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[ { "context": "A top US immigration official has revised a quote inscribed on the Statue of Liberty in defence of a new policy that denies food aid to legal migrants. The head of Citizenship and Immigration Services tweaked the passage: \"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free\". The official added the words \"who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge\". He later said the poem had referred to \"people coming from Europe\". Ken Cuccinelli, the Trump administration's acting head of Citizenship and Immigration Services, announced on Monday a new \"public charge\" requirement that limits legal migrants from seeking certain public benefits such as public housing or food aid, or are considered likely to do so in the future. The new regulation, known as a \"public charge rule\", was published in the Federal Register on Monday and will take effect on 15 October. The rule change is intended to reinforce \"ideals of self-sufficiency\", officials said. Critics argue that it will prevent low-income US residents from seeking help. On Tuesday, Mr Cuccinelli was asked by NPR whether the 1883 poem titled The New Colossus at the Statue of Liberty still applied. \"Would you also agree that Emma Lazarus's words etched on the Statue of Liberty, 'Give me your tired, give me your poor,' are also a part of the American ethos?\" asked NPR's Rachel Martin. \"They certainly are,\" Mr Cuccinelli responded. \"Give me your tired and your poor - who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge.\" \"That plaque was put on the Statue of Liberty at almost the same time as the first public charge [law] was passed - very interesting timing,\" he added. The actual passage reads in part: \"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!\" In the interview, he added that immigrants are welcome \"who can stand on their own two feet, be self-sufficient, pull themselves up by their bootstraps, again, as in the American tradition\". After the host asked if the policy \"appears to change the definition of the American dream,\" he said: \"We invite people to come here and join us as a privilege. \"No one has a right to become an American who isn't born here as an American.\" Mr Cuccinelli was pressed later on CNN about his comments, and pushed back on claims he was trying to re-write the poem. He insisted he was answering a question and accused people on the left of \"twisting\" his comments. Then asked by anchor Erin Burnett about what America stands for, he said: \"Of course that poem was referring back to people coming from Europe - where they had class-based societies where people were considering wretched if they weren't in the right class.\" The two then discussed their own immigrant ancestry, with Ms Burnett pointing out his rule would have \"excluded\" her family. \"I'm here because they were allowed in, and I'm an anchor on CNN,\" she said. Beto O'Rouke, a Democratic presidential hopeful from Texas, shared a clip from the interview and said the comments show his Trump administration \"think the Statue of Liberty only applies to white people\". Immigrants who are already permanent residents in the US are unlikely to be affected by the rule change. It also does not apply to refugees and asylum applicants. But applicants for visa extensions, green cards or US citizenship will be subject to the change. Those who do not meet income standards or who are deemed likely to rely on benefits such as Medicaid (government-run healthcare) or housing vouchers in future may be blocked from entering the country. Those already in the US could also have their applications rejected. An estimated 22 million legal residents in the US are without citizenship, and many of these are likely to be affected. President Trump has made immigration a central theme of his administration. This latest move is part of his government's efforts to curb legal immigration. The Democratic led House Homeland Security Committee condemned Mr Cuccinelli's revision in a tweet, calling the words \"vile and un-American\". \"It's clear the Trump Administration just wants to keep certain people out,\" the committee wrote, calling Mr Cuccinelli \"a xenophobic, anti-immigrant fringe figure who has no business being in government\". Others pointed to his background as the attorney general of Virginia, in which he led a conservative campaign against immigration and homosexuality. Asked about Mr Cuccinelli's remarks on Tuesday, President Trump did not directly respond to the Statue of Liberty quote, but said: \"I don't think it's fair to have the American taxpayer pay for people to come into the United States.\" \"I'm tired of seeing our taxpayer paying for people to come into the country and immediately go onto welfare and various other things. \"So I think we're doing it right.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3265, "answer_start": 1078, "text": "On Tuesday, Mr Cuccinelli was asked by NPR whether the 1883 poem titled The New Colossus at the Statue of Liberty still applied. \"Would you also agree that Emma Lazarus's words etched on the Statue of Liberty, 'Give me your tired, give me your poor,' are also a part of the American ethos?\" asked NPR's Rachel Martin. \"They certainly are,\" Mr Cuccinelli responded. \"Give me your tired and your poor - who can stand on their own two feet and who will not become a public charge.\" \"That plaque was put on the Statue of Liberty at almost the same time as the first public charge [law] was passed - very interesting timing,\" he added. The actual passage reads in part: \"Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!\" In the interview, he added that immigrants are welcome \"who can stand on their own two feet, be self-sufficient, pull themselves up by their bootstraps, again, as in the American tradition\". After the host asked if the policy \"appears to change the definition of the American dream,\" he said: \"We invite people to come here and join us as a privilege. \"No one has a right to become an American who isn't born here as an American.\" Mr Cuccinelli was pressed later on CNN about his comments, and pushed back on claims he was trying to re-write the poem. He insisted he was answering a question and accused people on the left of \"twisting\" his comments. Then asked by anchor Erin Burnett about what America stands for, he said: \"Of course that poem was referring back to people coming from Europe - where they had class-based societies where people were considering wretched if they weren't in the right class.\" The two then discussed their own immigrant ancestry, with Ms Burnett pointing out his rule would have \"excluded\" her family. \"I'm here because they were allowed in, and I'm an anchor on CNN,\" she said. Beto O'Rouke, a Democratic presidential hopeful from Texas, shared a clip from the interview and said the comments show his Trump administration \"think the Statue of Liberty only applies to white people\"." } ], "id": "9600_0", "question": "What did the official say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4071, "answer_start": 3266, "text": "Immigrants who are already permanent residents in the US are unlikely to be affected by the rule change. It also does not apply to refugees and asylum applicants. But applicants for visa extensions, green cards or US citizenship will be subject to the change. Those who do not meet income standards or who are deemed likely to rely on benefits such as Medicaid (government-run healthcare) or housing vouchers in future may be blocked from entering the country. Those already in the US could also have their applications rejected. An estimated 22 million legal residents in the US are without citizenship, and many of these are likely to be affected. President Trump has made immigration a central theme of his administration. This latest move is part of his government's efforts to curb legal immigration." } ], "id": "9600_1", "question": "Who will be affected by the new rule?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4972, "answer_start": 4072, "text": "The Democratic led House Homeland Security Committee condemned Mr Cuccinelli's revision in a tweet, calling the words \"vile and un-American\". \"It's clear the Trump Administration just wants to keep certain people out,\" the committee wrote, calling Mr Cuccinelli \"a xenophobic, anti-immigrant fringe figure who has no business being in government\". Others pointed to his background as the attorney general of Virginia, in which he led a conservative campaign against immigration and homosexuality. Asked about Mr Cuccinelli's remarks on Tuesday, President Trump did not directly respond to the Statue of Liberty quote, but said: \"I don't think it's fair to have the American taxpayer pay for people to come into the United States.\" \"I'm tired of seeing our taxpayer paying for people to come into the country and immediately go onto welfare and various other things. \"So I think we're doing it right.\"" } ], "id": "9600_2", "question": "What has reaction been?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Italian prosecutors have begun an inquiry into the death after a miscarriage of a woman of 32 who was pregnant with twins. The family of Valentina Milluzzo said the doctor treating her refused to abort the foetuses because he was a \"conscientious objector\" to abortion. The hospital involved has categorically rejected the family's claims. The woman's burial has been postponed while further investigations are carried out. Milluzzo was admitted to Cannizzaro hospital in the Sicilian city of Catania on 29 September after suffering complications and going into premature labour in her 19th week of pregnancy. She had had fertility treatment at another health centre. She was in a stable condition in hospital for more than a fortnight but on 15 October her blood pressure and temperature dropped and her condition worsened. According to the family's lawyer, one of the foetuses was suffering breathing problems. The lawyer alleges that the gynaecologist refused to abort the foetuses in order to save the mother and said: \"As long as it's alive, I will not intervene.\" No action was taken while the troubled foetus was still alive and hours later both had died, the lawyer said. Overnight, the mother's condition deteriorated and she contracted an infection. On 16 October she was transferred to intensive care, where she died. Angelo Pellicano, the head of the Cannizzaro hospital, said the lawyer was wrong. \"There was no conscientious objection on behalf of the doctor that intervened in this case because there was no voluntary termination of the pregnancy, but (the miscarriage) was forced by the grave circumstances,\" he told the Ansa news agency. \"I rule out that a doctor could have told the family what they say he told them.\" Sources told Ansa that the doctor had not been registered as a \"conscientious objector\". Catania's prosecutor has halted Milluzzo's burial while a post mortem examination is carried out. There are unconfirmed reports that some of the hospital's medical staff may be investigated. A senior doctor at the hospital, Paolo Scollo, told the Corriere website that all the doctors in his department were \"objectors\", and external doctors were called in when necessary. \"However, in this case we're talking about a spontaneous miscarriage, no external help was needed. So we do not think the doctor was negligent,\" he said. It emerged earlier this year that the proportion of Italian gynaecologists refusing to carry out abortions in 2013 was 70%, according to Italian government figures. Italy is a predominantly Catholic country. But in southern Italy the proportion was even higher and in Sicily it was 87.6%. Abortion has been legal in Italy since 1978, provided it is during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. After 12 weeks it is allowed only if the life of the mother is at risk or there is a problem with a foetus. If there is a chance the foetus can survive outside the womb, termination is lawful only if pregnancy or delivery is a serious risk to the woman's health. More on abortion in Europe Polish women strike against abortion plan Irish women 'access abortion pills online' One in four pregnancies terminated, says WHO", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1328, "answer_start": 424, "text": "Milluzzo was admitted to Cannizzaro hospital in the Sicilian city of Catania on 29 September after suffering complications and going into premature labour in her 19th week of pregnancy. She had had fertility treatment at another health centre. She was in a stable condition in hospital for more than a fortnight but on 15 October her blood pressure and temperature dropped and her condition worsened. According to the family's lawyer, one of the foetuses was suffering breathing problems. The lawyer alleges that the gynaecologist refused to abort the foetuses in order to save the mother and said: \"As long as it's alive, I will not intervene.\" No action was taken while the troubled foetus was still alive and hours later both had died, the lawyer said. Overnight, the mother's condition deteriorated and she contracted an infection. On 16 October she was transferred to intensive care, where she died." } ], "id": "9601_0", "question": "What went wrong?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2352, "answer_start": 1329, "text": "Angelo Pellicano, the head of the Cannizzaro hospital, said the lawyer was wrong. \"There was no conscientious objection on behalf of the doctor that intervened in this case because there was no voluntary termination of the pregnancy, but (the miscarriage) was forced by the grave circumstances,\" he told the Ansa news agency. \"I rule out that a doctor could have told the family what they say he told them.\" Sources told Ansa that the doctor had not been registered as a \"conscientious objector\". Catania's prosecutor has halted Milluzzo's burial while a post mortem examination is carried out. There are unconfirmed reports that some of the hospital's medical staff may be investigated. A senior doctor at the hospital, Paolo Scollo, told the Corriere website that all the doctors in his department were \"objectors\", and external doctors were called in when necessary. \"However, in this case we're talking about a spontaneous miscarriage, no external help was needed. So we do not think the doctor was negligent,\" he said." } ], "id": "9601_1", "question": "What does the hospital say?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The new coronavirus has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization, as the outbreak continues to spread outside China. \"The main reason for this declaration is not what is happening in China but what is happening in other countries,\" said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The concern is that it could spread to countries with weaker health systems. Meanwhile, the US has told its citizens not to travel to China. The state department issued a level four warning - having previously urged Americans to \"reconsider\" travel to China - and said any citizens in China \"should consider departing using commercial means\". China has said it will send charter plans to bring back Hubei province residents who are overseas \"as soon as possible\". A foreign ministry spokesman said this was because of the \"practical difficulties\" Chinese citizens have faced abroad. Hubei is where the virus emerged. At least 213 people in the China have died from the virus, mostly in Hubei, with almost 10,000 cases nationally. The WHO said there had been 98 cases in 18 other countries, but no deaths. Most international cases are in people who had been to Wuhan in Hubei. However in eight cases - in Germany, Japan, Vietnam and the United States - patients were infected by people who had travelled to China. Speaking at a news conference in Geneva, Dr Tedros described the virus as an \"unprecedented outbreak\" that has been met with an \"unprecedented response\". He praised the \"extraordinary measures\" Chinese authorities had taken, and said there was no reason to limit trade or travel to China. \"Let me be clear, this declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China,\" he said. But various countries have taken steps to close borders or cancel flights, and companies like Google, Ikea, Starbucks and Tesla have closed their shops or stopped operations. The US Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross, has said the outbreak could \"accelerate the return of jobs to North America\". What happens if this virus finds its way into a country that cannot cope? Many low- and middle-income countries simply lack the tools to spot or contain it. The fear is it could spread uncontrollably and that it may go unnoticed for some time. Remember this is a disease which emerged only last month - and yet there are already almost 10,000 confirmed cases in China. The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa - the largest in human history - showed how easily poorer countries can be overwhelmed by such outbreaks. And if novel coronavirus gets a significant foothold in such places, then it would be incredibly difficult to contain. We are not at that stage yet - 99% of cases are in China and the WHO is convinced the country can control the outbreak there. But declaring a global emergency allows the WHO to support lower- and middle-income countries to strengthen their disease surveillance - and prepare them for cases. The WHO declares a Public Health Emergency of International Concern when there is \"an extraordinary event which is determined... to constitute a public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease\". It has previously declared five global public health emergencies: - Swine flu, 2009 - The H1N1 virus spread across the world in 2009, with death toll estimates ranging from 123,000 to 575,400 - Polio, 2014 - Although closer than ever to eradication in 2012, polio numbers rose in 2013 - Zika, 2016 - The WHO declared Zika a public health emergency in 2016 after the disease spread rapidly through the Americas - Ebola, 2014 and 2019 - The first emergency over the virus lasted from August 2014 to March 2016 as almost 30,000 people were infected and more than 11,000 died in West Africa. A second emergency was declared last year as an outbreak spread in DR Congo A confirmed case in Tibet means the virus has reached every region in mainland China. According to the country's National Health Commission, 9,692 cases have tested positive. The central province of Hubei, where nearly all deaths have occurred, is in a state of lockdown. The province of 60 million people is home to Wuhan, the heart of the outbreak. The city has effectively been sealed off and China has put numerous transport restrictions in place to curb the spread of the virus. People who have been in Hubei are also being told to work from home until it is considered safe for them to return. The virus is affecting China's economy, the world's second-largest, with a growing number of countries advising their citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to the country. Voluntary evacuations of hundreds of foreign nationals from Wuhan are under way. The UK, Australia, South Korea, Singapore and New Zealand are expected to quarantine all evacuees for two weeks to monitor them for symptoms and avoid contagion. Australia plans to quarantine its evacuees on Christmas Island, 2,000km (1,200 miles) from the mainland in a detention centre that has been used to house asylum seekers. In other recent developments: - Italy suspended flights to China after two Chinese tourists in Rome were diagnosed with the virus; earlier 6,000 people on board a cruise ship were temporarily barred from disembarking - In the US, Chicago health officials have reported the first US case of human-to-human transmission. Around 200 US citizens have been flown out of Wuhan and are being isolated at a Californian military base for at least 72 hours - Russia has decided to close its 4,300km (2,670-mile) far-eastern border with China - Two flights to Japan have already landed in Tokyo. Japan has now raised its infectious disease advisory level for China - Some 250 French nationals have been evacuated from Wuhan - India has confirmed its first case of the virus - a student in the southern state of Kerala who was studying in Wuhan - Israel has barred all flight connections with China - Papua New Guinea has banned all visitors from \"Asian ports\" - North Korea will suspend all flights and trains to and from China, said the British ambassador to North Korea Have you been affected by any of the issues raised? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Or Upload your pictures/video here - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Please read our terms & conditions and privacy policy", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4571, "answer_start": 3795, "text": "A confirmed case in Tibet means the virus has reached every region in mainland China. According to the country's National Health Commission, 9,692 cases have tested positive. The central province of Hubei, where nearly all deaths have occurred, is in a state of lockdown. The province of 60 million people is home to Wuhan, the heart of the outbreak. The city has effectively been sealed off and China has put numerous transport restrictions in place to curb the spread of the virus. People who have been in Hubei are also being told to work from home until it is considered safe for them to return. The virus is affecting China's economy, the world's second-largest, with a growing number of countries advising their citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to the country." } ], "id": "9602_0", "question": "How is China handling the outbreak?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has vowed to \"break\" swingeing sanctions re-imposed by the US targeting core parts of the economy. The Trump administration is restoring all sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal in a bid to pressure Iran. They will hit oil exports, shipping and banks, and make it difficult to do business with the oil-rich nation. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran must \"act like a normal country, or see its economy crumble\". He told a press conference on Monday that more than 20 nations have already cut their oil intake from the Islamic Republic, and that exports have fallen by a million barrels a day. Mr Rouhani earlier struck a defiant tone, saying Iran would \"continue selling oil\". \"We will proudly break the sanctions,\" he told a meeting of economic officials. European countries which are still party to the accord designed to curb Iran's nuclear activity say they will help businesses bypass the sanctions. But there are doubts about how successful this will be. Even before the US sanctions were re-imposed, Iran's economy had had a difficult year, with Iran's currency, the rial, plummeting against the dollar, driving up the price of basic goods. US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the nuclear accord earlier this year, an agreement he called the \"worst deal ever negotiated\". It offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for reducing its nuclear development. The global nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, says that Iran has complied with the agreement. President Trump says that he wants to get Iran back to the negotiating table. His administration also says it wants to stop what it calls Tehran's \"malign\" activities - including cyber attacks, ballistic missile tests, and support for terror groups and militias in the Middle East. The president says his \"maximum pressure\" strategy is working. \"[Iran] wanted to take over the whole Middle East. Right now they just want to survive,\" he told a rally in Tennessee, Reuters reported. The US reinstated a raft of sanctions in August, but analysts say this latest round is by far the most significant. More than 700 individuals, entities, vessels and aircraft are now on the sanctions list, including major banks, oil exporters and shipping companies. In addition, the Brussels-based Swift network for making international payments has confirmed it will cut off links with some Iranian banks, isolating Iran from the international financial system. