant Monday 2 July and not Monday 9 July, there was another friction-filled episode. Two possible versions emerged of what might have happened: The second is not true. An email was sent on 26 June. I've seen it with my own eyes. But even reports that it might be the case caused outrage at the Commission. And then came claims that the reason the last round of Brexit talks wasn't more productive was because the EU side was under-prepared. \"We always suck it up when the Commission says it's our fault for not making any progress, but not this time,\" a British source complained. None of this has a substantive impact on the Brexit talks but it's juicy evidence of a relationship that's rocky rather than rosy. And neither side seems to mind if you know about it." } ], "id": "9788_1", "question": "Date night?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The BBC has broadcast a live event in 4K resolution and high dynamic range (HDR) colour for the first time. Its iPlayer service streamed a full rugby match on Sunday, which was made available to the public but not promoted in advance. BT began screening live sport in 4K in 2015, and Sky followed a year later. But many experts believe HDR offers the more significant improvement of the two video technologies for owners of all but the largest TVs. \"The trial met its objectives,\" said Phil Layton, BBC Research & Development's head of broadcast and connected systems. \"We have proved our workflows, but like all trials there are issues we need to investigate and correct for the future.\" HDR takes advantage of the fact modern screens can go brighter and/or darker than they used to be able to, providing a greater dynamic range. As a result, the shadows of an image can be made less murky while the highlights - including glints of light reflected off metal or water - can be given more impact. This makes it possible to deliver a television image that gets closer to the dynamic range the human eye can handle, thus making the picture seem more realistic. HDR is also accompanied by the adoption of a \"wider colour space\", meaning millions more colours can be displayed on compatible screens than had been the case before. \"We were very pleased when the Sun was able to push through the clouds, allowing the HDR to really show its full potential and capabilities in both dynamic range and the Rec 2020 colour space,\" said Quinn Cowper, from Timeline Television, which was also involved in the BBC trial. By contrast, 4K - also known as ultra-high definition (UHD) - refers to the fact that an image contains four times as many pixels as a 1080p high definition picture. This allows more detail to be displayed, but unless the TV is large or its audience is sitting close by, it can be hard to tell the difference. \"HDR is all about seeing the distance between the darkest blacks and whitest whites,\" said Joe Cox, from What Hi-Fi? magazine. \"It should make for a much more colourful and vibrant picture, which to anyone with a suitable TV is going to be that much more impressive than 4K alone.\" Last weekend's stream, of a rugby match involving the York City Knights and Catalans Dragons, followed a more limited test earlier in the year. In February, the BBC delivered a private livestream of 4K HDR footage from a FA Cup football club's ground to TV manufacturers. A spokesman said that the broadcaster had taken deliberate decision not to publicise the follow-up test - despite making it available to users of the iPlayer Beta app on compatible TVs - because the trial had been organised for the benefit of its engineers rather than the public at large. He declined to reveal when the next experiment was planned, or if a fully fledged service might be ready in time for the Fifa World Cup football competition, which begins on 14 June. Streaming services, including Netflix, Amazon and YouTube, already offer pre-recorded HDR TV programmes and films to UK viewers. But the BBC has teamed up with Japan's NHK to create a new flavour of the technology, which they call hybrid-log gamma (HLG). The two broadcasters say HLG is better suited to live broadcasts than other types of HDR because it does not need to provide metadata - data about other data - to work. \"The equipment just doesn't support it - and we know from where metadata is used elsewhere, it gets lost, it gets corrupted,\" the BBC Research & Development has previously said. HLG, however, has some theoretical downsides of its own. It is not capable of describing as wide a dynamic range as Dolby Vision, nor can it provide information to calibrate the image to particular TV models. However, the BBC Research & Development says its tests indicate people cannot notice the difference. The BBC is not, however, the first to livestream sport in HDR. In March, BT claimed a \"world first\" when it streamed a Uefa Champions League game involving Juventus and Tottenham Hotspur in the HDR 10 format. That trial, however, was limited to a 1080p resolution image rather than 4K.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2943, "answer_start": 2199, "text": "Last weekend's stream, of a rugby match involving the York City Knights and Catalans Dragons, followed a more limited test earlier in the year. In February, the BBC delivered a private livestream of 4K HDR footage from a FA Cup football club's ground to TV manufacturers. A spokesman said that the broadcaster had taken deliberate decision not to publicise the follow-up test - despite making it available to users of the iPlayer Beta app on compatible TVs - because the trial had been organised for the benefit of its engineers rather than the public at large. He declined to reveal when the next experiment was planned, or if a fully fledged service might be ready in time for the Fifa World Cup football competition, which begins on 14 June." } ], "id": "9789_0", "question": "World Cup next?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A volcano has erupted in New Zealand, leaving five people dead and several unaccounted for, police have said. Tourists were seen walking inside the crater of White Island volcano moments before Monday's eruption. Twenty-three people have been rescued, but it is unclear how many people remained on the island. Police say aerial reconnaissance flights have not identified any sign of life there. White Island, also called Whakaari, is the country's most active volcano. Despite that, the privately owned island is a tourist destination with frequent day tours and scenic flights available. Police have said fewer than 50 people were on the island when the volcano erupted. Deputy Police Commissioner John Tims told reporters that \"both New Zealand and overseas tourists\" were believed to be involved. Rescuers are not able to reach the island because of the risk of further eruptions, he added. It is currently night time in the area. Some of those injured are in a critical condition, Radio New Zealand reported. The eruption of White Island began at about 14:11 local time (01:11 GMT). Visitor Michael Schade - who was on a boat leaving the island after a morning tour - filmed a thick plume of ash and smoke as the volcano erupted. He told the BBC he was at the crater just 30 minutes before the eruption. \"It was still safe-ish but they were trying to limit the group sizes [of people visiting the volcano].\" Describing the eruption, he said: \"We had just got on the boat... then someone pointed it out and we saw it. I was basically just shocked. The boat turned back and we grabbed some people that were waiting on the pier.\" Another witness, Brazilian Allessandro Kauffmann, narrowly missed the eruption. \"There were two tours that went to this volcano today. One of them was ours, which was the first. We left five minutes before the volcano erupted,\" he posted on Instagram in Portuguese. \"This other tour that arrived right after, unfortunately they did not manage to leave in time, and there were some people that suffered serious burns.\" A live feed from the volcano showed a group of visitors inside the crater before images went dark. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said: \"I know there will be a huge amount of concern and anxiety for those who have loved ones at the island at that time - and I can assure them police are doing everything they can.\" She said falling ash was hampering attempts by rescuers to get to the site. The New Zealand Defence Force is now helping the rescue operation. A military plane has carried out surveillance and two helicopters and personnel are ready to assist. Police initially said there were 100 people on or near the island, but later revised down the number to 50. Some of them were passengers from the Ovation of the Seas, a cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean. It is currently at port in Tauranga, a coastal city near White Island. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australians had \"been caught up in this terrible event\", adding that authorities were \"working to determine their wellbeing\". On 3 December, geological hazard monitoring website GeoNet warned \"the volcano may be entering a period where eruptive activity is more likely than normal\", although it added \"the current level of activity does not pose a direct hazard to visitors\". University of Auckland associate professor Jan Lindsay said the alert level was recently raised from one to two. \"There was a heightened level of unrest and everyone was aware,\" she said. \"[The volcano] has a persistently active hydrothermal system... if gases build up under a block of clay or mud they can be released quite suddenly,\" Prof Lindsay said. \"It's possible that there's no magma involved, that it's just a phreatic eruption - a steam eruption. We don't know yet.\" When asked if visitors should have been on the island, Prof Lindsay said: \"It's a difficult question. It's often in a state of heightened unrest. \"It's a privately owned island and with lots of private tour operators. It is not part of the conservation estate - and so not under government control. \"GNS [New Zealand's geoscience institute] put out their alert bulletins and have good communication with tour companies, and they know what the risk is. \" White Island has seen several eruptions over the years, most recently in 2016, but no-one was hurt. Seismologist Ken Gledhill said: \"It was kind of almost like a throat-clearing kind of eruption - and that's why material probably won't have made it to mainland New Zealand. \"It went up about 12,000 metres into the sky and so... on the scheme of things for volcanic eruptions it's not large, but if you were close to that, it is not good.\" Are you in the area? If it's safe to share your experiences then please email [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 7756 165803 - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send pictures/video to [email protected] - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 or +44 7624 800 100 - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2147, "answer_start": 1013, "text": "The eruption of White Island began at about 14:11 local time (01:11 GMT). Visitor Michael Schade - who was on a boat leaving the island after a morning tour - filmed a thick plume of ash and smoke as the volcano erupted. He told the BBC he was at the crater just 30 minutes before the eruption. \"It was still safe-ish but they were trying to limit the group sizes [of people visiting the volcano].\" Describing the eruption, he said: \"We had just got on the boat... then someone pointed it out and we saw it. I was basically just shocked. The boat turned back and we grabbed some people that were waiting on the pier.\" Another witness, Brazilian Allessandro Kauffmann, narrowly missed the eruption. \"There were two tours that went to this volcano today. One of them was ours, which was the first. We left five minutes before the volcano erupted,\" he posted on Instagram in Portuguese. \"This other tour that arrived right after, unfortunately they did not manage to leave in time, and there were some people that suffered serious burns.\" A live feed from the volcano showed a group of visitors inside the crater before images went dark." } ], "id": "9790_0", "question": "What happened at the volcano?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3068, "answer_start": 2148, "text": "New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said: \"I know there will be a huge amount of concern and anxiety for those who have loved ones at the island at that time - and I can assure them police are doing everything they can.\" She said falling ash was hampering attempts by rescuers to get to the site. The New Zealand Defence Force is now helping the rescue operation. A military plane has carried out surveillance and two helicopters and personnel are ready to assist. Police initially said there were 100 people on or near the island, but later revised down the number to 50. Some of them were passengers from the Ovation of the Seas, a cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean. It is currently at port in Tauranga, a coastal city near White Island. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Australians had \"been caught up in this terrible event\", adding that authorities were \"working to determine their wellbeing\"." } ], "id": "9790_1", "question": "Who was on the island?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4690, "answer_start": 3069, "text": "On 3 December, geological hazard monitoring website GeoNet warned \"the volcano may be entering a period where eruptive activity is more likely than normal\", although it added \"the current level of activity does not pose a direct hazard to visitors\". University of Auckland associate professor Jan Lindsay said the alert level was recently raised from one to two. \"There was a heightened level of unrest and everyone was aware,\" she said. \"[The volcano] has a persistently active hydrothermal system... if gases build up under a block of clay or mud they can be released quite suddenly,\" Prof Lindsay said. \"It's possible that there's no magma involved, that it's just a phreatic eruption - a steam eruption. We don't know yet.\" When asked if visitors should have been on the island, Prof Lindsay said: \"It's a difficult question. It's often in a state of heightened unrest. \"It's a privately owned island and with lots of private tour operators. It is not part of the conservation estate - and so not under government control. \"GNS [New Zealand's geoscience institute] put out their alert bulletins and have good communication with tour companies, and they know what the risk is. \" White Island has seen several eruptions over the years, most recently in 2016, but no-one was hurt. Seismologist Ken Gledhill said: \"It was kind of almost like a throat-clearing kind of eruption - and that's why material probably won't have made it to mainland New Zealand. \"It went up about 12,000 metres into the sky and so... on the scheme of things for volcanic eruptions it's not large, but if you were close to that, it is not good.\"" } ], "id": "9790_2", "question": "Was there any forewarning of an eruption?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "It will be \"very difficult\" for the UK and the EU to reach a Brexit agreement before the 31 October deadline, Irish leader Leo Varadkar has said. He told Irish broadcaster RTE \"big gaps\" remained between the two sides. Amid claims on Tuesday that talks were close to collapse, he also suggested the language around the discussions had turned toxic \"in some quarters\". Mr Varadkar and Boris Johnson are expected to meet for further Brexit talks later this week. The UK has said the EU needs to \"move quickly\" to stop it leaving without an agreement at the end of the month. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who spoke with Mr Johnson by phone for about 45 minutes on Tuesday, said he would strive until the \"last moment\" to reach a deal with the UK, but \"not at any cost\" to his country, Northern Ireland and the rest of Europe. He also downplayed the chances of any agreement being struck before the crucial summit of EU leaders on 17 October, during which next steps for Brexit are likely to be decided. \"I think it's going to be very difficult to secure an agreement by next week, quite frankly,\" Mr Varadkar said. \"Essentially, what the UK has done is repudiated the deal that we negotiated in good faith with prime minister [Theresa] May's government over two years and have sort of put half of that now back on the table, and are saying that's a concession. And of course it isn't really.\" Mr Varadkar added that it was his job to hold the UK to commitments it had made since the 2016 referendum to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland and uphold the Good Friday Agreement. The Irish leader's comments came after a No 10 source claimed on Tuesday that Germany was now making it \"essentially impossible\" for the UK to leave the EU with a deal. That assessment followed a \"frank\" phone call between Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, during which they discussed Brexit proposals the UK prime minister put forward last week to the EU. After the call, a No 10 source said Mrs Merkel had made clear a deal based on the prime minister's plans was \"overwhelmingly unlikely\" - though the BBC's Adam Fleming said there was \"scepticism\" within the EU that she would have used such language. The No 10 source also suggested Mrs Merkel told her counterpart the only way to break the deadlock was for Northern Ireland to stay in the customs union and for it to permanently accept EU single market rules on trade in goods. This, the source said, marked a shift in Germany's approach and made a negotiated deal \"essentially impossible\". In response, the EU's top official, European Council President Donald Tusk, accused Mr Johnson of engaging in a \"stupid blame game\". In a tweet to the prime minister, he added: \"At stake is the future of Europe and the UK, as well as the security and interests of our people. \"You don't want a deal, you don't want an extension, you don't want to revoke, quo vadis (where are you going)?