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US aimed to reduce Iranian oil sales to zero. He confirmed on Monday that the Trump administration has granted temporary exemptions to eight countries to continue importing Iranian oil - China, India, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey. By Kasra Naji, Special Correspondent, BBC Persian The sweeping US sanctions will be debilitating to the government's day-to-day running of the country. They will also be disastrous for ordinary people who are already reeling under the weight of rising prices, shortages, and the rapidly falling value of the rial. All this will put President Rouhani under considerable strain. He wanted to steer the country toward a more moderate disposition. The hardliners are smelling blood. They see a chance to force a change of government, arguing extraordinary conditions in the country require extraordinary solutions. They have been pressing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to dismiss Mr Rouhani for incompetence and hand over the administration of the country to them. But the Iranian leader is not so sure. Taking on the running of the country under these conditions could be a poisoned chalice for him and for the hardliners he supports. The UK, Germany and France - which are among the five countries still committed to the nuclear pact - have all objected to the sanctions. They have promised to support European firms that do \"legitimate business\" with Iran and have set up an alternative payment mechanism - or Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) - that will help companies trade without facing US penalties. However, analysts doubt this will materially lessen the impact of sanctions on Iran, given the importance of the US to global trade. Mr Pompeo said more than 100 big international companies had withdrawn from Iran because of the looming sanctions. Even if firms can use the SPV, any US company it does business with could face punishment. Another signatory to the nuclear deal, China, has said it regrets the re-imposition of sanctions and that its lawful trade with Iran should be respected. Israel - Iran's long-time foe in the Middle East - called the move a \"courageous, determined and important decision\". \"I think this contributes to stability and security and peace,\" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1990, "answer_start": 1197, "text": "US President Donald Trump withdrew the US from the nuclear accord earlier this year, an agreement he called the \"worst deal ever negotiated\". It offered Iran sanctions relief in exchange for reducing its nuclear development. The global nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, says that Iran has complied with the agreement. President Trump says that he wants to get Iran back to the negotiating table. His administration also says it wants to stop what it calls Tehran's \"malign\" activities - including cyber attacks, ballistic missile tests, and support for terror groups and militias in the Middle East. The president says his \"maximum pressure\" strategy is working. \"[Iran] wanted to take over the whole Middle East. Right now they just want to survive,\" he told a rally in Tennessee, Reuters reported." } ], "id": "9603_0", "question": "How did we get here?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2748, "answer_start": 1991, "text": "The US reinstated a raft of sanctions in August, but analysts say this latest round is by far the most significant. More than 700 individuals, entities, vessels and aircraft are now on the sanctions list, including major banks, oil exporters and shipping companies. In addition, the Brussels-based Swift network for making international payments has confirmed it will cut off links with some Iranian banks, isolating Iran from the international financial system. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US aimed to reduce Iranian oil sales to zero. He confirmed on Monday that the Trump administration has granted temporary exemptions to eight countries to continue importing Iranian oil - China, India, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey." } ], "id": "9603_1", "question": "What could the impact be?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4780, "answer_start": 3689, "text": "The UK, Germany and France - which are among the five countries still committed to the nuclear pact - have all objected to the sanctions. They have promised to support European firms that do \"legitimate business\" with Iran and have set up an alternative payment mechanism - or Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) - that will help companies trade without facing US penalties. However, analysts doubt this will materially lessen the impact of sanctions on Iran, given the importance of the US to global trade. Mr Pompeo said more than 100 big international companies had withdrawn from Iran because of the looming sanctions. Even if firms can use the SPV, any US company it does business with could face punishment. Another signatory to the nuclear deal, China, has said it regrets the re-imposition of sanctions and that its lawful trade with Iran should be respected. Israel - Iran's long-time foe in the Middle East - called the move a \"courageous, determined and important decision\". \"I think this contributes to stability and security and peace,\" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said." } ], "id": "9603_2", "question": "How do other countries see the sanctions?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has secured a sixth win in a row in his native state of Gujarat. Here are some takeaways from what is a substantially reduced victory: A few weeks ago, it was looking like a miracle could happen. A respected opinion poll showed the gap between the BJP and the Congress party narrowing, so much so that the opposition party threatened to upset the BJP's applecart. A 24-year-old political newbie tied up with the Congress to take on Mr Modi and was drawing huge crowds. Hardik Patel was demanding affirmative action for his farming community, who make up 14% of Gujarat's 66 million people, and have faithfully voted for the BJP in the past. Congress leader, Rahul Gandhi, had himself come out of his cocoon, and spiritedly picked up the gauntlet against Mr Modi. In response, Mr Modi upped the ante with his take-no-prisoners style of campaigning. He combined talk of economic development with strident Hindu nationalism. He evoked Gujarati pride and tapped into a curious politics of grievance and victimhood, pointing to how the opposition parties abused him. He even sparked a controversy when he made what critics said was an outlandish and coarse allegation about the Congress party colluding with Pakistan to influence the election. That the indefatigable Mr Modi addressed more than 40 public meetings in a state election just proved how seriously he took the polls and anticipated the risks. Still, as BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli recalled on Monday, \"we are consistently winning. People are not rejecting Mr Modi.\" The final numbers show that the BJP was fragile, and this was an election \"where the party just about made it\", says Prashant Jha, author of a book on BJP. But, in the end, \"Monday's verdict is a verdict, yet again, for Narendra Modi\". Rahul Gandhi, many believe, missed a really good chance of winning this election. Two lacklustre chief ministers had followed Mr Modi in Gujarat. There was the inevitable anti-incumbency, rural discontent, a veritable revolt by the Patels, and the crushing effects of a controversial currency ban and a shabbily implemented Goods and Services Tax which eliminated jobs, squeezed incomes and made doing business difficult. In hindsight, BJP was clearly vulnerable. Mr Gandhi shrugged off his characteristic indecisiveness and came to the party late. He stitched up some clever alliances, including one with Mr Patel. On the stump, he touched a chord with voters, energised his base and gave a fright to Mr Modi's party, which had not taken him seriously. His party was without a chief ministerial candidate and hobbled by a weak grassroots organisation. Yet, the Congress put up its best performance in 32 years in what is a traditionally anti-Congress state, boosting its vote by a healthy 6% over 2012. Political analyst Neerja Chowdhury says the \"worm has turned\" for a party which had recorded its worst performance in the 2014 general elections. But the Congress has a long way to go before it begins winning again. There are four key states which will go to the polls next year. The BJP will be battling anti-incumbency sentiments in three of them - Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Mr Gandhi has to promote local leaders, build alliances, and develop grassroots organisations to deny the BJP another shot at power in these states. \"The tide will turn for us again,\" says party leader Shashi Tharoor. But it will be a long and arduous battle. Rahul Gandhi visited more than 25 Hindu temples in Gujarat during the campaign to woo the Hindu vote. Many felt it was a negation of his party's much vaunted secular credentials. As Hartosh Singh Bal points out in the New York Times, Mr Gandhi regularly criticises Mr Modi's economic policies on Twitter, but had referred to India's Muslims just once in more than 3,000 tweets over two years. In Gujarat this time, Muslims, who comprise 9% of the population, were reduced to a near-invisible minority with the main parties mostly ignoring them. Mr Gandhi has not taken an unequivocal stand against Hindu revivalism. \"If he continues like this,\" Mr Bal told The Wire news site, \"the RSS will be winning. It puts a Hindu face on our politics.\" Or, will Mr Gandhi figure out a way to counter Hindu nationalism without alienating the Hindu voter? Many believe that after the considerably reduced majority in a business friendly state like Gujarat, the BJP will go slow on disruptive \"reforms\" like the hasty currency ban introduced in November 2016 and the shabbily implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST), designed to unify the country into a single market. For the rest of the term, they say, India will not see any major economic reform. Public spending is likely to increase, and the government will try to smooth the implementation of GST. Mr Modi is also likely to play down his \"reformist\" credentials at a time when the economy remains in a slump, joblessness is high and a spike in oil prices could easily stoke inflation and disturb the economic fundamentals. For the BJP Monday's verdict is a warning. Gujarat is the party's pocket borough. A sixth BJP win looks impressive on paper but much less satisfying because the party had set out to win 150 seats in the first place. In the end, winning two of two states is not a setback for the BJP, and losing both is not a comeback for the Congress. Many had written off the Congress, saying it would not be able to put up a fight in 2019. But the party's performance in Gujarat and a reinvigorated Mr Gandhi offer some hope to a beleaguered and hopelessly outnumbered opposition. The BJP, along with its allies, now runs governments in 19 states. The year ahead will see a number of bipolar elections in bellwether states between the Congress and the BJP. If Mr Gandhi and his party can clean up their act, these elections could be keenly contested. A few months ago, most Indians believed Mr Modi would easily sweep the general elections in 2019. Suddenly, says Shekhar Gupta, editor of The Print news site, \"there's an opening up in the national politics in India\". Which should mean exciting times ahead.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5061, "answer_start": 4338, "text": "Many believe that after the considerably reduced majority in a business friendly state like Gujarat, the BJP will go slow on disruptive \"reforms\" like the hasty currency ban introduced in November 2016 and the shabbily implemented Goods and Services Tax (GST), designed to unify the country into a single market. For the rest of the term, they say, India will not see any major economic reform. Public spending is likely to increase, and the government will try to smooth the implementation of GST. Mr Modi is also likely to play down his \"reformist\" credentials at a time when the economy remains in a slump, joblessness is high and a spike in oil prices could easily stoke inflation and disturb the economic fundamentals." } ], "id": "9604_0", "question": "Return to economic populism?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydlo has vowed to press on with judicial reforms, saying the government would not \"yield to pressure from the street and from abroad\". On Monday, President Andrzej Duda had vetoed a controversial law to replace Supreme Court judges with government nominees. It came after thousands took to the streets across Poland in protest. Mr Duda said he made his decision after consulting legal experts and judges. The European Commission had threatened to impose sanctions this week if the changes were not scrapped. European Council President Donald Tusk, a former Polish prime minister, had warned of a \"black scenario that could ultimately lead to the marginalisation of Poland in Europe\". In a televised address, Ms Szydlo insisted that the Law and Justice (PiS) government would not back down. \"We all want to live in a fair Poland, this is why the reform of the courts is needed... Today's veto by the president has slowed down work on the reform. \"We cannot yield to pressure from the streets and abroad... We have a stable majority. We won't give in to pressure. We will realise our plan.\" \"As president I don't feel this law would strengthen a sense of justice,\" Andrzej Duda said in a statement on national television. \"These laws must be amended.\" He said he was vetoing two of the new laws but approving a third, which gives the justice minister the right to name the heads of Poland's lower courts. Many were surprised, as the president is a former member of the right-wing ruling party which is pushing the legislation. The PiS government has strongly rejected claims that the reforms are a move towards authoritarian rule and expressed disappointment at President Duda's decision. The president had already intervened last week in an attempt to find a compromise. He said he had discussed the reforms at the weekend, including with Zofia Romaszewska, a veteran dissident from the communist era. She was jailed during the years of martial law in the early 1980s but is now one of the president's advisers. The activist had told Mr Duda she did not want to go back to the days when \"the general prosecutor could do virtually anything\". Ms Romaszewska told Polish media it was completely out of the question for the attorney-general to take charge of the Supreme Court. Opposition MPs also praised the role of protesters in influencing the decision. Demonstrations have taken place in dozens of Polish cities, from Poznan and Lublin to Krakow, Gdansk and Warsaw, and there have been calls for the protests to continue. Mr Duda warned that no change should lead to a separation of the state from society. Poland's judicial system is widely viewed as slow and reforms are seen as necessary. \"I'm absolutely a supporter of this reform, but a wise reform,\" said President Duda. The three reforms give the justice minister and MPs broad powers and have prompted alarm from the US, as well as the EU. - The first reform requires all Supreme Court judges to step down and gives the justice minister the power to decide who should stay on - The second gives politicians control over who sits on the National Judiciary Council which nominates Supreme Court judges - The third gives the justice minister the right to select and dismiss judges in lower courts The president's initial compromise plan last week watered down the government's bid to push through its nominees for the National Judiciary Council, by requiring the support of another political party. In his statement, the president said he regretted that a draft law on reforming the Supreme Court had not been handed to him before a vote in the lower house of parliament, the Sejm. The president also took issue with the strengthened role of the justice minister, who also acts as attorney general in Poland. In theory, the Polish parliament could now challenge the president's veto. Law and Justice has a simple majority in the Sejm but needs a three-fifths majority if it decides to reject Mr Duda's decision. It could theoretically achieve that with the support of a smaller party, Kukiz'15, but that is not seen as certain. A more likely step would be to spend the next weeks redrafting the two bills that the president has turned down and seek his approval. The protest movement has celebrated its success so far but is now pushing for the president to veto the third reform as well. Much now depends on the man seen as the real power behind the government, PiS co-founder Jaroslaw Kaczynski.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2638, "answer_start": 1121, "text": "\"As president I don't feel this law would strengthen a sense of justice,\" Andrzej Duda said in a statement on national television. \"These laws must be amended.\" He said he was vetoing two of the new laws but approving a third, which gives the justice minister the right to name the heads of Poland's lower courts. Many were surprised, as the president is a former member of the right-wing ruling party which is pushing the legislation. The PiS government has strongly rejected claims that the reforms are a move towards authoritarian rule and expressed disappointment at President Duda's decision. The president had already intervened last week in an attempt to find a compromise. He said he had discussed the reforms at the weekend, including with Zofia Romaszewska, a veteran dissident from the communist era. She was jailed during the years of martial law in the early 1980s but is now one of the president's advisers. The activist had told Mr Duda she did not want to go back to the days when \"the general prosecutor could do virtually anything\". Ms Romaszewska told Polish media it was completely out of the question for the attorney-general to take charge of the Supreme Court. Opposition MPs also praised the role of protesters in influencing the decision. Demonstrations have taken place in dozens of Polish cities, from Poznan and Lublin to Krakow, Gdansk and Warsaw, and there have been calls for the protests to continue. Mr Duda warned that no change should lead to a separation of the state from society." } ], "id": "9605_0", "question": "Why did president step in?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3795, "answer_start": 2639, "text": "Poland's judicial system is widely viewed as slow and reforms are seen as necessary. \"I'm absolutely a supporter of this reform, but a wise reform,\" said President Duda. The three reforms give the justice minister and MPs broad powers and have prompted alarm from the US, as well as the EU. - The first reform requires all Supreme Court judges to step down and gives the justice minister the power to decide who should stay on - The second gives politicians control over who sits on the National Judiciary Council which nominates Supreme Court judges - The third gives the justice minister the right to select and dismiss judges in lower courts The president's initial compromise plan last week watered down the government's bid to push through its nominees for the National Judiciary Council, by requiring the support of another political party. In his statement, the president said he regretted that a draft law on reforming the Supreme Court had not been handed to him before a vote in the lower house of parliament, the Sejm. The president also took issue with the strengthened role of the justice minister, who also acts as attorney general in Poland." } ], "id": "9605_1", "question": "What's wrong with the reforms?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4484, "answer_start": 3796, "text": "In theory, the Polish parliament could now challenge the president's veto. Law and Justice has a simple majority in the Sejm but needs a three-fifths majority if it decides to reject Mr Duda's decision. It could theoretically achieve that with the support of a smaller party, Kukiz'15, but that is not seen as certain. A more likely step would be to spend the next weeks redrafting the two bills that the president has turned down and seek his approval. The protest movement has celebrated its success so far but is now pushing for the president to veto the third reform as well. Much now depends on the man seen as the real power behind the government, PiS co-founder Jaroslaw Kaczynski." } ], "id": "9605_2", "question": "What happens next?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "It has a reputation for keeping customers waiting for more than two hours for a table, and has suffered a couple of very high profile food scandals in China and in Singapore. But the Beijing-based hotpot chain Haidilao, which has outlets from the US to Japan, has been raising eyebrows for another reason this week. Haidilao International Holding, the hotpot restaurant's owner, looks like it's on track to raise 7.3bn Hong Kong dollars ($935m; PS711m) via its much-talked about initial public offering in Hong Kong. The firm has priced its shares at the top end of the indicated range - HK$17.80 - and analysts say it might end up with a market valuation of as much as $12bn. Forbes recently estimated that Haidilao co-founder Zhang Yong will have a fortune of as much as $8.3bn after the firm has listed - making him one of China's richest restaurant operators. All this of course depends on how Haidilao's shares perform in the coming months. Some of the most anticipated tech debuts in Hong Kong this year have disappointed - and analysts say that the food and beverage industry can be just as fickle. Well, it's a pretty common meal in China and across other parts of Asia. Funnily enough, it involves a very big hot pot of broth, which is usually positioned or sunk into the middle of a table. A lot of other fresh and raw ingredients are available to then cook in the broth, including finely cut meats, vegetables, eggs, tofu and seafood, to name just a few. Diners delight in popping their choice of ingredients and spices into the hotpot, cooking it up, and sharing it around the table. Haidilao's restaurants are so popular here in Singapore that several outlets have become renowned for keeping customers waiting for hours - and hours - for a table. That's not necessarily a good thing, but the international chain has also now become well known for entertaining customers while they wait to eat. Manicurists are employed to offer a complimentary nail service, there are play areas for children, masseurs offer neck rubs, and some restaurants even have photo booths to print pictures while you wait. And despite their infamous waiting times, Haidilao reckons it still seats more than 100 million guests a year around the world. The growth that Mr Zhang's hotpot chain, which he started in 1994 in China's Sichuan Province, has seen in recent years is also quite something. The restaurant's global network grew from 112 at the beginning of 2015, to 273 by 2017. By half way through this year it had expanded to 341 outlets. And it's still growing. \"As of the latest practicable date, we owned and operated 363 restaurants, which comprised 332 restaurants [on mainland China], and 31 restaurants in Taiwan, Hong Kong and internationally in Singapore, South Korea, Japan and the United States,\" the firm said in a statement this week. Research firm Frost and Sullivan said the hotpot chain was the fastest-growing major Chinese cuisine restaurant brand on mainland China, and globally, with revenues jumping 36% between 2016 and 2017. The retail portion of the firm's shares were oversubscribed by more than five times, but whether or not investors will invest in the firm for the long term remains to be seen. Mr Zhang meanwhile seems determined to keep expanding the chain. About 60% of the money the firm raises through its listing has already been earmarked to finance part of its expansion plan - which could include operations as far afield as the UK, Australia and New Zealand.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3493, "answer_start": 1107, "text": "Well, it's a pretty common meal in China and across other parts of Asia. Funnily enough, it involves a very big hot pot of broth, which is usually positioned or sunk into the middle of a table. A lot of other fresh and raw ingredients are available to then cook in the broth, including finely cut meats, vegetables, eggs, tofu and seafood, to name just a few. Diners delight in popping their choice of ingredients and spices into the hotpot, cooking it up, and sharing it around the table. Haidilao's restaurants are so popular here in Singapore that several outlets have become renowned for keeping customers waiting for hours - and hours - for a table. That's not necessarily a good thing, but the international chain has also now become well known for entertaining customers while they wait to eat. Manicurists are employed to offer a complimentary nail service, there are play areas for children, masseurs offer neck rubs, and some restaurants even have photo booths to print pictures while you wait. And despite their infamous waiting times, Haidilao reckons it still seats more than 100 million guests a year around the world. The growth that Mr Zhang's hotpot chain, which he started in 1994 in China's Sichuan Province, has seen in recent years is also quite something. The restaurant's global network grew from 112 at the beginning of 2015, to 273 by 2017. By half way through this year it had expanded to 341 outlets. And it's still growing. \"As of the latest practicable date, we owned and operated 363 restaurants, which comprised 332 restaurants [on mainland China], and 31 restaurants in Taiwan, Hong Kong and internationally in Singapore, South Korea, Japan and the United States,\" the firm said in a statement this week. Research firm Frost and Sullivan said the hotpot chain was the fastest-growing major Chinese cuisine restaurant brand on mainland China, and globally, with revenues jumping 36% between 2016 and 2017. The retail portion of the firm's shares were oversubscribed by more than five times, but whether or not investors will invest in the firm for the long term remains to be seen. Mr Zhang meanwhile seems determined to keep expanding the chain. About 60% of the money the firm raises through its listing has already been earmarked to finance part of its expansion plan - which could include operations as far afield as the UK, Australia and New Zealand." } ], "id": "9606_0", "question": "Never heard of hotpot?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Several Kalashnikovs have been found in an abandoned car believed to have been used by some of the Paris attackers, French judicial sources say. The black Seat car was found in the eastern Paris suburb of Montreuil on Sunday, suggesting some of the attackers got away. Earlier, the first of the seven dead attackers was named as Ismail Mostefai. Six people close to him are in custody. Two attackers were French nationals living in Belgium, prosecutors said. France is marking three days of mourning for the 129 people killed in the attacks. Prime Minister Manuel Valls said most of the bodies had been identified and that the process should be completed in the coming hours. A special service for the victims, including 350 people wounded and other survivors, is being held at Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral later on Sunday. Latest updates What we know Friday's attacks, claimed by Islamic State (IS) militants, hit a concert hall, a major sports stadium, restaurants and bars in the French capital. In political developments: - Mr Valls says France will continue with air strikes against IS in Syria, and described the group as a very well-organised enemy - EU justice and interior ministers will hold an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss security measures - President Francois Hollande cancelled plans to attend a G20 meeting in Turkey on Sunday and has held meetings with political leaders The Seat car found in Montreuil is believed to have been used by gunmen who opened fire on people in restaurants on Friday, police say. Several AK47 rifles were found in the car, French media quote judicial sources as saying. The Seat and another car used in the attacks - a Volkswagen Polo - were rented in Belgium. The black VW was found near the Bataclan concert venue, where nearly 90 people were killed. New and frightening watermark A new type of terrorism? One of the Paris attackers lived in Brussels and another in the nearby town of Molenbeek, Belgian prosecutors said on Sunday, without naming either. A total of seven men have been arrested in Molenbeek, they added. It is widely believed now that at least one of the attackers managed to get away from the scene - possibly the person who rented a car - and he is now the focus of an intensive manhunt, the BBC's Hugh Schofield reports from Paris. Paris chief prosecutor Francois Molins said on Saturday: \"We can say at this stage of the investigation there were probably three co-ordinated teams of terrorists behind this barbaric act,\" \"We have to find out where they came from... and how they were financed.\" A Syrian passport, found near the body of one of the attackers at the Stade de France, had been used to travel through the Greek island of Leros last month, Greek officials have confirmed. Serbia says the holder of that passport had also crossed its border from Macedonia and sought asylum at one of its registration centres. No direct link has yet been made with the holder of the passport and the attackers. Mostefai was reportedly identified after investigators found a severed finger at the scene of the worst atrocity, the Bataclan concert hall. He came from the town of Courcouronnes, south of Paris, and had lived in the city of Chartres 100km (60 miles) south-west of Paris until 2012 and had regularly attended a mosque there. La Belle Equipe, 92 rue de Charonne, 11th district - 19 dead in gun attacks Le Carillon bar and Le Petit Cambodge restaurant at rue Alibert, 10th district - 15 dead in gun attacks La Casa Nostra restaurant, 92 rue de la Fontaine au Roi, 11th district - five dead in gun attacks Stade de France, St Denis, just north of Paris - explosions heard outside venue, three attackers and bystander dead Bataclan concert venue, 50 Boulevard Voltaire, 11th district - 89 dead when stormed by gunmen Images of aftermath of shootings Eyewitness accounts from the scene 'I saw people on the ground and blood' #Paris: Power, horror, and lies Mostefai, 29, had a history of petty crime but was never jailed. The security services deemed him to have been radicalised in 2010 but he was never implicated in a counter-terrorism investigation. Police are said to be trying to find out whether he travelled to Syria in 2014. His father, brother and sister-in-law are among six people close to Mostefai who have reportedly been taken into police custody. His brother said he had not had contact with him for several years following family disputes, but said he was surprised to hear he had been radicalised. He was one of six children in the family and had travelled to Algeria with his family and young daughter, the brother said. Friday night's attacks are the worst France has experienced in peacetime since World War Two. They are also the deadliest in Europe since the 2004 Madrid bombings. Islamic State said it carried out the attacks on \"carefully chosen targets\" and that they were a response to France's involvement in the air strikes on IS militants in Syria and Iraq. President Hollande said France had been \"attacked in a cowardly shameful and violent way\" and vowed to be \"merciless\" in its response to IS militants. Are you in the area? Have you been affected by what has been happening? Do you have any information you can share? If it is safe to do so, you can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. 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 yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send an SMS or MMS to +44 7624 800 100", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2981, "answer_start": 1397, "text": "The Seat car found in Montreuil is believed to have been used by gunmen who opened fire on people in restaurants on Friday, police say. Several AK47 rifles were found in the car, French media quote judicial sources as saying. The Seat and another car used in the attacks - a Volkswagen Polo - were rented in Belgium. The black VW was found near the Bataclan concert venue, where nearly 90 people were killed. New and frightening watermark A new type of terrorism? One of the Paris attackers lived in Brussels and another in the nearby town of Molenbeek, Belgian prosecutors said on Sunday, without naming either. A total of seven men have been arrested in Molenbeek, they added. It is widely believed now that at least one of the attackers managed to get away from the scene - possibly the person who rented a car - and he is now the focus of an intensive manhunt, the BBC's Hugh Schofield reports from Paris. Paris chief prosecutor Francois Molins said on Saturday: \"We can say at this stage of the investigation there were probably three co-ordinated teams of terrorists behind this barbaric act,\" \"We have to find out where they came from... and how they were financed.\" A Syrian passport, found near the body of one of the attackers at the Stade de France, had been used to travel through the Greek island of Leros last month, Greek officials have confirmed. Serbia says the holder of that passport had also crossed its border from Macedonia and sought asylum at one of its registration centres. No direct link has yet been made with the holder of the passport and the attackers." } ], "id": "9607_0", "question": "Belgian link?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Spain's prime minister has said the country will take in a rescue ship stranded in the Mediterranean, to help avoid a humanitarian disaster. Pedro Sanchez said he would give \"safe harbour\" to the Aquarius and the 629 people on board, after Italy and Malta both refused to let the ship dock. The UN refugee agency and the EU had both called for a swift end to the stand-off between the two countries. Mr Sanchez, who took office a week ago, said the ship would dock in Valencia. The migrants aboard the Aquarius were picked up from inflatable boats off the coast of Libya at the weekend, in six different rescue operations, according to the NGO SOS Mediterranee. \"It is our duty to help avoid a humanitarian catastrophe and offer a safe port to these people, to comply with our human rights obligations,\" Mr Sanchez's office said. The Council of Europe welcomed Spain's move, with the organisation's Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, tweeting: \"Saving lives at sea is an obligation that states must always uphold.\" Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat tweeted his gratitude to Spain, saying Italy had broken international rules and caused a standoff. He said Malta would be sending fresh supplies to the vessel, adding: \"We will have to sit down and discuss how to prevent this from happening again. This is a European issue.\" Spain's decision to take in the ship was hailed by Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini as a \"victory\" for his government's hardline immigration policy. Those saved include 123 unaccompanied minors, 11 younger children and seven pregnant women, SOS Mediterranee said. The minors are aged between 13 and 17 and come from Eritrea, Ghana, Nigeria and Sudan, according to a journalist on the ship, Anelise Borges. \"Most of them are sleeping outside. They are obviously exhausted, they have been exposed to the elements, they have been at sea for 20 to 30 hours prior to their rescue,\" she told the BBC. \"They are fragile and we have yet to learn what's going to happen to them,\" she added. Mr Salvini refused to let the ship in, saying: \"Saving lives is a duty, turning Italy into a huge refugee camp is not.\" \"Italy is done bending over backwards and obeying - this time THERE IS SOMEONE WHO SAYS NO,\" he wrote on Twitter, with the hashtag #closethedoors. Mr Salvini, leader of the right-wing League party, promised during Italy's recent general election to take a tough stance against migration. He said Malta should accept the Aquarius, but it refused, arguing that it falls under Italy's jurisdiction. Italy is the main entry point for migrants crossing from North Africa to Europe. Mr Salvini has previously said he is considering action against organisations that rescue migrants at sea. He has accused them of being in cahoots with people-smugglers. On Sunday, he said that Italy was saying \"no to human trafficking, no to the business of illegal immigration\". \"Malta takes in nobody,\" he added. \"France pushes people back at the border, Spain defends its frontier with weapons.\" SOS Mediterranee said late on Sunday that the Aquarius had been instructed by the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre to stand by in its current position, 35 nautical miles (65km) from Italy and 27 nautical miles from Malta. Despite Mr Salvini's stance, the mayors of Taranto and Naples had both offered to welcome the migrants, with Taranto's Rinaldo Melucci saying the Italian port city was \"ready to embrace every life in danger\". Naples mayor Luigi de Magistris tweeted that \"if a minister without a heart leaves pregnant women, children, old people, human beings to die, the port of Naples is ready to welcome them\". By Guy Hedgecoe, BBC News, Madrid While Spain's willingness to take in the Aquarius has surprised many observers, for the new Spanish government it does make political sense for several reasons. The move solves a potentially thorny problem for the European Union, bolstering Pedro Sanchez's hopes of becoming an influential leader within the bloc. The new prime minister appears keen to distance himself from the legacy of his predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, whose international impact was discreet and who only took in a fraction of the refugees agreed upon in a 2015 accord with the EU. In addition, this gesture is likely to impress left-leaning parties such as Podemos which were instrumental in voting the Socialist in to office on 1 June, and whose support he still needs. Rules on disembarking and assisting rescue ships such as Aquarius are governed by international law. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea dictates that any ship learning of distress at sea must assist regardless of the circumstances. It says that the country responsible for operations in that area has primary responsibility for taking them from the ship. It also clearly states that the relevant government \"shall arrange for such disembarkation to be effected as soon as reasonably practicable\". By Kevin Connolly, Europe Correspondent, BBC News The European Union wrote its rules about how migrants should be handled in the 1990s when no-one could have imagined the collapse of Libya would create huge flows of desperate people heading across the Mediterranean from sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. The rules say migrants are the responsibility of the first member state where they land - an overwhelming problem in countries like Greece and Italy where the election of a populist government is at least in part a response to the pressure. So the migrants are starting to shape the politics of Southern Europe. And when Italy's Trumpish Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini proclaims \"victory\", he's telling his voters that the promise of a tougher line on immigration is real. He's challenging the EU to find a proper solution too, based on forcing other member states to accept quotas of migrants - something it's failed to do so far. And he's incidentally created a big question for Spain. Will its offer to the Aquarius be extended to further ships in the future?", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2030, "answer_start": 1498, "text": "Those saved include 123 unaccompanied minors, 11 younger children and seven pregnant women, SOS Mediterranee said. The minors are aged between 13 and 17 and come from Eritrea, Ghana, Nigeria and Sudan, according to a journalist on the ship, Anelise Borges. \"Most of them are sleeping outside. They are obviously exhausted, they have been exposed to the elements, they have been at sea for 20 to 30 hours prior to their rescue,\" she told the BBC. \"They are fragile and we have yet to learn what's going to happen to them,\" she added." } ], "id": "9608_0", "question": "Who is on board the ship?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3658, "answer_start": 2031, "text": "Mr Salvini refused to let the ship in, saying: \"Saving lives is a duty, turning Italy into a huge refugee camp is not.\" \"Italy is done bending over backwards and obeying - this time THERE IS SOMEONE WHO SAYS NO,\" he wrote on Twitter, with the hashtag #closethedoors. Mr Salvini, leader of the right-wing League party, promised during Italy's recent general election to take a tough stance against migration. He said Malta should accept the Aquarius, but it refused, arguing that it falls under Italy's jurisdiction. Italy is the main entry point for migrants crossing from North Africa to Europe. Mr Salvini has previously said he is considering action against organisations that rescue migrants at sea. He has accused them of being in cahoots with people-smugglers. On Sunday, he said that Italy was saying \"no to human trafficking, no to the business of illegal immigration\". \"Malta takes in nobody,\" he added. \"France pushes people back at the border, Spain defends its frontier with weapons.\" SOS Mediterranee said late on Sunday that the Aquarius had been instructed by the Italian Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre to stand by in its current position, 35 nautical miles (65km) from Italy and 27 nautical miles from Malta. Despite Mr Salvini's stance, the mayors of Taranto and Naples had both offered to welcome the migrants, with Taranto's Rinaldo Melucci saying the Italian port city was \"ready to embrace every life in danger\". Naples mayor Luigi de Magistris tweeted that \"if a minister without a heart leaves pregnant women, children, old people, human beings to die, the port of Naples is ready to welcome them\"." } ], "id": "9608_1", "question": "Why did Italy reject the ship?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4954, "answer_start": 4434, "text": "Rules on disembarking and assisting rescue ships such as Aquarius are governed by international law. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea dictates that any ship learning of distress at sea must assist regardless of the circumstances. It says that the country responsible for operations in that area has primary responsibility for taking them from the ship. It also clearly states that the relevant government \"shall arrange for such disembarkation to be effected as soon as reasonably practicable\"." } ], "id": "9608_2", "question": "What is the law on accepting ships?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6034, "answer_start": 4955, "text": "By Kevin Connolly, Europe Correspondent, BBC News The European Union wrote its rules about how migrants should be handled in the 1990s when no-one could have imagined the collapse of Libya would create huge flows of desperate people heading across the Mediterranean from sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. The rules say migrants are the responsibility of the first member state where they land - an overwhelming problem in countries like Greece and Italy where the election of a populist government is at least in part a response to the pressure. So the migrants are starting to shape the politics of Southern Europe. And when Italy's Trumpish Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini proclaims \"victory\", he's telling his voters that the promise of a tougher line on immigration is real. He's challenging the EU to find a proper solution too, based on forcing other member states to accept quotas of migrants - something it's failed to do so far. And he's incidentally created a big question for Spain. Will its offer to the Aquarius be extended to further ships in the future?" } ], "id": "9608_3", "question": "A big question for Spain: What happens to the next ship?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The mayor of a town in southern Italy famed for taking in migrants has been put under house arrest. Domenico Lucano, mayor of Riace, has been detained over his alleged involvement in organising \"marriages of convenience\" for immigration purposes. But a more serious charge of abuse of public funds was rejected by an investigating judge. The arrest follows months of tougher migration enforcement from Italy's populist government. The mayor, known as Mimmo, made headlines around the world for his unusual programme that welcomed migrants to the sparsely-populated town in Calabria, giving them abandoned homes and on-the-job training, in the hope that the new arrivals would rejuvenate the economy. He started the programme in 1998 under a previous government, and since then hundreds of migrants have joined the small town of about 2,000 people. The success of the programme, lauded by many as a model of integration, led to Mayor Lucano being named one of the world's 50 greatest leaders by Fortune magazine in 2016. On Tuesday, he was arrested by Italy's financial police as part of an investigation into allegedly facilitating illegal migration. Former integration minister Cecile Kyenge poured scorn on the arrest, arguing that the main thrust of the criminal investigation into the mayor had been abandoned. \"So what's #MimmoLucano done wrong? Solidarity and humanity, perhaps?