\" European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said that if negotiations fail, \"the explanation will be found in the British camp (because) the original sin is found on the islands and not on the continent\". Speaking to the French Les Echos newspaper, he added: \"A no-deal Brexit would lead to a collapse of the United Kingdom and a weakening of growth on the continent.\" In his interview with RTE, Mr Varadkar was asked whether he was concerned the language around the talks was \"getting toxic\". \"I think it is, from some quarters, but you know I don't play dirty. You know, I don't think most EU leaders do either. We've been very straight up from when the referendum happened.\" The prime minister also hosted European Parliament president David Sassoli in Downing Street on Tuesday, but the MEP left saying \"no progress\" had been made. Mr Sassoli later told the BBC's Newsnight programme: \"Angela Merkel's opinions must be taken seriously. We are all very worried because there are only a few days left. \"Because we understand that going out without an agreement leads to having a real problem, if not a real catastrophe.\" Following the meeting, Downing Street said there was \"little time\" left to negotiate a new legally-binding withdrawal agreement, but Mr Johnson remained committed to doing all he could. \"We need to move quickly and work together to agree a deal,\" a No 10 spokesman said. \"He [the prime minister] reiterated that if we did not reach an agreement then the UK will leave without a deal on 31 October.\" The PM's pledge comes despite legislation passed by MPs last month, known as the Benn Act, which requires Mr Johnson to write to the EU requesting a further delay if no deal is signed off by Parliament by 19 October - unless MPs agree to a no-deal Brexit. While negotiations are continuing in Brussels, Mr Sassoli said a deal likely to command the support of MEPs was a \"long way off\". Meanwhile, 19 Labour MPs have written to the European Commission president Mr Junker calling for a Brexit deal to be made with the government without any further delay. Caroline Flint, who represents the leave-supporting constituency of Don Valley, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the \"uncertainty of Brexit has gone on too long\" and the group did not think it was \"impossible\" to resolve the Irish border issue. Tuesday 8 October - The House of Commons was prorogued - suspended - ahead of a Queen's Speech to begin a new parliamentary session. Monday 14 October - The Commons is due to return, and the government will use the Queen's Speech to set out its legislative agenda. The speech will then be debated by MPs throughout the week. Thursday 17 October - Crucial two-day summit of EU leaders begins in Brussels. This is the last such meeting currently scheduled before the Brexit deadline. Saturday 19 October - Date by which the PM must ask the EU for another delay to Brexit under the Benn Act, if no Brexit deal has been approved by Parliament and they have not agreed to the UK leaving with no-deal. Thursday 31 October - Date by which the UK is due to leave the EU, with or without a withdrawal agreement.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6064, "answer_start": 5262, "text": "Tuesday 8 October - The House of Commons was prorogued - suspended - ahead of a Queen's Speech to begin a new parliamentary session. Monday 14 October - The Commons is due to return, and the government will use the Queen's Speech to set out its legislative agenda. The speech will then be debated by MPs throughout the week. Thursday 17 October - Crucial two-day summit of EU leaders begins in Brussels. This is the last such meeting currently scheduled before the Brexit deadline. Saturday 19 October - Date by which the PM must ask the EU for another delay to Brexit under the Benn Act, if no Brexit deal has been approved by Parliament and they have not agreed to the UK leaving with no-deal. Thursday 31 October - Date by which the UK is due to leave the EU, with or without a withdrawal agreement." } ], "id": "9791_0", "question": "Timeline: What's happening ahead of Brexit deadline?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan in a dramatic and bloody raid by US Navy Seals on 2 May 2011. Five years on the BBC's M Ilyas Khan finds loose ends, unsettling and unanswered questions, and a neighbourhood changed forever. The open spaces that once surrounded the sprawling compound are fast disappearing. When I first saw it, just hours after al-Qaeda's leader-in-hiding was killed, it was an open and quiet suburban lane. Now new houses - small, box-shaped, concrete - have come up and it has the feel of an ill-planned and crowded neighbourhood. But the view opens up as you venture further down the street to where the tall walls of the compound once stood. That was all razed, just months after his killing. Bin Laden's death: How it happened Legacy of Bin Laden's death Fragments of the concrete beams from his home are strewn about. A small pipe jutting out of the ground continues to spout water, as if a natural spring even though it is actually connected to a deep well that once pumped drinking water to the Bin Laden household. The water is now used by neighbours in an area where shallow well water is brackish and not everyone can afford deep drilling. What is unchanged is the memory of the event - which rocked Abbottabad and the entire world in May 2011 - and the measures some still take to avoid discussing it. A construction worker who worked on the compound agreed to see me when I assured him we wouldn't reveal his identity. But when I reached his home, there was a padlock on his door. A neighbour said he took his children out the previous night. One man will talk. Zain Baba, 84, has the distinction of being the first, and closest neighbour of the Bin Ladens. His small house was across the street. Every morning he comes out and sits under a huge maple tree, a sort of assembly point for the retired men of the neighbourhood. Until that night, he and his son Shamrez Khan worked as night watchmen for Arshad Khan, an ethnic Pashtun who lived in the compound with his family and that of his brother. To the Americans, Arshad Khan was the same man as Abu Ahmed al-Kuwati, the Kuwait-born courier of Bin Laden, whose phone calls apparently led them to the hideout. Zain Baba and his son had access to some parts of the compound. They were picked up by Pakistani intelligence after the raid and kept in custody for two months. \"They would tie our hands, blindfold us and take us for long drives from one place to another. They wanted to know if we saw Osama in the compound. We kept telling them that we didn't see anyone except the two brothers and some children.\" Five years later, he is still on the security radar. When foreign journalists come to the area, they want to talk to him, he says. \"Men in plain clothes riding government vehicles\" drop by to ask questions about the visitors, and to warn him against \"talking to such people\". He recounts how a French journalist who interviewed an aged neighbour of his was recently escorted away by security officials. The old man they had interviewed died later that night. The next day the men in plain clothes came to see Zain Baba and asked him about the whereabouts of his son, Shamrez. \"I am tired of people asking questions. I don't want to give any more interviews to the media. Even when the media speak to someone else, the security people come asking for me.\" He has a wryness about him and a fatalistic approach, but ultimately no true fear. He believes little can happen to him now - it is a situation that tells more about the paranoia of the security agencies than his safety. Shakil Rafiq is a changed man. He used to be an amiable and responsive man who mixed with his neighbours. \"He now walks with his head down, and if someone shouts a greeting at him, he just responds by waving a hand,\" says one neighbour. A small-time construction contractor, Mr Rafiq's business picked up after he was employed by Arshad Khan to supply labour and material for the construction of the Bin Laden compound. Mr Rafiq's life changed a few years later, after the US raid. Security agents raided his house and took him away. A neighbour who witnessed the arrest said the street was taken over by men in plain clothes and Mr Rafiq was escorted out carrying a shoulder bag. A security official who was part of the post-raid investigations says Mr Rafiq was picked up after it was found that various facilities were registered in his name. He didn't return for several months. In the intervening years, Mr Rafiq has disappeared several times for varying durations, the latest being just a few months ago, say neighbours and local journalists. He did not respond to several attempts by the BBC to contact him. One neighbour said: \"Every time he walks out carrying a shoulder bag, it's a sign that he is going to be away for a while. Where exactly? Nobody knows.\" Did policeman Yasir Khan know more than he ought to? Did he have direct links with residents of the compound? Nobody will know. He was posted to Abbottabad's police intelligence department back in May 2011, and did not live far from the compound. He was often seen hanging around in the area in plain clothes, sniffing for information like all spies do, says one senior security source. His colleagues say he was at home around midnight on 2 May, when the Americans destroyed one of the helicopters that crashed during the raid. The sound of the blast alerted police, and Mr Khan was one of several officials called to respond. The next day he was picked up by men in plain clothes. He is among dozens of people taken away by men in plain clothes after the raid. He is the only one who has not yet returned. A security official says he was alive until a year ago, but did not say where he was being held, or by which intelligence service. His family never speak to the media, but their pain is not hidden from their neighbours. His mother is still alive and he has a wife and children still clueless about his fate. Unusual but not extraordinary. That was how police interpreted the midnight blast of 2 May 2011. Abbottabad is a garrison town, and a helicopter crash, though rare, could be expected, explains a police officer who was among the first police officials who entered the compound. \"In the dark, we couldn't make out if the burning helicopter was Pakistani or American.\" They found women and children crying and shouting. The compound was soon taken over by the military and the police couldn't probe the matter any further. He remained part of the military-led investigations, but will not share those details. \"It was an embarrassing moment. We could neither admit nor deny that Osama was here. Our best option was to not to say anything.\" But staying silent on the matter has not helped the ghost of Bin Laden leave the town. \"There is a continuing state of alert in Abbottabad,\" he says. What was on Bin Laden's bookshelf? The implications of that night resonated well beyond this neighbourhood. Would Bin Laden be turning in his grave over the way al-Qaeda has gone? Could he have changed things? It has been increasingly overshadowed by the so-called Islamic State in many parts of Africa and the Middle East. In the Afghanistan-Pakistan region - which is the original birthplace of militant Islam - al-Qaeda continues to have links with local groups but appears to be more of one-among-equals now. Many say that al-Qaeda is more decentralised, with regional groups acting independently of the central leadership. This could be partly because the leaders are not as militarily experienced, ideologically articulate or charismatic as Bin Laden was, and hence cannot inspire the same loyalty. But it could also simply be the changed security environment. In pictures: Osama Bin Laden's life Bin Laden files: Seven things we learned It was the fact that Bin Laden's home was spitting distance from a prime military academy that led to speculation about the lack of, or the extent of, Pakistani complicity. It has been a huge embarrassment for the Pakistani military, which literally runs the country's security policy - and so the response of officials has been silence. They have also kept tight vigil over those connected to the compound to prevent them from passing on any information to the media or \"foreign agents disguised as journalists\", as one official put it. Pakistani and US officials have publicly said that Pakistani authorities were not aware of Bin Laden's presence in Abbottabad, but many have contrary views. American journalist Seymour Hersch argues Bin Laden had been in Pakistani custody since 2006 and was killed after the country struck a deal with US. Part of his argument is the ability of US helicopters to fly nearly 200km over Pakistani territory to get Bin Laden, and fly back, without being interrupted. If true, then this \"prisoner\" also had enough freedom to travel around in the tribal region until as late as May 2010, as the BBC discovered on good authority. Official circles and independent analysts here say that while the Pakistani government could not possibly have had any knowledge of Bin Laden's whereabouts, that a handful of top officials in some powerful quarters may have known cannot be ruled out. Either way, the events of a small block of this mountain town five years ago not only changed the lives of those unlucky enough to be his neighbours, but also marked a moment with massive implications for the world as we know it. ", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5986, "answer_start": 4870, "text": "Did policeman Yasir Khan know more than he ought to? Did he have direct links with residents of the compound? Nobody will know. He was posted to Abbottabad's police intelligence department back in May 2011, and did not live far from the compound. He was often seen hanging around in the area in plain clothes, sniffing for information like all spies do, says one senior security source. His colleagues say he was at home around midnight on 2 May, when the Americans destroyed one of the helicopters that crashed during the raid. The sound of the blast alerted police, and Mr Khan was one of several officials called to respond. The next day he was picked up by men in plain clothes. He is among dozens of people taken away by men in plain clothes after the raid. He is the only one who has not yet returned. A security official says he was alive until a year ago, but did not say where he was being held, or by which intelligence service. His family never speak to the media, but their pain is not hidden from their neighbours. His mother is still alive and he has a wife and children still clueless about his fate." } ], "id": "9792_0", "question": "The policeman who knew too much?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Millions of pounds of is being spent on the government's flagship citizenship scheme for young people while local youth clubs are closing, councils say. The National Citizen Service, a four-week summer scheme for 15 to 17-year-olds - accounts for 95% of central government spending on youth services. But the Local Government Association said only 12% of eligible teens took part in 2016. The government said the service has improved 400,000 young people's lives. Launched by former Prime Minister David Cameron - who now chairs its board of patrons - in 2011, the service cost the government PS634m between 2014/15 and 2017/18. The government said it was investing another PS80 million on youth projects. But the LGA said it was \"wrong\" that funding was tied up in one \"very short programme\", saying more than 600 youth centres had closed between 2012 and 2016. The money should instead be given to local councils, who could then provide \"all-year-round provision for young people\", it added. The LGA represents 370 councils in England and Wales. The citizen service runs in England and Northern Ireland. The NCS was launched in 2011 by David Cameron as part of his \"Big Society\" project. Now open to teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17, the NCS is a four-week programme that runs in local communities during the summer. Volunteers take part in outdoor activities such as rock climbing and canoeing - while also working on community projects and learning skills such as money management. Anntoinette Bramble, chair of the LGA's children and young people board, said that while the NCS was a \"good programme\", the government needed to \"provide targeted support to a much wider group of young people\". Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mervyn Kaye, who runs youth clubs in Lewisham, said the work of the NCS was \"great\", but said \"time change\". \"Simply put, youth workers need to be local. At a time of scarcity, local authorities need that cash to fund youth clubs.\" He said the NCS helped \"very small numbers\" of young adding: \"Where do they go afterwards, if you cut youth services?\" But the scheme's chief executive Michael Lynas said the NCS was a national scheme which was why it was funded by central government, adding that councils spent twice as much every year on local youth services. He added: \"It's growing very quickly, and it's working for those young people.\" This is not the first time the NCS has faced calls for change. In 2017, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said it \"may no longer be justifiable\" to keep the NCS going unless costs could be brought down. The PAC report added that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which has overall responsibility for the scheme, lacked the data to \"measure long-term outcomes of the programme or understand what works\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1492, "answer_start": 1106, "text": "The NCS was launched in 2011 by David Cameron as part of his \"Big Society\" project. Now open to teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17, the NCS is a four-week programme that runs in local communities during the summer. Volunteers take part in outdoor activities such as rock climbing and canoeing - while also working on community projects and learning skills such as money management." } ], "id": "9793_0", "question": "What is the National Citizen Service?