\" she tweeted. The first charge detailed by prosecutors involves the arrangement of marriages of convenience to get around immigration regulations. Prosecutors said they had wire-tapped Mr Lucano's phone and recorded at least one exchange in which the mayor appeared to suggest marriage as a solution to a woman's immigration problems, in a way they said could not be misunderstood. One excerpt concerned a Nigerian migrant who had been denied residence three times, the statement said. Mr Lucano is reported to have said that marrying an Italian citizen was \"the only way forward\". As mayor, Domenico Lucano is in charge of the town's civil registry. In the excerpts he is said to refer to a similar wedding in the past, and his ability to arrange a ceremony quickly. He is also quoted offering to acquire an ID card to say the woman was a resident of Riace. Prosecutors said he was also charged with allocating rubbish collection services to two companies without going through the required public tender process. That charge may also have a connection to the town's migrant programme. The two companies were community co-operatives established \"to provide work for the people of Riace and migrants\", according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica. His partner Tesfahun Lemlem faces the same charges and has been banned from living in the area. However, the most serious allegation made against the mayor has been dropped. The investigation had originally explored alleged mismanagement of public funds provided by the interior ministry. Prosecutors said that while the management of funds may have been disorderly, there was no evidence that any amount had been misappropriated. Italy's populist government came to power in June with the head of the right-wing League party, Matteo Salvini, taking the role of interior minister. He has since pursued a series of anti-migration policies. Mr Salvini reacted on Twitter by wondering what \"all the good guys who want to fill Italy with immigrants\" would say about the story. He singled out writer Roberto Saviano, a vocal critic of Mr Salvini and a supporter of Riace's migration programme. Writing on Facebook about the arrest, Mr Saviano said the government was \"taking the first step towards the definitive transformation of Italy from a democracy to an authoritarian state.\" Other government critics said the mayor's only crime had been one of humanity. Mayor Lucano has yet to issue a statement on his arrest.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2730, "answer_start": 1399, "text": "The first charge detailed by prosecutors involves the arrangement of marriages of convenience to get around immigration regulations. Prosecutors said they had wire-tapped Mr Lucano's phone and recorded at least one exchange in which the mayor appeared to suggest marriage as a solution to a woman's immigration problems, in a way they said could not be misunderstood. One excerpt concerned a Nigerian migrant who had been denied residence three times, the statement said. Mr Lucano is reported to have said that marrying an Italian citizen was \"the only way forward\". As mayor, Domenico Lucano is in charge of the town's civil registry. In the excerpts he is said to refer to a similar wedding in the past, and his ability to arrange a ceremony quickly. He is also quoted offering to acquire an ID card to say the woman was a resident of Riace. Prosecutors said he was also charged with allocating rubbish collection services to two companies without going through the required public tender process. That charge may also have a connection to the town's migrant programme. The two companies were community co-operatives established \"to provide work for the people of Riace and migrants\", according to Italian newspaper La Repubblica. His partner Tesfahun Lemlem faces the same charges and has been banned from living in the area." } ], "id": "9609_0", "question": "What are the charges?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The leader of the German state of Thuringia, who was controversially elected with far-right AfD party help, has said he won't resign immediately. Hit by a wave of criticism, liberal FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich announced his resignation on Thursday, a day after MPs elected him premier. But now he says lawyers have advised him to stay on temporarily, to ensure government efficiency in Thuringia. He has declined a pay package of EUR93,000 ($102,000; PS79,000). Legally he is entitled to that amount in salary and allowances for just one day in office. But after the figure was widely reported by German media he announced he would stay on his ordinary MP's salary. An FDP statement said that if by law Mr Kemmerich had to accept the premier's higher salary, he would donate the difference to a charity. Wednesday's election in the Thuringia parliament sparked outrage across Germany. Demonstrators outside the government building in Erfurt, the regional capital, chanted \"together against fascism!\" It is the first time in post-war Germany that a leader has been helped into office by the far right. Mainstream parties officially oppose any deals with the AfD, which has grown to become the main opposition party. Senior MPs in Thuringia's parliament plan to meet on 18 February to decide on a constitutional way to re-run the election for state premier. Chancellor Angela Merkel called the MPs' vote in the eastern state \"unforgivable\" and said it must be reversed. No replacement has been chosen yet for Mr Kemmerich. There are calls for the public to vote in fresh regional elections in Thuringia, but Chancellor Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) are resisting that option. The CDU and its coalition partner in the national government, the Social Democrats (SPD), will hold crisis talks at the weekend. The RND (Editor Network Germany) news group reports that the Thuringia premier gets a base monthly salary of EUR16,617 gross, plus EUR766 in allowances. In addition, as a married man Mr Kemmerich is entitled to a EUR153 family allowance, making a total of EUR17,537. Under Thuringia law, one day in office is treated the same as a month, and Mr Kemmerich is also entitled to a six-month transitional allowance after stepping down. For the first three months that allowance would be paid in full, and in half for the next three months. RND reports that his transitional allowance alone would total EUR75,468. Ordinary MPs in the Thuringia parliament get a monthly base salary of EUR5,803. In addition, they get up to EUR2,782 in monthly allowances, Germany's Die Welt reports. So the typical income of a Thuringia MP for a day's work, not counting expenses, is EUR290, and that of a national Bundestag MP is EUR500.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2726, "answer_start": 1812, "text": "The RND (Editor Network Germany) news group reports that the Thuringia premier gets a base monthly salary of EUR16,617 gross, plus EUR766 in allowances. In addition, as a married man Mr Kemmerich is entitled to a EUR153 family allowance, making a total of EUR17,537. Under Thuringia law, one day in office is treated the same as a month, and Mr Kemmerich is also entitled to a six-month transitional allowance after stepping down. For the first three months that allowance would be paid in full, and in half for the next three months. RND reports that his transitional allowance alone would total EUR75,468. Ordinary MPs in the Thuringia parliament get a monthly base salary of EUR5,803. In addition, they get up to EUR2,782 in monthly allowances, Germany's Die Welt reports. So the typical income of a Thuringia MP for a day's work, not counting expenses, is EUR290, and that of a national Bundestag MP is EUR500." } ], "id": "9610_0", "question": "Why EUR93,000 for a day's work?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Greenland has said it is \"not for sale\" after President Donald Trump stated that he would like the US to buy the world's biggest island. The president is said to have discussed the idea of purchasing Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, during dinners and meetings with advisers. But Greenland's government dismissed the idea, saying: \"We're open for business, not for sale.\" Mr Trump's plans have also been quickly dismissed by politicians in Denmark. \"It must be an April Fool's Day joke...but totally out of [season]!\", tweeted former Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which first reported the news, said Mr Trump had spoken about the purchase with \"varying degrees of seriousness\". Sources quoted in other media differed over whether the president was joking or seriously hoping to expand US territory. Officials in Greenland have insisted that the island is not on the market. \"Greenland is rich in valuable resources such as minerals, the purest water and ice, fish stocks, seafood, renewable energy and is a new frontier for adventure tourism. We're open for business, not for sale,\" the foreign ministry said in a statement shared on social media. Greenland Premier Kim Kielsen repeated the comments in a separate statement. \"Greenland is not for sale, but Greenland is open for trade and cooperation with other countries, including the USA,\" he said. Greenland MP Aaja Chemnitz Larsen was also among those to dismiss the president's interest. \"No thanks to Trump buying Greenland!\", she wrote on Twitter, adding that a \"better and more equal partnership with Denmark\" was the way forward. Poul Krarup, editor-in-chief of Greenland's Sermitsiaq newspaper, told the BBC he \"couldn't believe\" Mr Trump's remarks. \"Greenland is an independent area in the Danish kingdom and must be respected as such,\" he said. But he said he thought the chances of Mr Trump's reported ambitions being realised were unlikely. \"We'd like to cooperate with the US, no doubt about that, but we are independent and we decide who our friends are.\" Politicians in Denmark have ridiculed the idea of a possible US acquisition. \"If he is truly contemplating this, then this is final proof, that he has gone mad,\" foreign affairs spokesman for the populist Danish People's Party, Soren Espersen, told national broadcaster DR. \"The thought of Denmark selling 50,000 citizens to the United States is completely ridiculous.\" \"Out of all things that are not going to happen, this is the most unlikely. Forget it,\" Danish Conservative MP Rasmus Jarlov wrote on Twitter. Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who took office earlier this year, has not commented on the reports. She is set to visit Greenland this weekend and has said she is \"very much looking forward\" to it. Mr Trump is scheduled to visit Denmark in September but there is no indication that the possible acquisition of Greenland is on the agenda. The WSJ reported that it was \"unclear\" how the US would go about acquiring Greenland if Mr Trump was serious. Greenland is the largest island in the world (after Australia, which is defined as a continent in its own right). It is an autonomous Danish territory, located between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It has a population of about 56,000 people concentrated around the coastline. Almost 90% are indigenous Greenlandic Inuit people. It has a limited self-government and its own parliament. More than 80% of the island is covered by an ice cap which is feared to be melting due to global warming. The ice melt has increased access to the island's mineral resources. But it's also believed that the receding ice may expose toxic nuclear waste that was left at several US military sites during the Cold War. Mr Trump has reportedly taken an interest in Greenland, in part, because of its natural resources, such as coal, zinc, copper and iron ore. But while Greenland might be rich in minerals, it currently relies on Denmark for two thirds of its budget revenue. It has high rates of suicide, alcoholism and unemployment. Two people briefed on the discussions told the New York Times the president was also interested in Greenland's \"national security value\" because of its location. The US has long seen the island as being strategically important and established an air force and radar base there at the start of the Cold War. Republican Representative Mike Gallagher described Mr Trump's idea as a \"smart geopolitical move\". \"The United States has a compelling strategic interest in Greenland, and this should absolutely be on the table,\" he tweeted. Historically, countries have acquired territory not only through military conquest but also financial deals. Under the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, the US acquired about 827,000 sq miles (2.1m sq km) of land from France for $15m (PS12.3m). In 1867, the US reached a deal with Russia to purchase Alaska for $7.2m. The US later purchased the Danish West Indies in 1917 and renamed them the US Virgin Islands. However, Duke University law professor Joseph Blocher told the BBC that the practice \"has basically dried up\". \"I think in part because nations can often get what they want without expanding their sovereign territory, and also because... people can't just be bartered around like chattel anymore,\" said Professor Blocher. \"An outright sale would have to be approved by the United States, Denmark, and the people of Greenland, and the odds of that seem vanishingly small,\" he added. The idea of purchasing Greenland was first mooted during the 1860s under the presidency of Andrew Johnson. In 1867, a report by the US State Department suggested that Greenland's strategic location, along with its abundance of resources, made it an ideal acquisition. But no official move was made until 1946, when Harry Truman offered Denmark $100m for the territory. He had earlier toyed with the idea of swapping land in Alaska for strategic parts of Greenland, according to AP.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2070, "answer_start": 847, "text": "Officials in Greenland have insisted that the island is not on the market. \"Greenland is rich in valuable resources such as minerals, the purest water and ice, fish stocks, seafood, renewable energy and is a new frontier for adventure tourism. We're open for business, not for sale,\" the foreign ministry said in a statement shared on social media. Greenland Premier Kim Kielsen repeated the comments in a separate statement. \"Greenland is not for sale, but Greenland is open for trade and cooperation with other countries, including the USA,\" he said. Greenland MP Aaja Chemnitz Larsen was also among those to dismiss the president's interest. \"No thanks to Trump buying Greenland!\", she wrote on Twitter, adding that a \"better and more equal partnership with Denmark\" was the way forward. Poul Krarup, editor-in-chief of Greenland's Sermitsiaq newspaper, told the BBC he \"couldn't believe\" Mr Trump's remarks. \"Greenland is an independent area in the Danish kingdom and must be respected as such,\" he said. But he said he thought the chances of Mr Trump's reported ambitions being realised were unlikely. \"We'd like to cooperate with the US, no doubt about that, but we are independent and we decide who our friends are.\"" } ], "id": "9611_0", "question": "How has Greenland reacted?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3752, "answer_start": 3045, "text": "Greenland is the largest island in the world (after Australia, which is defined as a continent in its own right). It is an autonomous Danish territory, located between the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans. It has a population of about 56,000 people concentrated around the coastline. Almost 90% are indigenous Greenlandic Inuit people. It has a limited self-government and its own parliament. More than 80% of the island is covered by an ice cap which is feared to be melting due to global warming. The ice melt has increased access to the island's mineral resources. But it's also believed that the receding ice may expose toxic nuclear waste that was left at several US military sites during the Cold War." } ], "id": "9611_1", "question": "Where is Greenland?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5484, "answer_start": 4600, "text": "Historically, countries have acquired territory not only through military conquest but also financial deals. Under the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, the US acquired about 827,000 sq miles (2.1m sq km) of land from France for $15m (PS12.3m). In 1867, the US reached a deal with Russia to purchase Alaska for $7.2m. The US later purchased the Danish West Indies in 1917 and renamed them the US Virgin Islands. However, Duke University law professor Joseph Blocher told the BBC that the practice \"has basically dried up\". \"I think in part because nations can often get what they want without expanding their sovereign territory, and also because... people can't just be bartered around like chattel anymore,\" said Professor Blocher. \"An outright sale would have to be approved by the United States, Denmark, and the people of Greenland, and the odds of that seem vanishingly small,\" he added." } ], "id": "9611_2", "question": "Can countries buy territories?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5966, "answer_start": 5485, "text": "The idea of purchasing Greenland was first mooted during the 1860s under the presidency of Andrew Johnson. In 1867, a report by the US State Department suggested that Greenland's strategic location, along with its abundance of resources, made it an ideal acquisition. But no official move was made until 1946, when Harry Truman offered Denmark $100m for the territory. He had earlier toyed with the idea of swapping land in Alaska for strategic parts of Greenland, according to AP." } ], "id": "9611_3", "question": "Has the US ever tried to buy Greenland before?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Before his death at Dignitas in Switzerland, Geoff Whaley talked openly about his decision to have an assisted death rather than endure the final stages of motor neurone disease. But what is assisted dying? How is it different from euthanasia or assisted suicide? And are any of these deaths legal in the UK? Euthanasia is the act of intentionally ending a life to relieve suffering - for example a lethal injection administered by a doctor. Under English law euthanasia is illegal and is considered manslaughter or murder. However, last year, the UK Supreme Court ruled that legal permission would no longer be needed to withdraw treatment from patients in permanent vegetative state. The NHS says withdrawing life-sustaining treatment can be part of good palliative care and should not be confused with euthanasia. In 2016 in the Netherlands - where euthanasia is legal - Mark Langedijk was granted life-ending treatment after years of suffering from alcoholism, depression and anxiety. \"For me its very important to make sure that everyone knows we did everything and some people just aren't curable,\" his brother, Marcel, told the BBC. Intentionally helping another person to kill themselves is known as assisted suicide. This can include providing someone with strong sedatives with which to end their life or buying them a ticket to Switzerland (where assisted suicide is legal) to end their life. The Suicide Act 1961 makes it illegal to encourage or assist a suicide in England and Wales. Those found guilty of the offence could face up to 14 years in prison. Similar laws also exist in Northern Ireland. It is not uncommon for police to interview relatives after a loved one has ended their life at Dignitas. And in fact, Geoff Whaley's wife Ann, was interviewed under caution before they left the country - after police were made aware of his intentions. In Scotland there is no specific offence of assisted suicide but those who do help someone to die could be charged with general offences such as murder, culpable homicide or reckless endangerment. The campaign group Dignity in Dying wants a law allowing assisted dying. In contrast to euthanasia and assisted suicide, assisted dying would apply to terminally ill people only. The group says people with terminal illnesses should be allowed to have a choice over the manner and timing of their imminent death. There would be legal safeguards, and patients would have to meet strict criteria, it says, before they were given the option of taking life-ending medication and dying peacefully at home. At present, in the UK, it is possible to make an advance decision or an advance directive to refuse a specific type of treatment in the future if you lose capacity to make the decision for yourself. But that does not go far enough for some. Noel Conway has motor neurone disease and only has movement in his right hand, head and neck. He fought a legal battle with the Supreme Court to be allowed medical assistance to die when he has less than six months to live. The judges rejected his appeal - a decision Mr Conway described as \"downright cruel\". \"The only option I currently have is to remove my ventilator and effectively suffocate to death under sedation,\" he said, adding: \"To me this is not acceptable.\" Right-to-die campaigner Debbie Purdy had lived with primary progressive multiple sclerosis for almost 20 years. She described the pain of her disease as \"never-ending\" and had hoped to travel to Dignitas to end her life, fighting a legal battle to clarify whether her husband would be prosecuted for helping her travel to Switzerland. However, her condition deteriorated to the point that she was unable to leave her house. Speaking to the BBC she said: \"It's not a matter of wanting to end my life, it's a matter of not wanting my life to be this.