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "When you register to vote, your name and address are placed on the electoral roll - a public document that is available to all. For some, that can lead to a potentially dangerous dilemma. \"If I were being really cynical about it, one could argue that it's almost sexual discrimination by the back door,\" says a women we'll call Kate, as we talk about her struggle to access the vote after escaping an abusive relationship, with the two small boys. Kate was always politically engaged. She had been registered to vote by post at her previous address - but it was too dangerous for her to return there to pick up her ballot paper and she couldn't make her new address public for fear her abusive partner could catch up with her. But she still wanted to vote. So she began researching her options. Initially, she found nothing online to help her. Eventually, her mother suggested asking her local council. \"The first person she spoke to said she had no idea what my mother was talking about but when pressed did find a senior officer,\" Kate says. \"This officer knew that I could register anonymously and checked my current address and advised there was a special form that would be posted to me.\" It was the first time Kate had heard of the system. It seems many others don't know it exists. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows 2,268 people in England and Wales registered anonymously in 2016 - rising to 2,525 in 2017, the year of the last general election. But Women's Aid says more than 13,000 women in England were taken into emergency or refuge accommodation in 2016-17. \"That is obviously a very small fraction of survivors who had successfully used the anonymous registration system,\" Lucy Hadley, the charity's campaigns and public affairs manager, says. - CONFUSED? Our simple election guide - MANIFESTO GUIDE: Who should I vote for? - POSTCODE SEARCH: Find your local candidates - POLLS: How are the parties doing? - A TO Z: Our tool to explain election words And even after having discovered the option to register anonymously, Kate still had to jump through \"many hoops\". People can apply for anonymous registration only if they have certain documents - such as a court injunction or a letter asserting they would be at risk if their address was publicly available. Previously, these could be issued only by senior figures in crime prevention and social services. But following pressure from a campaign by women's organisations, the list of people who can provide such a letter was last year expanded to include managers at refuges, police inspectors, and registered nurses or GPs. \"My particular court order was not included,\" Kate says. \"It was like another barrier going up. In a situation such as mine - and I'm certainly not unique - there is so much going what with different social services and the courts that having to fight to vote is probably not up there on most people's top 10 to do list.\" But Kate was told she could ask her GP. \"I seem to be always up there with tiny children, so I asked there,\" she says. She worried there would be a fee but wasn't charged. \"I got the form to the town hall in time so I am now in the system,\" she says. While she welcomes the recent changes that allow more people to provide evidence, Ms Hadley says more needs to be done to help women like Kate. Most people have to register to vote once only. They will have to re-register after moving house and local councils are likely to check the electoral roll is still correct every year. However, under the current system, anonymous registration lasts a year only. Those registered have to re-apply - and gather all the evidence again - every time they want to vote in an election. According to Ms Hadley, the government says the system is designed to protect those whose safety is \"currently at risk\". But Women's Aid is calling for the 12-month limit to be scrapped. \"We are concerned that many survivors will continue to face barriers to voting because they cannot 'evidence' that their current safety is at risk,\" Ms Hadley says. \"Domestic abuse does not end when a relationship ends. \"We know professionals' understanding of post-separation abuse, and the continued harm women suffer after leaving, can be poor - therefore it may be challenging for survivors to keep accessing an 'attestation' from a professional for anonymous registration after the relationship has ended.\" Here's a concise guide to where the parties stand on key issues like Brexit, education and the NHS.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4499, "answer_start": 4400, "text": "Here's a concise guide to where the parties stand on key issues like Brexit, education and the NHS." } ], "id": "9794_0", "question": "What are the parties promising you?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Pointing the finger of blame at parents for children's weight gain may be unfair, research suggests. It has been thought that parents' feeding patterns are a major factor in whether a child is under or overweight. But a study suggests parents adapt their feeding styles in line with a child's natural weight and size, which is largely genetically influenced. The study was carried out by researchers at King's College London and University College London (UCL). The research says that, since the onset of the childhood obesity crisis at the turn of the century, the spotlight has focused on environmental factors for the problem - in the hope of finding solutions. \"Perhaps unsurprisingly, parental behaviours have received a great deal of attention,\" it says. \"Parents are widely considered to be the 'gatekeepers' to their children's food, and powerful shapers of their developing eating behaviour.\" The study notes that two types of parental feeding styles, in particular, play a role in how parents regulate children's eating habits: - restriction of food, which is thought to lead to weight gain because children overeat when the restriction is not there (the \"forbidden fruit\" effect) - pressure to eat, which is thought to make children with low appetites anxious, and compromise weight gain But rather than dictate children's habits, the research suggests parents are \"responding to their child's emerging characteristics, not simply causing them\". The researchers assessed data, from the Twins Early Development Study, of 4,500 sets of twins born in England and Wales between 1994 and 1996. They calculated a genetic score that sets out the likelihood of these individuals to have a higher or lower body mass index (BMI). They then matched this score against parents' feeding reports, setting out whether they used restriction or pressure. The study found those children with a higher genetic BMI score had higher reported rates of parental restriction and those with lower BMIs had higher rates of pressuring, suggesting parents were adjusting their strategies for each child. Even within families where non-identical twins differed in their genetic predisposition, parents were more restrictive with the twin who had a tendency to be of a higher weight and were more pressuring of the twin who tended to weigh less. Lead author, Saskia Selzam, from King's College London, says: \"Our findings suggest that parents develop their feeding practices in response to their child's natural tendency towards a higher or lower weight. \"The way a parent feeds their child may also influence their child's weight to some extent, but our results challenge the prevailing view that parental behaviour is the major influence on childhood weight.\" Senior author, Dr Clare Llewellyn from UCL, adds: \"These results show that parents are not the 'full story' when it comes to a child's weight, and blaming parents for being too controlling about feeding may be unfair. \"But it is unclear whether these natural 'go to' strategies are helpful, harmful, or of no consequence to a child's weight in the long run.\" Ms Selzam says parents clearly have an impact, but not only in establishing learnt eating behaviours. \"It doesn't mean that feeding strategies aren't important. \"But the main point is how parents influence their children's BMI genetically. \"A lot of studies suggest it must be the parents that cause the weight gain, but we are showing that it's more complex than that.\" The researchers say further study is needed to identify which feeding strategies are acceptable and how they work. The study is published in PLOS Genetics.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3101, "answer_start": 2327, "text": "Lead author, Saskia Selzam, from King's College London, says: \"Our findings suggest that parents develop their feeding practices in response to their child's natural tendency towards a higher or lower weight. \"The way a parent feeds their child may also influence their child's weight to some extent, but our results challenge the prevailing view that parental behaviour is the major influence on childhood weight.\" Senior author, Dr Clare Llewellyn from UCL, adds: \"These results show that parents are not the 'full story' when it comes to a child's weight, and blaming parents for being too controlling about feeding may be unfair. \"But it is unclear whether these natural 'go to' strategies are helpful, harmful, or of no consequence to a child's weight in the long run.