\" She died in 2014 at the Marie Curie Hospice in Bradford. While there have been several high-profile legal battles fought by right-to-die campaigners, several groups believe the laws around all forms of assisted death should remain the same. The Care Not Killing alliance argues that any change to the law would result in elderly or vulnerable people worried about being a financial burden feeling under greater pressure to end their lives. It also argues that requests for euthanasia are extremely rare. Disability Rights UK opposes a change in the law arguing that the choice to die could be \"an illusory choice\" if disabled people are not offered proper support. The British Medical Association (BMA) says that improvements in palliative care allow patients to die with dignity but that assisted death should not be legalised in the UK in any form. The organisation argues that legalisation would go against \"the ethics of clinical practice, as the principal purpose of medicine is to improve patients' quality of life, not to foreshorten it\". Politicians have been reluctant to legalise forms of assisted suicide. In 2015, Labour MP Rob Marris introduced a law that would have allowed some terminally ill adults to end their lives with medical supervision but the House of Commons rejected his bill by 330 votes to 118. In 2018, 43 people from the UK died at Dignitas and Life Circle - two facilities in Switzerland. Research by Dignity in Dying found that there is an average of 14,800 internet searches of \"Dignitas\" every month from the UK. In 2014, a Freedom of Information request to Directors of Public Health found that approximately 7% of suicides in England involve people who are terminally ill - that's 300 suicides every year. Euthanasia is legal in Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, while assisted suicide is permitted in Switzerland. A number of states in the United States have made assisted dying legal. In Oregon assisted dying has been legal for terminally ill, mentally competent adults since 1997. Since then other states have introduced similar laws including Washington, California and Hawaii. If you've been affected by issues in this article, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5148, "answer_start": 3883, "text": "While there have been several high-profile legal battles fought by right-to-die campaigners, several groups believe the laws around all forms of assisted death should remain the same. The Care Not Killing alliance argues that any change to the law would result in elderly or vulnerable people worried about being a financial burden feeling under greater pressure to end their lives. It also argues that requests for euthanasia are extremely rare. Disability Rights UK opposes a change in the law arguing that the choice to die could be \"an illusory choice\" if disabled people are not offered proper support. The British Medical Association (BMA) says that improvements in palliative care allow patients to die with dignity but that assisted death should not be legalised in the UK in any form. The organisation argues that legalisation would go against \"the ethics of clinical practice, as the principal purpose of medicine is to improve patients' quality of life, not to foreshorten it\". Politicians have been reluctant to legalise forms of assisted suicide. In 2015, Labour MP Rob Marris introduced a law that would have allowed some terminally ill adults to end their lives with medical supervision but the House of Commons rejected his bill by 330 votes to 118." } ], "id": "9612_0", "question": "Who opposes assisted suicide and euthanasia?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6075, "answer_start": 5149, "text": "In 2018, 43 people from the UK died at Dignitas and Life Circle - two facilities in Switzerland. Research by Dignity in Dying found that there is an average of 14,800 internet searches of \"Dignitas\" every month from the UK. In 2014, a Freedom of Information request to Directors of Public Health found that approximately 7% of suicides in England involve people who are terminally ill - that's 300 suicides every year. Euthanasia is legal in Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, while assisted suicide is permitted in Switzerland. A number of states in the United States have made assisted dying legal. In Oregon assisted dying has been legal for terminally ill, mentally competent adults since 1997. Since then other states have introduced similar laws including Washington, California and Hawaii. If you've been affected by issues in this article, help and support is available via the BBC Action Line." } ], "id": "9612_1", "question": "How does the law compare in the UK with other countries?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Tens of thousands of Palestinians have demonstrated in Gaza to mark the anniversary of the start of weekly protests on the boundary with Israel. Demonstrators threw stones and burned tyres, with Israeli troops using tear-gas and live rounds in response. Three protesters died in the clashes, Palestinian officials say, with another killed earlier on Saturday. The protests back the declared right of Palestinian refugees to return to ancestral homes in what is now Israel. At least 189 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier were killed between March and December 2018, the UN says. A UN inquiry says Israeli soldiers may have committed war crimes during the protest marches - a charge Israel rejects. This day of protests is a serious test of the fragile calm between Israel and Hamas, the Islamist group that runs the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip, says the BBC's Yolande Knell in Jerusalem. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimated the number of protesters at about 40,000 and several thousand Israeli troops were deployed along the border. The IDF said explosive devices had been thrown over the border fence and Israeli forces had responded with \"riot dispersal means\" and live bullets. Three Palestinian protesters, all teenage boys, have been killed and more than 300 have been wounded, Palestinian health officials say. The health officials say another man was shot dead by Israeli troops close to the fence overnight. Hamas had said it would try to keep the crowds a safe distance from the fence, with Egyptian and UN mediators trying to prevent further escalation. The clashes were limited in scope and fears of a large number of deaths have not materialised. The protests quietened in the evening. They came after a tense week in which Palestinian militants fired rockets at Israel and Israel's air force struck dozens of sites in Gaza. But Palestinian sources say Egyptian mediators have made some progress in reaching a new ceasefire agreement between the Palestinians and Israel. Palestinians have been taking part in protests along the border since 30 March 2018 as part of a campaign dubbed \"the Great March of Return\". The Israeli government designates Hamas a terrorist group which it says has been seeking to use the protests as a cover to cross into its territory and carry out attacks. It deployed soldiers along the border fence, who it said were ordered to resort to live fire only when absolutely necessary and when there was an imminent threat. A commission of inquiry was set up by the UN Human Rights Council. Thirty-five of the 189 Palestinian fatalities were children, three were clearly marked paramedics and two were clearly marked journalists, the commission found. The inquiry found reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli snipers had shot at children, medics and journalists, even though they were clearly recognisable as such. Four Israeli soldiers were injured at the demonstrations. One Israeli soldier was killed on a protest day but outside the protest sites, the commission said. Unless undertaken lawfully in self-defence, intentionally shooting a civilian not directly participating in hostilities is a war crime. Israel's acting foreign minister said it rejected the findings outright. \"The Human Rights Council's Theatre of the Absurd has once again produced a report that is hostile, mendacious and biased against Israel,\" Israel Katz said. \"No-one can deny Israel the right to self-defence and the obligation to protect its citizens and its borders against violent attacks.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1996, "answer_start": 896, "text": "The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) estimated the number of protesters at about 40,000 and several thousand Israeli troops were deployed along the border. The IDF said explosive devices had been thrown over the border fence and Israeli forces had responded with \"riot dispersal means\" and live bullets. Three Palestinian protesters, all teenage boys, have been killed and more than 300 have been wounded, Palestinian health officials say. The health officials say another man was shot dead by Israeli troops close to the fence overnight. Hamas had said it would try to keep the crowds a safe distance from the fence, with Egyptian and UN mediators trying to prevent further escalation. The clashes were limited in scope and fears of a large number of deaths have not materialised. The protests quietened in the evening. They came after a tense week in which Palestinian militants fired rockets at Israel and Israel's air force struck dozens of sites in Gaza. But Palestinian sources say Egyptian mediators have made some progress in reaching a new ceasefire agreement between the Palestinians and Israel." } ], "id": "9613_0", "question": "What has happened so far?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3526, "answer_start": 1997, "text": "Palestinians have been taking part in protests along the border since 30 March 2018 as part of a campaign dubbed \"the Great March of Return\". The Israeli government designates Hamas a terrorist group which it says has been seeking to use the protests as a cover to cross into its territory and carry out attacks. It deployed soldiers along the border fence, who it said were ordered to resort to live fire only when absolutely necessary and when there was an imminent threat. A commission of inquiry was set up by the UN Human Rights Council. Thirty-five of the 189 Palestinian fatalities were children, three were clearly marked paramedics and two were clearly marked journalists, the commission found. The inquiry found reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli snipers had shot at children, medics and journalists, even though they were clearly recognisable as such. Four Israeli soldiers were injured at the demonstrations. One Israeli soldier was killed on a protest day but outside the protest sites, the commission said. Unless undertaken lawfully in self-defence, intentionally shooting a civilian not directly participating in hostilities is a war crime. Israel's acting foreign minister said it rejected the findings outright. \"The Human Rights Council's Theatre of the Absurd has once again produced a report that is hostile, mendacious and biased against Israel,\" Israel Katz said. \"No-one can deny Israel the right to self-defence and the obligation to protect its citizens and its borders against violent attacks.\"" } ], "id": "9613_1", "question": "What happened during earlier protests?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": " It's taken eight years, 70 episodes and thousands of deaths to get us to this moment. The epic fight between the living and the dead in Game of Thrones was shown in the UK on Monday. The episode, called The Long Night, lasted 82 minutes and took viewers on a rollercoaster journey featuring our favourite characters. HBO - the makers of the fantasy drama - has now released a behind-the-scenes video giving some of the secrets of how it all came together. This article contains spoilers - obviously. The cast and crew filmed for 55 nights straight in Belfast to produce The Long Night - often working from 6pm until 5am. Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen, revealed it was -14C during the shoot. \"It's too cold to snow. When it's too cold to snow you know you've got trouble,\" she says. Three weeks into the shoot, many of the cast and crew looked like they were part of the army of the dead. \"People looked slightly haunted,\" says Jacob Anderson, who plays Grey Worm. \"Everybody looked like, 'This is getting into us. It's getting into our spirits'.\" Director Miguel Sapochnik adds: \"Look at it this way - I never ever want to do that again. I don't think anybody that did that wants to do it again.\" But they all agree it was worth it. Maisie Williams, who plays Arya Stark, said: \"It was a mammoth task that we were faced with and we did it. \"It feels incredible. That first week after the night shoot the crew were smiling at the sun.\" The plot of Game of Thrones is always a well-kept secret - with only a few people knowing how the drama will eventually unfold. In The Long Night, Arya Stark becomes the ultimate hero by using her assassin skills to bring down the Night King. The fact it was Arya that killed the Night King came as a shock to most of the cast. \"I remember being like, 'Whoa' and applauding in my head,\" says Emilia. \"And in the read through when Maisie was doing it we were all whooping and cheering. It was amazing.\" But not everyone was completely happy Arya took the limelight. Kit Harington, who plays Jon Snow, says he'd have \"bet you thousands\" he'd be the person to kill the Night King. \"Before we read the final script I was like, 'Yeah it's definitely me'.\" The producers say that Jon has always been the saviour but this time it just \"didn't feel right\". Maisie was told a year before the crew started filming to get her endurance levels up to scratch for her big scene. In the Game of Thrones books Arya is left-handed - but Maisie uses her right. She trained left-handed and producers revealed most of the fighting is done by the actress herself, not a stunt woman. \"It's one thing practising a sparring fight. But when you're fighting for your life with loads of stunt men who do this day-to-day, it's a completely different ball game,\" Maisie says. \"I hold the record for the most apologies on set.\" This is Game of Thrones, so you know that its creators don't mind killing off characters we love. This episode was no different, with Lyanna Mormont being crushed to death by a giant - but not before she stabbed him in the eye. Bella Ramsey, who plays the young leader, says: \"When I found out I was dying it was the best thing really. \"I decided I'd be happy if I ended up on the throne - which I thought was very, very unlikely - or I had a great death.\" The producers say they wanted it to be her \"heroic\" moment. And despite all the fancy technology available in 2019, they decided to go a bit old school and get an actor in for the giant. On set VFX supervisor Eric Carney said: \"Our giant performer, Ian Whyte, he's 7ft 5ins. He performed all the actions of the giant in front of a green screen. \"For the shots where he had to pick up Lyanna we put tracking markers on a green doll that he picked up and we motion captured that and used it to drive a robotic arm to pick up our actress.\" Bella says it was \"fitting\" for Lyanna to die stabbing a giant in the eye. \"It's a bit like David and Goliath,\" she adds. Samwell Tarley is known for being a lover, not a fighter. During the battle he's seen in tears after getting overpowered by the dead. But John Bradley, who plays the fan favourite, revealed it was a struggle to keep his fighting urges inside during filming. \"If you're involved in a battle scene, you like to see yourself as fighter and you like to make it look as good as you possibly can. \"But [director] Miguel was the one who had to keep reigning me in and say, 'Remember you're playing Samwell Tarley and he's not a fighter'. \"The reason Sam is in there is because he's not a fighter and he can show how normal people would cope.\" Ed Cumming, from The Independent newspaper, describes the Night King's death as \"epic, gritty, profoundly silly and surprisingly camp\". He adds: \"But in terms of spectacle, it is the equal of anything to come out of Hollywood.\" Stephen Kelly, from the BBC, gave it three out of five stars. He says: \"There are great moments, obviously. The episode's first act is a masterclass in fear and tension - of the feeling that the task at hand truly is impossible.\" But he describes the deaths in the battle as \"a hugely overhyped aspect of this episode, which in reality panned out as a series of safe and predictable choices\". Gwilym Mumford from the Guardian said the episode meant \"Game of Thrones is back to sticking them with the pointy end\". But he wasn't too impressed with the Night King's last hurrah. \"The greatest threat Westeros has ever known is now a puddle of thawing ice-cubes, and the final bosses are likely to be, as one wag on Twitter put it, 'a pregnant lady and a pirate'.\" 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": 5588, "answer_start": 4600, "text": "Ed Cumming, from The Independent newspaper, describes the Night King's death as \"epic, gritty, profoundly silly and surprisingly camp\". He adds: \"But in terms of spectacle, it is the equal of anything to come out of Hollywood.\" Stephen Kelly, from the BBC, gave it three out of five stars. He says: \"There are great moments, obviously. The episode's first act is a masterclass in fear and tension - of the feeling that the task at hand truly is impossible.\" But he describes the deaths in the battle as \"a hugely overhyped aspect of this episode, which in reality panned out as a series of safe and predictable choices\". Gwilym Mumford from the Guardian said the episode meant \"Game of Thrones is back to sticking them with the pointy end\". But he wasn't too impressed with the Night King's last hurrah. \"The greatest threat Westeros has ever known is now a puddle of thawing ice-cubes, and the final bosses are likely to be, as one wag on Twitter put it, 'a pregnant lady and a pirate'.\"" } ], "id": "9614_0", "question": "What do critics make of the battle episode?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Topshop boss Sir Philip Green has dropped his legal action against the Daily Telegraph, which prevented it publishing allegations of racist behaviour and sexual harassment. He had argued that former staff were breaking the law by breaching non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) they had signed. So how do these work? Sometimes known as \"gagging orders\" or \"hush agreements\". In employment law, they're parts of contracts, or sometimes standalone contracts, between employees and companies. They typically prevent staff and ex-staff making information public. In legal practice they are often described as \"confidentiality clauses\", but are better known to the public as NDAs. They can apply to commercially sensitive details such as inventions and ideas, or anything likely to damage an organisation's reputation. NDAs have also been used to prevent employees discussing allegations of misbehaviour in the workplace in the media after a settlement has been agreed. They're signed when employees and organisations resolve a dispute - such as a claim of wrongful dismissal - without going through a full tribunal hearing. But they can be signed earlier, such as when staff are taken on. NDAs don't stop people reporting alleged illegal acts. If a manager or colleague faced allegations of attempted rape or fraud, for instance, reporting these to the police would not be prevented. But allegations of a boss making sexual comments or bullying staff could be covered. However, bullying may be illegal if it relates to \"a protected characteristic\", such as age, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation, says Marc Jones, a partner at IBB Solicitors. The length of time for which an NDA applies varies. In the US, it's thought that a third of workers have signed NDAs but, according to Mr Jones, it's \"impossible to say\" how widespread they are in the UK. Julie Morris, a senior employment partner at Slater and Gordon Lawyers, says that, in her experience, \"almost all settlement agreements\" contain NDAs preventing employees \"speaking about various matters, including allegations about harassment or discrimination\". If someone breaches an NDA, they break a contract, leaving them open to being sued. But if a company thinks the NDA is going to be breached, it can apply for an injunction, as Sir Philip did to prevent his name being circulated by the Daily Telegraph in connection with allegations of racial and sexual harassment. If someone breaches an injunction, this is a criminal offence, and can lead to a fine or jail for those found guilty. Yes. Parliamentary privilege - guaranteeing free speech for parliamentarians - allows MPs and peers to mention them in the House of Commons or House of Lords. Last October, former Labour cabinet minister Lord Hain used this to name Sir Philip as the businessman accused by the Daily Telegraph of sexual and racial harassment, after the newspaper was prevented by the injunction from doing this. Sir Philip says he's \"not guilty of unlawful sexual or racist behaviour\" and he has been the subject of \"vicious\" and \"untrue\" personal attacks in the media.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1179, "answer_start": 312, "text": "Sometimes known as \"gagging orders\" or \"hush agreements\". In employment law, they're parts of contracts, or sometimes standalone contracts, between employees and companies. They typically prevent staff and ex-staff making information public. In legal practice they are often described as \"confidentiality clauses\", but are better known to the public as NDAs. They can apply to commercially sensitive details such as inventions and ideas, or anything likely to damage an organisation's reputation. NDAs have also been used to prevent employees discussing allegations of misbehaviour in the workplace in the media after a settlement has been agreed. They're signed when employees and organisations resolve a dispute - such as a claim of wrongful dismissal - without going through a full tribunal hearing. But they can be signed earlier, such as when staff are taken on." } ], "id": "9615_0", "question": "What are NDAs?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1700, "answer_start": 1180, "text": "NDAs don't stop people reporting alleged illegal acts. If a manager or colleague faced allegations of attempted rape or fraud, for instance, reporting these to the police would not be prevented. But allegations of a boss making sexual comments or bullying staff could be covered. However, bullying may be illegal if it relates to \"a protected characteristic\", such as age, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation, says Marc Jones, a partner at IBB Solicitors. The length of time for which an NDA applies varies." } ], "id": "9615_1", "question": "What do they cover?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2116, "answer_start": 1701, "text": "In the US, it's thought that a third of workers have signed NDAs but, according to Mr Jones, it's \"impossible to say\" how widespread they are in the UK. Julie Morris, a senior employment partner at Slater and Gordon Lawyers, says that, in her experience, \"almost all settlement agreements\" contain NDAs preventing employees \"speaking about various matters, including allegations about harassment or discrimination\"." } ], "id": "9615_2", "question": "How many are there?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2549, "answer_start": 2117, "text": "If someone breaches an NDA, they break a contract, leaving them open to being sued. But if a company thinks the NDA is going to be breached, it can apply for an injunction, as Sir Philip did to prevent his name being circulated by the Daily Telegraph in connection with allegations of racial and sexual harassment. If someone breaches an injunction, this is a criminal offence, and can lead to a fine or jail for those found guilty." } ], "id": "9615_3", "question": "How are they enforced?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3102, "answer_start": 2550, "text": "Yes. Parliamentary privilege - guaranteeing free speech for parliamentarians - allows MPs and peers to mention them in the House of Commons or House of Lords. Last October, former Labour cabinet minister Lord Hain used this to name Sir Philip as the businessman accused by the Daily Telegraph of sexual and racial harassment, after the newspaper was prevented by the injunction from doing this. Sir Philip says he's \"not guilty of unlawful sexual or racist behaviour\" and he has been the subject of \"vicious\" and \"untrue\" personal attacks in the media." } ], "id": "9615_4", "question": "Can injunctions be overcome?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The Labour Party is going into the 2019 general election with a promise to \"get Brexit sorted\" in six months. So, what exactly is its plan? If it wins the election, Labour wants to renegotiate Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal and put it to another public vote. Rather than backing either Leave or Remain during the election campaign, the party will remain neutral until a later date. Should a referendum under a Labour government be held, voters would be able to choose between a \"credible Leave option\" and Remain. The party would organise the referendum within six months and decide which position to back at a special conference in the build up. Experts at the Constitution Unit at University College London say it would take a minimum of 22 weeks to organise another referendum. Labour's Brexit stance was adopted after Labour's delegates voted for it at the party conference in September. Delegates rejected a motion which called on the party to back Remain outright in all circumstances. It was voted down despite receiving support from senior figures - such as shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry. Until July, Labour had resisted outright support for another referendum. Its deputy leader, Tom Watson, said \"ambiguity\" over the party's Brexit policy had cost it votes at the European elections in May. Mr Corbyn says Labour will negotiate a Brexit deal which maintains a very close trading relationship with the EU. This would be achieved by staying in a customs union and keeping close alignment to the single market. That would mean the UK would be able to continue trading with the EU without tariffs (taxes on imports) being applied. However, being in a customs union would prevent the UK from striking its own trade deals with other countries on goods, such as the US. Under the deal negotiated by Mr Johnson, the UK would leave both the single market and customs union. This would require checks to take place on some goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Labour believes it would take no longer than three months the renegotiate the current Brexit deal. Just like the Conservative Party, Labour has had to deal with internal divisions over its Brexit policy. Many Labour MPs who represent parts of the country where most people voted Leave have previously expressed unhappiness with the party's shift on supporting a referendum. More than 25 Labour MPs wrote to Mr Corbyn in June, saying another public vote would be \"toxic to our bedrock Labour voters\" and urged the party leadership to back a Brexit deal. On the other hand, shadow chancellor John McDonnell and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry, are among those to say remaining would be the best thing for the UK - even if the other option is a Labour-negotiated Brexit deal. 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": 2147, "answer_start": 1366, "text": "Mr Corbyn says Labour will negotiate a Brexit deal which maintains a very close trading relationship with the EU. This would be achieved by staying in a customs union and keeping close alignment to the single market. That would mean the UK would be able to continue trading with the EU without tariffs (taxes on imports) being applied. However, being in a customs union would prevent the UK from striking its own trade deals with other countries on goods, such as the US. Under the deal negotiated by Mr Johnson, the UK would leave both the single market and customs union. This would require checks to take place on some goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Labour believes it would take no longer than three months the renegotiate the current Brexit deal." } ], "id": "9616_0", "question": "What would a Labour Leave option look like?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2831, "answer_start": 2148, "text": "Just like the Conservative Party, Labour has had to deal with internal divisions over its Brexit policy. Many Labour MPs who represent parts of the country where most people voted Leave have previously expressed unhappiness with the party's shift on supporting a referendum. More than 25 Labour MPs wrote to Mr Corbyn in June, saying another public vote would be \"toxic to our bedrock Labour voters\" and urged the party leadership to back a Brexit deal. On the other hand, shadow chancellor John McDonnell and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry, are among those to say remaining would be the best thing for the UK - even if the other option is a Labour-negotiated Brexit deal." } ], "id": "9616_1", "question": "Why is Labour divided over Brexit?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Iran says sanctions are preventing lifesaving drugs from reaching the country, despite special exemptions for medical supplies. This is disputed by Washington. \"The United States exempts medicine and medical devices for the Iranian people from US sanctions,\" says Brian Hook, the American special representative for Iran. So how are sanctions affecting access to medicines in Iran? Iran produces most of its own basic pharmaceuticals - but when it comes to the most advanced medicines, it relies heavily on imports. It's estimated that although only about 4% of its medicines come from abroad in terms of volume, the more expensive imported drugs make up about a third of the total value. There is only limited data on drug imports and prices paid inside Iran but anecdotal evidence can give some idea of the situation. The BBC's Persian Service has heard from its audience about rising costs of medicines. A sufferer of Crohn's disease described the difficulties of accessing vital drugs. \"I have to travel to other towns and cities to check if their pharmacies have the drugs,\" they said. \"Some of them do but the prices are so high that I cannot afford them.\" The BBC also spoke to a pharmaceutical importer from inside Iran who said the past two years had brought shortages and price rises. Drugs for anaesthetics, cancer-treatment and diabetes were particularly hard to find, they said. In the past 12 months, the cost of health and medical services rose by 19%, according to official Iranian statistics. But these shortages and price increases could be for many reasons, not only as a consequence of sanctions against Iran. International sanctions were lifted in 2016 following an agreement with Iran over its nuclear programme, but in November 2018 the United States reinstated \"the toughest ever\" sanctions on Iranian industry and banks. It threatened heavy punishment and exclusion from the US financial system for foreign companies seeking to circumvent these restrictions. However, exporters of humanitarian supplies such as medicines and medical devices - and the companies facilitating this trade - should not be punished by the US for doing business with Tehran. \"The problem is that you need to find banks willing to keep open the business lines and compliance functions to process those transactions,\" says Richard Nephew, an expert on US sanctions. \"Often, they're seen as not worth the headache... so there is a practical problem in getting banks to do it. But can they? Sure.\" Also, not all medicines or medical devices qualify for the exemption. \"Trading humanitarian goods and processing payments with Iran remains complex,\" says Justine Walker, director of sanctions policy at UK Finance, which represents British banks. \"Legally, medicines are not prohibited under sanctions. However, they do become prohibited if they are found to be going to a designated actor or entity.\" These include Iran's major banks. Official Iranian figures seen by BBC News show a snapshot of the past 16 months of overall Iranian imports of medical drugs and devices. These imports reached a peak of $176m (PS145m) in September 2018, then fell significantly. By June 2019, imports of medical supplies had fallen by 60% to about $67m. This fall coincides with the imposition of US sanctions but the data is limited and it's not possible to say with any certainty that sanctions are responsible. There is also data available from the EU, a key trading partner with Iran. Since sanctions were imposed in November last year, medical and pharmaceutical sales to Iran fell at first before rising slightly in May. This followed a period when trade in medical supplies fluctuated, reaching a peak in 2016 (when international sanctions were lifted) and then falling in the following two years. Navigating new regulations and incurring extra costs, for example by changing banks, makes trade with Iran \"daunting for smaller firms\", says Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder of Bourse & Bazaar, which tracks Iran's economy. The lack of foreign currency inside Iran and the volatility of the Iranian currency also make imports more expensive. Iran has been calling for the urgent implementation of a proposed European plan to support companies wishing to bypass US financial restrictions. But this has proven complex and politically difficult to implement. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1629, "answer_start": 382, "text": "Iran produces most of its own basic pharmaceuticals - but when it comes to the most advanced medicines, it relies heavily on imports. It's estimated that although only about 4% of its medicines come from abroad in terms of volume, the more expensive imported drugs make up about a third of the total value. There is only limited data on drug imports and prices paid inside Iran but anecdotal evidence can give some idea of the situation. The BBC's Persian Service has heard from its audience about rising costs of medicines. A sufferer of Crohn's disease described the difficulties of accessing vital drugs. \"I have to travel to other towns and cities to check if their pharmacies have the drugs,\" they said. \"Some of them do but the prices are so high that I cannot afford them.\" The BBC also spoke to a pharmaceutical importer from inside Iran who said the past two years had brought shortages and price rises. Drugs for anaesthetics, cancer-treatment and diabetes were particularly hard to find, they said. In the past 12 months, the cost of health and medical services rose by 19%, according to official Iranian statistics. But these shortages and price increases could be for many reasons, not only as a consequence of sanctions against Iran." } ], "id": "9617_0", "question": "What medicines does Iran import?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2933, "answer_start": 1630, "text": "International sanctions were lifted in 2016 following an agreement with Iran over its nuclear programme, but in November 2018 the United States reinstated \"the toughest ever\" sanctions on Iranian industry and banks. It threatened heavy punishment and exclusion from the US financial system for foreign companies seeking to circumvent these restrictions. However, exporters of humanitarian supplies such as medicines and medical devices - and the companies facilitating this trade - should not be punished by the US for doing business with Tehran. \"The problem is that you need to find banks willing to keep open the business lines and compliance functions to process those transactions,\" says Richard Nephew, an expert on US sanctions. \"Often, they're seen as not worth the headache... so there is a practical problem in getting banks to do it. But can they? Sure.\" Also, not all medicines or medical devices qualify for the exemption. \"Trading humanitarian goods and processing payments with Iran remains complex,\" says Justine Walker, director of sanctions policy at UK Finance, which represents British banks. \"Legally, medicines are not prohibited under sanctions. However, they do become prohibited if they are found to be going to a designated actor or entity.\" These include Iran's major banks." } ], "id": "9617_1", "question": "How do the sanctions work?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3787, "answer_start": 2934, "text": "Official Iranian figures seen by BBC News show a snapshot of the past 16 months of overall Iranian imports of medical drugs and devices. These imports reached a peak of $176m (PS145m) in September 2018, then fell significantly. By June 2019, imports of medical supplies had fallen by 60% to about $67m. This fall coincides with the imposition of US sanctions but the data is limited and it's not possible to say with any certainty that sanctions are responsible. There is also data available from the EU, a key trading partner with Iran. Since sanctions were imposed in November last year, medical and pharmaceutical sales to Iran fell at first before rising slightly in May. This followed a period when trade in medical supplies fluctuated, reaching a peak in 2016 (when international sanctions were lifted) and then falling in the following two years." } ], "id": "9617_2", "question": "Are medicines reaching Iran?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4343, "answer_start": 3788, "text": "Navigating new regulations and incurring extra costs, for example by changing banks, makes trade with Iran \"daunting for smaller firms\", says Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder of Bourse & Bazaar, which tracks Iran's economy. The lack of foreign currency inside Iran and the volatility of the Iranian currency also make imports more expensive. Iran has been calling for the urgent implementation of a proposed European plan to support companies wishing to bypass US financial restrictions. But this has proven complex and politically difficult to implement." } ], "id": "9617_3", "question": "Is trading with Iran risky?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The view of Labour members seems clear. Polling for a project on party membership - led by Prof Tim Bale of Queen Mary University - was published at the turn of the year. It suggested more than 70% of Labour's members backed a second referendum. And if it were held, nearly nine out of 10 would vote to remain in the EU. But this wasn't a poll of shadow cabinet members. Nine of Jeremy Corbyn's top team are very, very sceptical of - or opposed to - another referendum. And most of these are his political allies. The man he installed as Labour Party chairman - Ian Lavery - is reported to have offered his resignation twice because he broke the party whip and failed to back a referendum in the recent indicative votes. Twice Mr Corbyn refused to accept it. From a Leave-supporting area in north east England, Mr Lavery is convinced Labour would pay a high political price if it is seen to be disrespecting the result of the 2016 referendum. It's interesting that the elections co-ordinator, Andrew Gwynne, who is not as close to Mr Corbyn, takes a similar view. So far, a formulation around the question of a second referendum has just about maintained a show of unity from senior figures in public - though this is now fraying. The form of words deployed is that Labour would support a \"public vote\" in order to avoid \"a hard Tory Brexit\" or \"no deal\". But these caveats now worry supporters of a referendum in the party - including some who sit at Mr Corbyn's top table. The fears are fuelled by the current cross-party talks. Because if Mr Corbyn was to reach a deal with Theresa May which avoids \"a hard Tory Brexit\", would the referendum commitment melt away? Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry was so concerned she wrote to shadow cabinet colleagues last night to argue that ditching a public vote on any deal - including one hammered out with the prime minister - would breach party policy and would require a vote of the whole shadow cabinet. At last night's special meeting of shadow ministers, I am told Ms Thornberry's possible leadership ambitions were aired. (She couldn't be there for family reasons). Key figures in Mr Corbyn's office were furious at her intervention. But the party's deputy leader Tom Watson - who doesn't always see eye to eye with the shadow foreign secretary - took to the airwaves to insist: \"Our position is we want a confirmatory ballot. \"It's very difficult for us to move off that because I don't think our party would forgive us if we signed off on Tory Brexit without that kind of concession.\" Even more uncomfortably for the Labour leader, left-wing allies have written to him to push for a referendum commitment in talks with the prime minister. The eleven signatories include shadow ministers Clive Lewis and Rachael Maskell. They wrote: \"We - your supporters - urge you to make a confirmatory public vote your bottom line in negotiations with Theresa May and to fight to bring this government down.\" Mr Corbyn has said he did raise the \"option\" of a public vote with Mrs May yesterday and shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said today that a \"confirmatory vote\" would be discussed at what are being billed as technical discussions between Labour and Conservative frontbenchers. Behind the scenes there is what to outsiders will look like a \"dance on the head of a pin\" argument going on as to what Labour's policy actually is on a public vote - but the interpretation could determine how hard, or otherwise, the referendum is pushed in talks. The motion agreed last autumn at Labour's conference says \"should Parliament vote down a Tory Brexit deal, or the talks end in no deal\" then there should be a general election. If that doesn't happen, then \"Labour must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote\". Supporters of a referendum say that Mrs May's \"Tory Brexit deal\" - as represented by two meaningful votes - has been voted down. So Labour should now be calling unequivocally for a \"public vote\" on any deal. Sceptics and opponents stress, on the other hand, that it should still be a last resort to prevent no deal, or another attempt to get Mrs May's unrevised deal over the line. So a group of 25 Labour MPs from Leave areas has written to Mr Corbyn urging him to \"compromise\" in talks with Mrs May. The group includes the shadow minister Gloria De Piero, and former shadow minister Melanie Onn, who resigned because she voted against the referendum option rather than abstain on an indicative vote. More familiar supporters of Mrs May's current deal - such as Caroline Flint and Sir Kevin Barron - have added their names too - as has Lisa Nandy, the former frontbencher who has so far held out against the prime minister's deal, but who could be persuaded if it were combined with a customs union. The signatories say: \"Our policy... seeks a deal that protects jobs and rights at work. It does not require a confirmatory ballot on any deal that meets those conditions.\" But sources close to the Labour leader think the fuss over a referendum is over-blown, as government and opposition are unlikely to agree a joint motion on Brexit in any case. It's far more likely there will be a series of votes on a range of options - including a referendum - next week. Peter Kyle, who drafted a motion on the option of a referendum during the phase of indicative votes, is hopeful of success. His formulation garnered more votes - though not a majority - from MPs than any other option. But some close to the Labour leadership believe it will, once again, be rejected. That outcome would get both the prime minister and the opposition leader off a potentially painful political hook. But it doesn't bring a Brexit deal any closer.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4192, "answer_start": 3240, "text": "Behind the scenes there is what to outsiders will look like a \"dance on the head of a pin\" argument going on as to what Labour's policy actually is on a public vote - but the interpretation could determine how hard, or otherwise, the referendum is pushed in talks. The motion agreed last autumn at Labour's conference says \"should Parliament vote down a Tory Brexit deal, or the talks end in no deal\" then there should be a general election. If that doesn't happen, then \"Labour must support all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote\". Supporters of a referendum say that Mrs May's \"Tory Brexit deal\" - as represented by two meaningful votes - has been voted down. So Labour should now be calling unequivocally for a \"public vote\" on any deal. Sceptics and opponents stress, on the other hand, that it should still be a last resort to prevent no deal, or another attempt to get Mrs May's unrevised deal over the line." } ], "id": "9618_0", "question": "Meaningful policy?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Google's DeepMind says it has made another big advance in artificial intelligence by getting a machine to master the Chinese game of Go without help from human players. The AlphaGo program, devised by the tech giant's AI division, has already beaten two of the world's best players. It had started by learning from thousands of games played by humans. But the new AlphaGo Zero began with a blank Go board and no data apart from the rules, and then played itself. Within 72 hours it was good enough to beat the original program by 100 games to zero. DeepMind's chief executive, Demis Hassabis, said the system could now have more general applications in scientific research. \"We're quite excited because we think this is now good enough to make some real progress on some real problems even though we're obviously a long way from full AI,\" he told the BBC and other journalists. The London-based artificial intelligence company's software defeated leading South Korean Go player Lee Se-dol by four games to one last year. In a game where there are more possible legal board positions than there are atoms in the universe, it was a triumph for machine over man and one that came much earlier than many in the AI world had expected. AlphaGo followed this with the defeat of the world's number one Go player, China's Ke Jie, in May. As with many advances in this field, the achievements required the combination of vast amounts of data - in this case records of thousands of games - and a lot of computer-processing power. David Silver, who led that effort, says the team took a very different approach with AlphaGo Zero. \"The new version starts from a neural network that knows nothing at all about the game of Go,\" he explained. \"The only knowledge it has is the rules of the game. Apart from that, it figures everything out just by playing games against itself.