\"" } ], "id": "9795_0", "question": "What do the results show?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3629, "answer_start": 3102, "text": "Ms Selzam says parents clearly have an impact, but not only in establishing learnt eating behaviours. \"It doesn't mean that feeding strategies aren't important. \"But the main point is how parents influence their children's BMI genetically. \"A lot of studies suggest it must be the parents that cause the weight gain, but we are showing that it's more complex than that.\" The researchers say further study is needed to identify which feeding strategies are acceptable and how they work. The study is published in PLOS Genetics." } ], "id": "9795_1", "question": "Do parents have any impact on weight?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "This may not surprise anyone aged 18-34 but according to US Census data, if you're in that age bracket, your life differs wildly from your parents. Gone are the steady jobs and home ownership of yore. Gone too is married life - more 18-34 year-olds live with their parents than with a spouse. The US Census Bureau report found that the extent to which young people reached milestones like living alone was \"tied to economic security\". But some of their expectations of what it means to be an adult have changed. In these hard economic times, then, about a third of millennials still live at home with their parents. Last year, research found it was the most common living arrangement for young adults - for the first time in 130 years. There are 24 million 18-34-year-olds, among whom there are more men than women. And of them, 2.2. million are not studying or working. Some of those who stay at home have disabilities or poor health, but it seems many are just priced out of moving out. Weirdly, though, this study counts college dorms as being \"at home\". Maybe because they think it's parents who pay for that? The study compared the 18-34 year old age group with young adults in 1975, their parents' generation. So what's changed between then and now? A few things: Back then, eight in 10 people were married by 30. Now, young people wait longer. By the age of 45, eight in 10 are married too. Maybe it's because they don't see family as a marker of adulthood in the way their parents might have done; more than half of young Americans today say marrying and having children are not very important for becoming an adult. The state where young people were most likely to be living in their own household was North Dakota, where 60% of young people were living alone or with a partner or spouse. Millennials these days believe in getting a good education. More than 60% said finishing school was very important for becoming an adult. More women work outside the home nowadays - it's one of the biggest changes highlighted in the report. Only 14% of 25-34 year-old women are homemakers now, compared to 43% in 1975. This change drove an overall boost; young people today are more likely to be employed year-round than their parents were at the same age. Only a quarter of men had low incomes in 1975 (annual salaries of less than $30,000 - PS23,500 - in 2015 money). But by 2015, that had risen to 41%. The study's authors said men were \"falling behind\" and, compared to 1975, were \"more likely to be absent from the work force and a far higher share today are at the bottom of the income ladder. It's worth bearing in mind though, that young men's median income is still $11,000 (PS8,500) a year higher than women's. Good question. This study says it counts \"people born between 1982 and 1998, which roughly corresponds to the millennial generation\". A guide to the generation was published for MPs in the UK last week, and it called them people who \"would have experienced at least some, if not all, of their teenage years and early adulthood in the 21st Century\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3067, "answer_start": 2719, "text": "Good question. This study says it counts \"people born between 1982 and 1998, which roughly corresponds to the millennial generation\". A guide to the generation was published for MPs in the UK last week, and it called them people who \"would have experienced at least some, if not all, of their teenage years and early adulthood in the 21st Century\"." } ], "id": "9796_0", "question": "What is a millennial anyway?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "New Chinese tariffs of up to 25% have been imposed on $60bn (PS46bn) worth of US goods. The tariffs, which came into force at midnight in Beijing on 1 June, are in retaliation for the US doubling tariffs on $200bn of Chinese goods in May. China had previously imposed tariffs of between 5-10% on 5,140 US products. On Friday, China announced plans to blacklist some foreign firms and individuals it deemed harmful to the country's interests. China's Commerce Ministry said it had decided to create an \"undesirable entities\" list to combat \"unilateralism and trade protectionism\". \"At present, the world economic development is uncertain and unstable factors are increasing,\" Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng told reporters at a press conference in Beijing. \"Unilateralism and trade protectionism are on the rise. The multilateral trading system is facing severe challenges, and normal international economic and trade activities are negatively disrupted.\" He added that China would blacklist any entities, organisations or individuals who could cause \"substantial damage\" to Chinese enterprises, as well as any entities that pose a potential threat to China's national security. Beijing's tariffs on American goods aren't going to have much of an impact on US economic growth. After all, China is only able to tax around $120bn worth of America's goods - that's how much it imported from the US last year. Economists say at most, the US might see about one tenth of its gross domestic product shaved off by Beijing's tariffs. But what could hurt the US is reduced Chinese investment. The US China Business Council has warned that exports to China from the US were down about 7% last year because of the trade war. Separately, a report by the US-China Investment Project found Chinese investment into the US plummeted by 60% in 2018, partly because of the souring political climate. Beijing could go even further, as I've said before, and in recent days it has even warned about curbing its rare earth exports to the US. China is by far the largest producer of these raw materials, used in a range of products from electronics to renewable energy - and vital for many American industries. If it does curb rare earth exports to the US, it would be challenging for American companies to find alternative sources quickly. China's move mirrors a similar one by US President Donald Trump in mid-May, where he declared a national emergency to protect US computer networks from \"foreign adversaries\". The Trump administration then added Huawei to a list of companies that American firms cannot trade with unless they have a licence. Huawei has been at the epicentre of the US-China power struggle for months. Led by the US, the firm faces a growing backlash from Western countries over possible risks posed by using its products in next-generation 5G mobile networks. The US argues the Chinese government could use Huawei products for surveillance. Huawei denies such claims and says it is independent from the Chinese government. So far, the US has imposed tariffs on $250bn of Chinese goods, having accused the country of unfair trade practices. Beijing hit back with duties on $110bn of US goods, blaming the US for starting \"the largest trade war in economic history\". Tariffs will be raised on a total of 5,140 products. They include: - Meat: Fresh or cold boned sheep meat, smoked or salted beef, chopped meat - Alcohol: Sparkling wine, regular wine, other fermented beverages, gin, tequila - Oil seeds and fruits: Sunflower seeds, other oily seeds and fruits, plants mainly used as medicine - Frozen foods: peas, corn, legumes, spinach, fruits and nuts", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2324, "answer_start": 1186, "text": "Beijing's tariffs on American goods aren't going to have much of an impact on US economic growth. After all, China is only able to tax around $120bn worth of America's goods - that's how much it imported from the US last year. Economists say at most, the US might see about one tenth of its gross domestic product shaved off by Beijing's tariffs. But what could hurt the US is reduced Chinese investment. The US China Business Council has warned that exports to China from the US were down about 7% last year because of the trade war. Separately, a report by the US-China Investment Project found Chinese investment into the US plummeted by 60% in 2018, partly because of the souring political climate. Beijing could go even further, as I've said before, and in recent days it has even warned about curbing its rare earth exports to the US. China is by far the largest producer of these raw materials, used in a range of products from electronics to renewable energy - and vital for many American industries. If it does curb rare earth exports to the US, it would be challenging for American companies to find alternative sources quickly." } ], "id": "9797_0", "question": "What could happen next?