\" Go is thought to date back to ancient China, several thousand years ago. Using black and white stones on a grid, players gain the upper hand by surrounding their opponents' pieces with their own. The rules are simpler than those of chess, but a player typically has a choice of 200 moves at most points in the game, compared with about 20 in chess. It can be very difficult to determine who is winning, and many of the top human players rely on instinct. This has turned out to be far more efficient way of addressing the problem. Whereas AlphaGo took months to get to the point where it could take on a professional, AlphaGo Zero got there in just three days, using a fraction of the processing power. \"It shows it's the novel algorithms that count, not the compute power or the data,\" says Mr Silver. He enthuses about an idea some may find rather scary - that in just a few days a machine has surpassed the knowledge of this game acquired by humanity over thousands of years. \"We've actually removed the constraints of human knowledge and it's able, therefore, to create knowledge itself from first principles, from a blank slate,\" he said. Whereas earlier versions quickly learned from and improved upon human strategies, AlphaGo Zero developed techniques which the professional player who advised DeepMind said he had never seen before. Many of the team have now moved on to new projects where they are trying to take this technique to new areas. Demis Hassabis mentions drug design and the discovery of new materials as areas of interest. Whereas some see a threat from AI, he looks ahead with optimism. \"I hope these kind of algorithms will be routinely working with us as scientific experts medical experts on advancing the frontiers of science and medicine - that's what I hope,\" he says. But he and his colleagues are cautious about how rapidly we will see the wider application of these AI techniques - a game with clear rules and no element of luck is one thing, the messy, random, unpredictable real world quite another. I wrote earlier this week about the tidal wave of AI hype pouring into my email inbox. AlphaGo Zero is at the other end of the spectrum - proper peer-reviewed science with a real advance in computer intelligence. We need to keep a close eye on the ethical dilemmas involved in developing a machine that, by some definitions, can think for itself - especially when it is controlled by a giant like Google. But for now, there are few signs that AlphaGo Zero and its ilk will either steal our jobs or threaten to make humanity obsolete.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2316, "answer_start": 1862, "text": "Go is thought to date back to ancient China, several thousand years ago. Using black and white stones on a grid, players gain the upper hand by surrounding their opponents' pieces with their own. The rules are simpler than those of chess, but a player typically has a choice of 200 moves at most points in the game, compared with about 20 in chess. It can be very difficult to determine who is winning, and many of the top human players rely on instinct." } ], "id": "9619_0", "question": "What is Go?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump has renewed a threat to declare a national emergency to fund the construction of a wall on the Mexican border. A row with Democrats over funding the wall has left the government partially shut down for 20 days, leaving some 800,000 federal employees unpaid. On Saturday, the shutdown becomes the longest in US history. Mr Trump says the wall, a key campaign pledge, is needed to tackle a security crisis of illegal immigration. The Democrats say the wall is an \"immorality\" and a waste of taxpayers' money. President Trump has refused to sign legislation to fund and reopen the government if it does not include $5.7bn (PS4.5bn) for the wall. He issued the threat on a visit on Thursday to a border patrol station in McAllen, in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. He said that if Congress did not approve funding for the wall, he would \"probably... I would almost say definitely\" declare a national emergency to bypass lawmakers. \"I have the absolute right to declare a national emergency,\" he said. In a later interview with Fox News, he doubled down, declaring: \"If we don't make a deal with Congress, most likely I will do that. \"I would actually say I would. I can't imagine any reason why not, because I'm allowed to do it.\" \"The law is 100 percent on my side,\" he said. Mr Trump would have the right to undertake such a construction project in times of war and national emergency, usually allocating funds from the department of defence. But bypassing Congress would be hugely controversial, sparking allegations of the overuse of executive powers and it would almost certainly face huge legal challenges. Some US media reports suggest the White House is considering diverting some of the $13.9bn (PS10.9bn) allocated last year by Congress for disaster relief in such areas as Puerto Rico, Texas and California to pay for the wall. NBC News reported on Thursday that Mr Trump had been briefed on such a plan but the White House denied it. Analysts say the national emergency move would provide political cover to reopen government while allowing Mr Trump to argue he has done all he can to fulfil his campaign promise. The BBC's David Willis in Washington says that, with no further talks with the Democrats planned, this now seems the most likely option for the president. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally, said there was no other pathway forward. He was speaking at McAllen station, behind a display of weapons and cash said to have been seized by the border patrol. He was joined by border patrol agents, and relatives of people killed by illegal immigrants. \"If we don't have a barrier... you're not going to be able to solve this problem,\" he said, adding that people faced \"hard work\", \"gruelling problems\" and \"a lot of death\" without it. Mr Trump added: \"They say a wall is medieval... There are some things that work.\" The president said in a national address on Tuesday the wall was needed to stem a \"growing humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border\", involving \"thousands of illegal immigrants\". He pointed to illegal drug supplies, people trafficking and criminal acts by illegal immigrants in the US. The Democrats say the wall is \"ineffective\" and \"unnecessary\" and an expensive bill to taxpayers that the president had said Mexico would foot. Speaking on Thursday, Mr Trump said he never meant that Mexico would make a one-time payment for the wall. \"When I said Mexico would pay for the wall in front of thousands and thousands of people... obviously I never meant Mexico would write a cheque,\" he said. However, this is contradicted by an archived campaign memo from 2016, where Mr Trump outlined how he planned to \"compel Mexico to make a one-time payment\" of $5-10bn (PS4bn-PS8bn) for the wall. Mr Trump said on Thursday that, instead of a direct payment, Mexico would be \"paying for the wall indirectly, many, many times over\", under a new trade deal between the US, Mexico and Canada. Economists have disputed this and critics say that any savings incurred due to the deal would go directly to private businesses rather than flow into US Treasury. Partial shutdowns occur when Congress cannot agree a budget by a certain deadline or the president refuses to sign it. This shutdown, which began on 22 December, has closed 25% of the government. Of the 800,000 federal employees affected, about 350,000 are furloughed - a kind of temporary lay off - and the rest are working without pay. The first pay day since the shutdown falls on Friday and will pass without workers getting salaries. They include prison guards, airport security screening staff, and members of the FBI. Some affected federal workers who spoke to the BBC said they had resorted to a number of measures, including taking other jobs, racking up credit card bills, tapping into savings or taking on loans at high interest rates to pay their bills. Thousands have also applied for unemployment benefits.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2396, "answer_start": 669, "text": "He issued the threat on a visit on Thursday to a border patrol station in McAllen, in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. He said that if Congress did not approve funding for the wall, he would \"probably... I would almost say definitely\" declare a national emergency to bypass lawmakers. \"I have the absolute right to declare a national emergency,\" he said. In a later interview with Fox News, he doubled down, declaring: \"If we don't make a deal with Congress, most likely I will do that. \"I would actually say I would. I can't imagine any reason why not, because I'm allowed to do it.\" \"The law is 100 percent on my side,\" he said. Mr Trump would have the right to undertake such a construction project in times of war and national emergency, usually allocating funds from the department of defence. But bypassing Congress would be hugely controversial, sparking allegations of the overuse of executive powers and it would almost certainly face huge legal challenges. Some US media reports suggest the White House is considering diverting some of the $13.9bn (PS10.9bn) allocated last year by Congress for disaster relief in such areas as Puerto Rico, Texas and California to pay for the wall. NBC News reported on Thursday that Mr Trump had been briefed on such a plan but the White House denied it. Analysts say the national emergency move would provide political cover to reopen government while allowing Mr Trump to argue he has done all he can to fulfil his campaign promise. The BBC's David Willis in Washington says that, with no further talks with the Democrats planned, this now seems the most likely option for the president. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a key Trump ally, said there was no other pathway forward." } ], "id": "9620_0", "question": "What's behind Mr Trump's threat and what could happen?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3320, "answer_start": 2397, "text": "He was speaking at McAllen station, behind a display of weapons and cash said to have been seized by the border patrol. He was joined by border patrol agents, and relatives of people killed by illegal immigrants. \"If we don't have a barrier... you're not going to be able to solve this problem,\" he said, adding that people faced \"hard work\", \"gruelling problems\" and \"a lot of death\" without it. Mr Trump added: \"They say a wall is medieval... There are some things that work.\" The president said in a national address on Tuesday the wall was needed to stem a \"growing humanitarian and security crisis at our southern border\", involving \"thousands of illegal immigrants\". He pointed to illegal drug supplies, people trafficking and criminal acts by illegal immigrants in the US. The Democrats say the wall is \"ineffective\" and \"unnecessary\" and an expensive bill to taxpayers that the president had said Mexico would foot." } ], "id": "9620_1", "question": "What did Mr Trump say at the border?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4131, "answer_start": 3321, "text": "Speaking on Thursday, Mr Trump said he never meant that Mexico would make a one-time payment for the wall. \"When I said Mexico would pay for the wall in front of thousands and thousands of people... obviously I never meant Mexico would write a cheque,\" he said. However, this is contradicted by an archived campaign memo from 2016, where Mr Trump outlined how he planned to \"compel Mexico to make a one-time payment\" of $5-10bn (PS4bn-PS8bn) for the wall. Mr Trump said on Thursday that, instead of a direct payment, Mexico would be \"paying for the wall indirectly, many, many times over\", under a new trade deal between the US, Mexico and Canada. Economists have disputed this and critics say that any savings incurred due to the deal would go directly to private businesses rather than flow into US Treasury." } ], "id": "9620_2", "question": "Has Trump changed his pledge on funding the wall?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4952, "answer_start": 4132, "text": "Partial shutdowns occur when Congress cannot agree a budget by a certain deadline or the president refuses to sign it. This shutdown, which began on 22 December, has closed 25% of the government. Of the 800,000 federal employees affected, about 350,000 are furloughed - a kind of temporary lay off - and the rest are working without pay. The first pay day since the shutdown falls on Friday and will pass without workers getting salaries. They include prison guards, airport security screening staff, and members of the FBI. Some affected federal workers who spoke to the BBC said they had resorted to a number of measures, including taking other jobs, racking up credit card bills, tapping into savings or taking on loans at high interest rates to pay their bills. Thousands have also applied for unemployment benefits." } ], "id": "9620_3", "question": "How is the shutdown progressing?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Japanese beer exports to South Korea hit zero last month amid boycotts sparked by a simmering trade row between the Asian neighbours. Official figures on Thursday showed Japan food exports were down 58.1% in October, according to broadcaster NHK. Sake shipments tumbled more than 90% and instant noodles also flat-lined, it said. What began as a diplomatic feud over wartime labour compensation has evolved into a trade row between the countries. The dispute has hit various industries, from Japanese car makers to Korean electronics suppliers. Beer-sellers have been among the hardest hit. Japan shipped 800.34m yen ($7.3m; PS5.6m) worth of beer to South Korea last October, according to news agency Kyodo. South Korea is one of the biggest markets for Japanese beer, accounting for about 60% of total overseas shipments last year, Kyodo said. Tensions between the two countries flared in July when Japan tightened controls on South Korean exports, targeting materials used in memory chips and display screens that are vital for local companies such as Samsung. Both countries later struck one another off their list of trusted trade partners. That has had an impact, with NHK reporting Japanese exports of equipment used in the manufacture of semiconductors slid 49% last month. Still, there have been some recent signs of a possible thaw in relations. Last week South Korea agreed to continue a military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan that had been threatened by the dispute. The move was welcomed by the US which had urged the two countries to settle their differences. The trade dispute has been fuelled by diplomatic tensions over compensation for wartime labour. Last year, South Korean court rulings that ordered Japanese firms to pay compensation to Koreans over forced wartime labour inflamed long-running tensions. The decisions drew condemnation from Japan, which argues the dispute was settled in 1965 when diplomatic ties were normalised between the neighbouring countries.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1993, "answer_start": 1580, "text": "The trade dispute has been fuelled by diplomatic tensions over compensation for wartime labour. Last year, South Korean court rulings that ordered Japanese firms to pay compensation to Koreans over forced wartime labour inflamed long-running tensions. The decisions drew condemnation from Japan, which argues the dispute was settled in 1965 when diplomatic ties were normalised between the neighbouring countries." } ], "id": "9621_0", "question": "How did the trade rift begin?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "You may think you choose to read one story over another, or to watch a particular video rather than all the others clamouring for your attention. But in truth, you are probably manipulated into doing so by publishers using clever machine learning algorithms. The online battle for eyeballs has gone hi-tech. Every day the web carries about 500 million tweets, 430,000 hours of YouTube video uploads, and more than 80 million new Instagram photos. Just keeping up with our friends' Facebook and Twitter updates can seem like a full-time job. So publishers desperately trying to get us to read and watch their stuff in the face of competition from viral videos and pictures of cats that look like Hitler are enlisting the help of data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). But do these technologies actually work? Recent start-up Echobox has developed a system it says takes the human guesswork out of the mix. By analysing large amounts of data, it learns how specific audiences respond to different articles at different times of the day. It then selects the best stories to post and the best times to post them. Echobox claims its system generates an average 71% gain in referral traffic from Facebook and a 142% increase from Twitter. The software is already being used by publishers such as Vogue, Le Figaro and Telegraph Media Group. \"Imagine a superhuman editor with an incredibly deep understanding of its audience, but 100 times faster,\" says Antoine Amann, Echobox founder and chief executive. \"The data we use is both historical and real-time. For instance, our system will have a strong understanding of what type of [publishing] times worked well in the past, whilst at the same time analysing what's currently trending on the web.\" Anne Pican, digital publisher at French daily newspaper Le Figaro, one of the firm's clients, says they have already seen benefits. \"Social media optimisation has been a major headache,\" she says. \"Not only is it extremely complex but it's a lot of guesswork and requires a more scientific approach. \"Since using Echobox we've seen a major upswing in our traffic and saved valuable time.\" Traditional newspapers facing dwindling print circulations are particularly keen to attract new digital audiences. The New York Times (NYT), for example, has built Blossom, an intelligent \"bot\" constructed inside the messaging app Slack. It uses machine learning to predict how blog posts and articles will perform on social media. It can also tell editors which ones to promote. If a journalist sends Blossom a direct message, such as \"Blossom Facebook?\", the bot will respond with a list of links to stories it believes will do well on the social media platform at that time. According to its developers, Blossom posts get about 380% more clicks than ones it doesn't recommend. What this type of historical and real-time analysis shows is that certain headlines, photos and topics attract more attention than others on different devices at different times of the day with different audiences. Predicting this without the help of machine learning computers is very tricky. Programs such as Chartbeat and Echobox also give publishers the ability to test different headlines and promotional tweets for the same story in real time. And programs like SocialFlow - used by some sections of the BBC website - apply algorithms to try to anticipate when the social media audience will be most receptive to an update. It can then automatically post the message at the \"optimum\" time, measure how many people look at the post, and crucially, how many bother to click through to the original article. But does using data analytics to learn about reader and viewer behaviour, then make publishing decisions based on that analysis, really count as AI? The NYT is staying tight-lipped about the exact workings of the bot, citing intellectual property reasons, but Colin Russel, a senior data scientist at the newspaper and Blossom's main designer, says: \"We do characterise it as AI. \"We're emulating what a team of editors would do if they had the time enough and a whiteboard big enough to observe and enumerate all the stories, all their history of posting, and all possible places they could be posted. \"It's definitely an artificial intelligence.\" Echobox also describes its service as \"artificial intelligence meets online publishing\". But Tom Cheesewright, a futurist and head of consultancy firm Book of the Future, describes such tech as \"more of a tool than an intelligence\". \"I'd argue this is probably the very outer edges of what might be called AI. Here, a more prosaic term like machine learning or predictive analytics might be more appropriate.\" Semantics aside, Richard Reeves, managing director at the Association of Online Publishers, believes this kind of tech could have a positive impact on the industry. \"Publishers are faced with the dual challenge of increased competition for user attention and a diminishing pool of resources. \"This makes it essential for publishers not only to make the most of their archived content, but also to deliver targeted content that aligns with user needs. \"Thanks to recent developments in AI, publishers are starting to achieve this balance by using advanced new tools.\" If you feel there's just too much content to choose from, you could let others do the choosing for you. For example, German publishing group Axel Springer and tech giant Samsung have joined forces to develop the Upday mobile news app. New users specify what kind of topics they like, then a team of human editors, backed up by computer algorithms, curates content from 1,200 different sources, including Le Figaro, Der Spiegel and The Economist. And Japanese tech firm SmartNews aggregates stories from 1,500 publications, highlighting those that are being most widely read and shared by others - crowdsourced news as it were. One solution, of course, is simply to switch off all your gadgets and read a good book. Follow Technology of Business editor @matthew_wall on Twitter Click here for more Technology of Business features", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3629, "answer_start": 2819, "text": "What this type of historical and real-time analysis shows is that certain headlines, photos and topics attract more attention than others on different devices at different times of the day with different audiences. Predicting this without the help of machine learning computers is very tricky. Programs such as Chartbeat and Echobox also give publishers the ability to test different headlines and promotional tweets for the same story in real time. And programs like SocialFlow - used by some sections of the BBC website - apply algorithms to try to anticipate when the social media audience will be most receptive to an update. It can then automatically post the message at the \"optimum\" time, measure how many people look at the post, and crucially, how many bother to click through to the original article." } ], "id": "9622_0", "question": "Which headline?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5255, "answer_start": 3630, "text": "But does using data analytics to learn about reader and viewer behaviour, then make publishing decisions based on that analysis, really count as AI? The NYT is staying tight-lipped about the exact workings of the bot, citing intellectual property reasons, but Colin Russel, a senior data scientist at the newspaper and Blossom's main designer, says: \"We do characterise it as AI. \"We're emulating what a team of editors would do if they had the time enough and a whiteboard big enough to observe and enumerate all the stories, all their history of posting, and all possible places they could be posted. \"It's definitely an artificial intelligence.\" Echobox also describes its service as \"artificial intelligence meets online publishing\". But Tom Cheesewright, a futurist and head of consultancy firm Book of the Future, describes such tech as \"more of a tool than an intelligence\". \"I'd argue this is probably the very outer edges of what might be called AI. Here, a more prosaic term like machine learning or predictive analytics might be more appropriate.\" Semantics aside, Richard Reeves, managing director at the Association of Online Publishers, believes this kind of tech could have a positive impact on the industry. \"Publishers are faced with the dual challenge of increased competition for user attention and a diminishing pool of resources. \"This makes it essential for publishers not only to make the most of their archived content, but also to deliver targeted content that aligns with user needs. \"Thanks to recent developments in AI, publishers are starting to achieve this balance by using advanced new tools.