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Dutch prosecutors investigating the murder of three people on a tram said a letter found in the gunman's getaway car was among the reasons why a terrorist motive was being seriously considered. Three people were killed and three others seriously wounded in the attack in the central city of Utrecht. Turkish-born suspect Gokmen Tanis was arrested on Monday evening. No connection has been found between Mr Tanis and the victims of the attack. Police said on Tuesday that armed officers had arrested another suspect, a 40-year-old man, in Utrecht. A statement said he was \"suspected of involvement\" and his role was under investigation. Two other men arrested on Monday were released and were no longer suspects, police said. Prime Minister Mark Rutte laid flowers at the scene of the attack on Tuesday afternoon. In a statement he paid tribute to the people of Utrecht who had \"remained calm despite the great threat\". \"So far a terrorist motive is being seriously taken into account. Among other things a letter found in the getaway car and the nature of the facts give rise to that,\" a statement said (in Dutch), without detailing the contents of the letter. Prosecutors say a firearm was found when Tanis was detained. They say other motives have not been ruled out. The red Renault Clio getaway car was stolen from the scene of the attack and later found in Utrecht's Tichelaarslaan close to where the suspect was arrested. Owner Frans Hoogendijk said he had abandoned the car with the engine running when he saw people fleeing the tram and one shouted at him to run for his life. \"I thought it was a bomb and leapt out of my car,\" he told the AD website. Neighbours had earlier described the suspected gunman as a \"loser\" and a petty criminal rather than a terrorist. Dutch justice officials confirmed on Tuesday that he had been released from custody recently in a rape case, which was due to go to court in July. He was freed after promising to co-operate with authorities. He has been convicted of crimes this month as well as in the past. According to Dutch law Tanis must appear in court by Thursday. Two of the three people who died have been named: - Roos Verschuur, 19, worked in a snack-bar in Vianen south of Utrecht - Rinke Terpstra, 49, was a football coach with the Desto youth club - he had three children - The third victim was a 28-year-old man from Utrecht Three of the wounded are in a serious condition and Mayor Jan van Zanen visited one of them in hospital on Tuesday. Two are women in their early 20s and a man in his 70s. Flags were flying at half-mast on public buildings in the Netherlands on Tuesday and flowers were laid at the site of the attack in Utrecht's 24 Oktoberplein. Anna Holligan, BBC News, Utrecht Sarah cycled to the scene to lay a fresh bouquet of tulips, her 13-month-old toddler, Jet, harnessed in a seat on the front of the bike. \"I felt afraid to come out,\" she told me. \"But I had to show my daughter that we have to be strong, to keep living.\" A note pinned to a bunch of roses read, \"It hit right through the heart.\" A Muslim man fell to his knees, his head bowed and hands cupped in silent prayer. The victims appear to have been targeted at random. Among the tears and shows of solidarity, the overwhelming sense among the people is, it could have been one of us. Police released Gokmen Tanis's name after the shooting as they searched his home and other addresses. Prosecutors said he was known to police while friends told Dutch media that he had been in trouble on a number of occasions. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country's intelligence service was \"looking into\" the attack. Gokmen Tanis was not known for extreme religious beliefs, although he was once captured on video criticising a female reporter's clothing. A 47-year-old woman called Angelique told Algemeen Dagblad that Tanis was a drug user with a criminal record who was facing trial for raping her in 2017. She said he had recently been freed from custody after violating the conditions of an earlier release. \"He's not a terrorist but a psychopath,\" she said. The case is due to return to court during the summer. Earlier this month he was given jail terms for shoplifting as well as burglary. In 2014 he was cleared of attempted manslaughter but given a jail term for illegal arms possession. Several reports said his marriage had fallen apart. A neighbour who grew up with the suspect told De Volkskrant newspaper that he did not go the mosque and the case had nothing to do with religion. \"He's a lost boy with the IQ of a shrimp.\" At about 10:45 local time (09:45 GMT), police were called to reports of a shooting on board one of the city's trams at the 24 Oktoberplein junction. One witness told local media that \"a man started shooting wildly\". Another witness told Dutch public broadcaster NOS that he had helped an injured woman when the tram came to an emergency stop. \"I looked behind me and saw someone lying there behind the tram,\" he said. \"People got out of their cars... and they started to lift her up. \"I helped to pull her out and then I saw a gunman run towards us, with his gun raised,\" he said. \"I heard people yell 'Shooter! Shooter!' and I started to run.\" The gunman then fled the scene, leading to the manhunt which lasted for much of Monday. A number of raids were reportedly carried out and counter-terrorism officers were pictured patrolling the streets near to where the attack happened. Police surrounded a building not far from the scene of the attack and arrested Mr Tanis on Monday evening.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2110, "answer_start": 919, "text": "\"So far a terrorist motive is being seriously taken into account. Among other things a letter found in the getaway car and the nature of the facts give rise to that,\" a statement said (in Dutch), without detailing the contents of the letter. Prosecutors say a firearm was found when Tanis was detained. They say other motives have not been ruled out. The red Renault Clio getaway car was stolen from the scene of the attack and later found in Utrecht's Tichelaarslaan close to where the suspect was arrested. Owner Frans Hoogendijk said he had abandoned the car with the engine running when he saw people fleeing the tram and one shouted at him to run for his life. \"I thought it was a bomb and leapt out of my car,\" he told the AD website. Neighbours had earlier described the suspected gunman as a \"loser\" and a petty criminal rather than a terrorist. Dutch justice officials confirmed on Tuesday that he had been released from custody recently in a rape case, which was due to go to court in July. He was freed after promising to co-operate with authorities. He has been convicted of crimes this month as well as in the past. According to Dutch law Tanis must appear in court by Thursday." } ], "id": "9798_0", "question": "What did prosecutors say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2708, "answer_start": 2111, "text": "Two of the three people who died have been named: - Roos Verschuur, 19, worked in a snack-bar in Vianen south of Utrecht - Rinke Terpstra, 49, was a football coach with the Desto youth club - he had three children - The third victim was a 28-year-old man from Utrecht Three of the wounded are in a serious condition and Mayor Jan van Zanen visited one of them in hospital on Tuesday. Two are women in their early 20s and a man in his 70s. Flags were flying at half-mast on public buildings in the Netherlands on Tuesday and flowers were laid at the site of the attack in Utrecht's 24 Oktoberplein." } ], "id": "9798_1", "question": "Who are the victims?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4578, "answer_start": 3319, "text": "Police released Gokmen Tanis's name after the shooting as they searched his home and other addresses. Prosecutors said he was known to police while friends told Dutch media that he had been in trouble on a number of occasions. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country's intelligence service was \"looking into\" the attack. Gokmen Tanis was not known for extreme religious beliefs, although he was once captured on video criticising a female reporter's clothing. A 47-year-old woman called Angelique told Algemeen Dagblad that Tanis was a drug user with a criminal record who was facing trial for raping her in 2017. She said he had recently been freed from custody after violating the conditions of an earlier release. \"He's not a terrorist but a psychopath,\" she said. The case is due to return to court during the summer. Earlier this month he was given jail terms for shoplifting as well as burglary. In 2014 he was cleared of attempted manslaughter but given a jail term for illegal arms possession. Several reports said his marriage had fallen apart. A neighbour who grew up with the suspect told De Volkskrant newspaper that he did not go the mosque and the case had nothing to do with religion. \"He's a lost boy with the IQ of a shrimp.\"" } ], "id": "9798_2", "question": "What is known about the suspect?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5567, "answer_start": 4579, "text": "At about 10:45 local time (09:45 GMT), police were called to reports of a shooting on board one of the city's trams at the 24 Oktoberplein junction. One witness told local media that \"a man started shooting wildly\". Another witness told Dutch public broadcaster NOS that he had helped an injured woman when the tram came to an emergency stop. \"I looked behind me and saw someone lying there behind the tram,\" he said. \"People got out of their cars... and they started to lift her up. \"I helped to pull her out and then I saw a gunman run towards us, with his gun raised,\" he said. \"I heard people yell 'Shooter! Shooter!' and I started to run.\" The gunman then fled the scene, leading to the manhunt which lasted for much of Monday. A number of raids were reportedly carried out and counter-terrorism officers were pictured patrolling the streets near to where the attack happened. Police surrounded a building not far from the scene of the attack and arrested Mr Tanis on Monday evening." } ], "id": "9798_3", "question": "What happened on Monday?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Outgoing German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen has been confirmed as the next president of the European Commission, replacing Jean-Claude Juncker. She will now form a new team of commissioners and they will start their new term on 1 November, a day after the UK is due to leave the EU. But what is the European Commission, and why does it matter to the more than 500 million people living in the EU's 28 countries? Its job is to develop laws for member states and enforce them. Based in Brussels, it's the only EU body that can draft laws. It employs more than 32,000 staff in total and its running costs this year are EUR3.6bn. Once its proposals have the approval of the European Parliament and a council of 28 ministers from the EU states, they can become law. The laws it proposes cover many areas. Clean air The European Commission has referred a number of countries - including the UK - to court for breaching air pollution limits. Fines amounting to millions of pounds could be enforced by the EU body, which says it \"owed it to its citizens\" to take legal action. Rule of law The European Commission has also taken action against some eastern member states over the rule of law. It launched a series of legal actions against Poland over reforms to its judiciary. And it warned Romania it would take legal action if it failed to scrap measures seen to threaten the independence of its courts. Data protection The EU made changes last year to data privacy regulations, tightening up rules about the way companies use our personal information. The General Data Protection Regulation has seen companies compelled to do more to protect data. There are punishments for those who fail - British Airways, for example, is facing a record fine over a website security breach. Internet giants Curbing the power of internet giants has also been a focus for the European Commission. It has fined Google three times in the past two years. Most recently, it hit the firm with a EUR1.49bn (PS1.28bn) fine for blocking rival online search advertisers. Competition cases have also been brought against Apple, Amazon, Ikea, Gazprom and chip giant Qualcomm. Going overseas Mobile roaming charges for travellers within the EU ended in 2017, after a lengthy battle between the European Commission and mobile operators. The new rules meant consumers travelling within any EU country could text, call or go online on their mobiles for the same cost as they would pay at home. On air safety, the commission maintains a list of airlines which are either banned from operating in Europe, or face restrictions on their operations. Olive oil Less popular was an attempt in 2013 to introduce rules for restaurants about refillable bottles and dipping bowls for olive oil. The move was introduced to improve hygiene and protect consumers, said the commission. But it was ridiculed as unnecessary interference, and the EU backtracked on the idea shortly afterwards. Every five years, the 28 commissioners are replaced. New commissioners - one from each country - and a president of the commission are put forward to be voted on by a newly-elected European Parliament. These candidates all have to be approved by a clear majority of the parliament, which has 751 MEPs. The process of finding a candidate to fill the role of president this time caused controversy. Mrs von der Leyen was put forward by political leaders in the EU as their preferred candidate in a last-minute deal. The leaders rejected the candidacy process agreed with the European Parliament, under which political groupings put forward their own candidates during EU parliamentary elections. Mrs von der Leyen is a close ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but she faces some opposition from green and left-wing political groups. She is the first woman to lead the European Commission.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2948, "answer_start": 422, "text": "Its job is to develop laws for member states and enforce them. Based in Brussels, it's the only EU body that can draft laws. It employs more than 32,000 staff in total and its running costs this year are EUR3.6bn. Once its proposals have the approval of the European Parliament and a council of 28 ministers from the EU states, they can become law. The laws it proposes cover many areas. Clean air The European Commission has referred a number of countries - including the UK - to court for breaching air pollution limits. Fines amounting to millions of pounds could be enforced by the EU body, which says it \"owed it to its citizens\" to take legal action. Rule of law The European Commission has also taken action against some eastern member states over the rule of law. It launched a series of legal actions against Poland over reforms to its judiciary. And it warned Romania it would take legal action if it failed to scrap measures seen to threaten the independence of its courts. Data protection The EU made changes last year to data privacy regulations, tightening up rules about the way companies use our personal information. The General Data Protection Regulation has seen companies compelled to do more to protect data. There are punishments for those who fail - British Airways, for example, is facing a record fine over a website security breach. Internet giants Curbing the power of internet giants has also been a focus for the European Commission. It has fined Google three times in the past two years. Most recently, it hit the firm with a EUR1.49bn (PS1.28bn) fine for blocking rival online search advertisers. Competition cases have also been brought against Apple, Amazon, Ikea, Gazprom and chip giant Qualcomm. Going overseas Mobile roaming charges for travellers within the EU ended in 2017, after a lengthy battle between the European Commission and mobile operators. The new rules meant consumers travelling within any EU country could text, call or go online on their mobiles for the same cost as they would pay at home. On air safety, the commission maintains a list of airlines which are either banned from operating in Europe, or face restrictions on their operations. Olive oil Less popular was an attempt in 2013 to introduce rules for restaurants about refillable bottles and dipping bowls for olive oil. The move was introduced to improve hygiene and protect consumers, said the commission. But it was ridiculed as unnecessary interference, and the EU backtracked on the idea shortly afterwards." } ], "id": "9799_0", "question": "What does the European Commission do?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3841, "answer_start": 2949, "text": "Every five years, the 28 commissioners are replaced. New commissioners - one from each country - and a president of the commission are put forward to be voted on by a newly-elected European Parliament. These candidates all have to be approved by a clear majority of the parliament, which has 751 MEPs. The process of finding a candidate to fill the role of president this time caused controversy. Mrs von der Leyen was put forward by political leaders in the EU as their preferred candidate in a last-minute deal. The leaders rejected the candidacy process agreed with the European Parliament, under which political groupings put forward their own candidates during EU parliamentary elections. Mrs von der Leyen is a close ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, but she faces some opposition from green and left-wing political groups. She is the first woman to lead the European Commission." } ], "id": "9799_1", "question": "Why is there controversy about the top job?" } ] } ]