\"" } ], "id": "9622_1", "question": "Marketing hype?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The Senate in Argentina is debating a controversial bill to expand abortion rights. The proposal, which would allow women to legally terminate a pregnancy in the first 14 weeks, passed the lower house by a narrow margin in mid-June, after a feverish 22-hour session. The bill would make Argentina the third Latin American country to broadly legalise abortion, after Cuba and Uruguay. The vote is anticipated to be tight in the conservative 72-member Senate. It has polarised debate at home and on the streets. Over the past few months, groups both in favour of the bill and against have demonstrated in front of the Congress building in Buenos Aires, and in other cities across the country. These are some of the prominent activists who have been making their thoughts known: Ingrid Beck is a journalist, writer and organiser of the Ni Una Menos collective. As an activist, I felt I needed to put my body out there to support the expansion of abortion rights. This debate has brought to the fore a new political player: the women's movements who are now occupying the public space. These movements grew out of the Ni Una Menos (Not One Less) marches against gender violence that started in 2015, and haven't stopped growing since. We recently got almost a million people out on the streets for one of our demonstrations, which proves that the feminist movement is currently one of the strongest political forces, with a striking power to bring people together. It is also horizontal, with no hierarchy or leaders. This makes it hard for the political establishment to wrestle with. The Argentine government recognised this and channelled our requests through Congress - the way it should be. I don't think we needed a referendum - like the one through which Ireland overturned the country's abortion ban - for a number of reasons. Firstly, because abortion has been legal in Argentina since the 1920s [in cases of rape or when the mother's life is at risk] and we are simply pushing to expand this right to all women. Secondly, because this is a matter of public health that is better decided by lawmakers. We chose the green bandana as an emblem because bandanas are already linked to social activism in Argentina, being the symbol of the Mothers and Grandmothers of Plaza de Mayo [who fought for their disappeared relatives during the 1970s dictatorship]. At first we were intimidated to wear it because it made us an easy target for verbal abuse. But now it has become a sign of sorority: we look at each other on the streets and feel we are fighting the same fight. Camila Duro, 24, is a member of the non-religious, non-partisan anti-abortion NGO Frente Joven. The message that we wanted to put across is that abortion equals social failure. For a woman to resort to it, many other things need to have failed first. Secondly, we believe that abortion-related maternal mortality can be lowered through other means, such as a range of public health initiatives to take care of the mother - and not through legalising abortion. And we say that is never a good idea to end a life in order to solve other problems; that's like sticking a plaster over a bleeding wound. We say \"let's defend both lives\" - the mother's and the unborn child's. So we took to the streets, even though it wasn't easy. Pro-life groups in Argentina are not easy to mobilise, it does not come naturally to us. But we felt the pressure to become more visible. We organised \"blue marches\" [the colour chosen by a conglomerate of groups opposing the bill]: we went out with stickers and banners and we went around the neighbourhoods, knocking on people's doors one by one to foster debate around the bill. We asked for a referendum similar to the one Ireland had just months ago, but the \"green side\" refused. Maybe they anticipated that the ballot boxes would reveal that, once you leave the capital, many people in Argentina are against a broad legalisation of abortion. 'Nothing is spontaneous' Celeste MacDougall is a teacher and activist in the National Campaign for Legal, Safe and Free Abortion. I have been campaigning for nine years and we have presented a draft for an abortion law seven times: if a bill is not brought to the floor in Congress, after some time it needs to be re-submitted. We did that seven times. But while we waited, we also engaged in what we call \"social decriminalisation\" - that is, we created mechanisms to build social consensus around abortion rights. We worked with health professionals, teachers, universities, cultural agents and artists. This is an activism that has been building up over decades. Nothing is spontaneous or unexpected. The feminist movement in Argentina has been fighting the patriarchal system for over 30 years. Our strength comes from that history, with more than 500 organisations now a part of the national campaign for abortion rights. We were always out in the streets, in one way or another. We knew society wanted this debate. The issue was out there even though it was missing from our lawmakers' agenda and was invisible to the media - that's something that has now radically changed. Clarisa Rodriguez, 43, is studying pedagogy and is an organiser in the anti-abortion group Correntinos por la vida in Corrientes, 1,000km [621miles] north of Buenos Aires. In Corrientes, where I live, we were silent and disorientated for some time after the bill passed the lower house in June. Then we realised the fight wasn't over. For us, abortion is murder. We wanted people to understand that though a law may allow it, it doesn't make it alright. We took to the streets to make the \"blue wave\" visible. We started organising gatherings with percussion music - percussion instruments and carnival are very much rooted in our local culture. People had to overcome the fear of demonstrating in an environment that has sometimes been very hostile to our views. Housewives, students, doctors and nurses joined, all with the blue neckerchiefs that have become our emblem. We felt the need to occupy the public space to counterbalance the \"green wave\" that at one point seemed unstoppable. And it gave us an opportunity to show another kind of feminism, the way we understand it. Now we are here to stay. BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre. Follow BBC 100 Women on Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6521, "answer_start": 6231, "text": "BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. We create documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre. Follow BBC 100 Women on Instagram and Facebook and join the conversation." } ], "id": "9623_0", "question": "What is 100 Women?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Turkish officials have audio and video evidence that shows missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the BBC has been told. Mr Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government, has not been seen since he entered the building on 2 October. Turkish intelligence had \"documented evidence\" of the murder, a source close to the investigation said. Saudi Arabia's interior minister has dismissed the accusations. According to the official Saudi Press Agency, Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz said \"orders to kill him are lies and baseless allegations\". Saudi Arabia has maintained the journalist left the building, with the minister saying the kingdom was keen to discover \"the whole truth\", according to the news agency. Mr Khashoggi's disappearance and reported death have prompted international outrage and dented business confidence in Saudi Arabia. Tycoon Sir Richard Branson has halted talks over $1bn Saudi investment in Virgin space firms and several top business leaders and media groups have pulled out of a Saudi investment conference later this month. However, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told American news network CNBC he was still planning to attend the conference, despite the House of Representatives' foreign affairs committee writing to President Donald Trump urging him to reconsider. The latest reports suggest an assault and a struggle took place in the consulate. A Turkish security source has confirmed to BBC Arabic the existence of an audio and a video recording. What is not clear is if anyone other than Turkish officials has seen or heard them. One source is cited by the Washington Post saying men can be heard beating Mr Khashoggi; it adds that the recordings show he was killed and dismembered. \"You can hear his voice and the voices of the men speaking Arabic,\" a separate source told the Post. \"You can hear how he was interrogated, tortured and then murdered\". Mr Khashoggi is a contributing columnist for the newspaper. Earlier this week leading columnist Kemal Ozturk, considered close to the Turkish government, alleged there was a video of the moment Jamal Khashoggi was killed. Turkish TV has already broadcast CCTV footage of the moment Mr Khashoggi walked into the consulate for an appointment at which he was due to receive papers for his forthcoming marriage to Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz. Separately, a video has emerged of men described as Saudi intelligence officers entering and leaving Turkey. A 15-strong team has been identified by Turkish media who are described as involved in Mr Khashoggi's disappearance. The BBC has been told that one was Maher Mutreb, an intelligence colonel based in London, and another was thought to be a forensics specialist. Turkey's official line is that Mr Khashoggi is missing but that it knows \"for sure\" he has been killed. However, the government has agreed to a joint investigation with the Saudis, and a Saudi delegation arrived in Turkey on Friday to take part in talks expected over the weekend. Their arrival came a day after a senior Saudi royal figure, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, was said to have briefly visited Turkey amid signs that the Saudi monarchy was seeking an urgent solution to the diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Mr Khashoggi's disappearance threatens the reputation of the new Saudi Crown Prince, Mohamed bin Salman, and his country's relationships across the world, the BBC's Turkey correspondent Mark Lowen reports. By Jane Kinninmont, Middle East expert, The Elders Foundation Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance and alleged murder has sent a chill through writers and activists, in Saudi Arabia and more broadly across the Middle East. They ask: If this could happen to someone as well known and well connected as Jamal Khashoggi, a US resident and Washington Post writer, what else could happen to the less well-known? Mr Khashoggi did not position himself as a dissident. A former adviser to two Saudi princes, he criticised some aspects of Saudi policy, like the war in Yemen and the lack of free speech, while praising others, like the social reforms of new Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. He argued for reform rather than regime change - which is a very widespread stance among Saudis. There are many people there who seek a greater voice in how to improve their society without being enemies of the state.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2770, "answer_start": 1369, "text": "The latest reports suggest an assault and a struggle took place in the consulate. A Turkish security source has confirmed to BBC Arabic the existence of an audio and a video recording. What is not clear is if anyone other than Turkish officials has seen or heard them. One source is cited by the Washington Post saying men can be heard beating Mr Khashoggi; it adds that the recordings show he was killed and dismembered. \"You can hear his voice and the voices of the men speaking Arabic,\" a separate source told the Post. \"You can hear how he was interrogated, tortured and then murdered\". Mr Khashoggi is a contributing columnist for the newspaper. Earlier this week leading columnist Kemal Ozturk, considered close to the Turkish government, alleged there was a video of the moment Jamal Khashoggi was killed. Turkish TV has already broadcast CCTV footage of the moment Mr Khashoggi walked into the consulate for an appointment at which he was due to receive papers for his forthcoming marriage to Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz. Separately, a video has emerged of men described as Saudi intelligence officers entering and leaving Turkey. A 15-strong team has been identified by Turkish media who are described as involved in Mr Khashoggi's disappearance. The BBC has been told that one was Maher Mutreb, an intelligence colonel based in London, and another was thought to be a forensics specialist." } ], "id": "9624_0", "question": "What do the recordings reveal?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3500, "answer_start": 2771, "text": "Turkey's official line is that Mr Khashoggi is missing but that it knows \"for sure\" he has been killed. However, the government has agreed to a joint investigation with the Saudis, and a Saudi delegation arrived in Turkey on Friday to take part in talks expected over the weekend. Their arrival came a day after a senior Saudi royal figure, Prince Khaled al-Faisal, was said to have briefly visited Turkey amid signs that the Saudi monarchy was seeking an urgent solution to the diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Mr Khashoggi's disappearance threatens the reputation of the new Saudi Crown Prince, Mohamed bin Salman, and his country's relationships across the world, the BBC's Turkey correspondent Mark Lowen reports." } ], "id": "9624_1", "question": "What happens now?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A third of British wild bees and hoverflies are in decline, according to a new study. If current trends continue, some species will be lost from Britain altogether, the scientists say. The study found \"winners\" and \"losers\" among hundreds of wild bees and hoverflies, which pollinate food crops and other plants. Common species are winning out at the expense of rarer ones, with an overall picture of biodiversity being lost. Scientists warn that the loss of nature could create problems in years to come, including the ability to grow food crops. The study looked at trends in 353 wild bees and hoverflies in Scotland, England and Wales over 33 years from 1980. A third of species experienced declines in terms of areas where they were found, while about 10% became more abundant, including bees that pollinate flowering crops, such as oil seed rape. While some pollination is carried out by honeybees in hives, much of the pollination of food crops and wild plants is carried out by their wild relatives and other insects, especially hoverflies. Dr Gary Powney of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, said while the increase in key crop pollinators is \"good news\", species have declined overall. \"It would be risky to rely on this group to support the long-term food security for our country,\" he said. \"If anything happens to them in the future, there will be fewer other species to step up and fulfil the essential role of crop pollination.\" The losses were concentrated among the rarer, specialised species. Dr Nick Isaac, also of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, said this was \"particularly bad news if you're interested in wildlife and in conservation\". The \"losers\" include solitary bees, which live in burrows in the ground, and upland bees, living on mountains and moorlands. Among the \"winners\" are 22 of the most important crop pollinators. Experts say the increase in some common species is set against a background of an overall loss of diversity. \"Every square kilometre in the UK has lost an average of 11 species of bee and hoverfly, between 1980 and 2013, according to the new analysis,\" said Dr Lynn Dicks of the University of East Anglia. She said the pattern of biodiversity loss is happening everywhere we look. \"It's a process of homogenisation and leaves us with a natural world that is far poorer and less resilient to change.\" Matt Shardlow, chief executive of the charity Buglife, said the new paper provides further evidence that our pollinators are in trouble and that the health of our environment and food supply cannot be taken for granted. \"Solitary bees, rare bees and bees and hoverflies that live in the uplands are in particular trouble and need urgent help,\" he said. The research is based on analysis of more than 700,000 records from volunteers recording the presence or absence of insects in their area. This gives a measure of whether the ranges of insect pollinators are getting smaller or larger, however it does not look at drivers for this change. The scientists think habitat loss is likely key. Other possible factors include climate change - which could be having an impact on upland and northern species. They say the relative success of some species could be due to environmental measures put in place by farmers, such as sowing wildflower strips. Or this might be because much more oilseed rape is grown now than in 1980. Another factor is the use of insecticides. The scientists said it remained to be seen how pollinators might have been affected by restrictions introduced since the study was carried out. In 2013, the European Union introduced a temporary ban on the widespread use of insecticides known as neonicotinoids in light of evidence suggesting they harmed bees. Last year, the ban on three of the main neonicotinoid types was made permanent, and was widened to cover all crops grown outdoors. The researchers say actions such as wildlife-friendly farming and gardening can have a positive impact on pollinators in both towns and the countryside. They echoed previous calls for gardeners to encourage pollinating insects by growing patches of wild plants and weeds. The loss of insects has far-reaching consequences for entire ecosystems. Insects provide a food source for many birds, amphibians, bats and reptiles, while plants rely on insects for pollination. A recent scientific review of insect numbers around the world suggested that 40% of species were undergoing \"dramatic rates of decline\", with bees, ants and beetles disappearing eight times faster than mammals, birds or reptiles. Previous studies have found losses of butterflies, moths, beetles, bees and hoverflies across the UK. The study is published in the journal Nature Communications. Follow Helen on Twitter.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3932, "answer_start": 3068, "text": "The scientists think habitat loss is likely key. Other possible factors include climate change - which could be having an impact on upland and northern species. They say the relative success of some species could be due to environmental measures put in place by farmers, such as sowing wildflower strips. Or this might be because much more oilseed rape is grown now than in 1980. Another factor is the use of insecticides. The scientists said it remained to be seen how pollinators might have been affected by restrictions introduced since the study was carried out. In 2013, the European Union introduced a temporary ban on the widespread use of insecticides known as neonicotinoids in light of evidence suggesting they harmed bees. Last year, the ban on three of the main neonicotinoid types was made permanent, and was widened to cover all crops grown outdoors." } ], "id": "9625_0", "question": "What's causing the decline?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4818, "answer_start": 3933, "text": "The researchers say actions such as wildlife-friendly farming and gardening can have a positive impact on pollinators in both towns and the countryside. They echoed previous calls for gardeners to encourage pollinating insects by growing patches of wild plants and weeds. The loss of insects has far-reaching consequences for entire ecosystems. Insects provide a food source for many birds, amphibians, bats and reptiles, while plants rely on insects for pollination. A recent scientific review of insect numbers around the world suggested that 40% of species were undergoing \"dramatic rates of decline\", with bees, ants and beetles disappearing eight times faster than mammals, birds or reptiles. Previous studies have found losses of butterflies, moths, beetles, bees and hoverflies across the UK. The study is published in the journal Nature Communications. Follow Helen on Twitter." } ], "id": "9625_1", "question": "What can be done to help?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "North Korea says it has carried out its first test of a hydrogen bomb with \"perfect success\". John Nilsson-Wright, head of the Asia Programme at Chatham House, examines how plausible the claim is, and what it could mean for the region. The North Korean leadership is trying to do two things: Firstly, to strengthen Kim Jong-un's authority by demonstrating that the North is moving forward in its goal to enhance the country's military capabilities and specifically its nuclear deterrent. Since the 1960s, successive leaders of the DPRK have sought to develop an effective nuclear weapons programme as a means of underlining the country's political and strategic autonomy, while also boosting the reputation of its individual leaders. Kim Jong un, since coming to power in December 2011, has made the goal of a strong economy and military the centrepiece of national policy. The test comes a few days in advance of Kim's birthday and this demonstration of military defiance may be intended to bolster Kim's credentials as the country's supreme leader and effective commander-in-chief. Secondly, by provoking international attention - by bringing the diplomatic spotlight back onto North Korea - the aim is to force the international community, and specifically the United States, to negotiate with the North. Pyongyang hopes to prompt talks leading, amongst other things, to a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War, diplomatic recognition from the United States, and some measure of integration with the global economy and the relaxation of economic sanctions. It's too early to say whether this was in fact a genuine H-bomb test. Early reports of the seismic activity surrounding the putative test site in the country's north-east suggest that it was a 6 kiloton test, roughly equivalent to the last test the North carried out in February 2013. A genuine H-bomb would most likely produce a much higher yield and therefore technical specialists are sceptical about the North's claim to have tested a fully-fledged hydrogen bomb. Some have speculated that hydrogen isotopes may have been used in the nuclear chain reaction, providing limited, formal confirmation of the \"hydrogen\" character of the bomb, but this would be far short of a genuine, fusion (as opposed to fission) device. It will take considerable time to gather sufficient technical data to ascertain the precise nature of the test. Judging from the process of remote data gathering following the 2013 test, it will take weeks, perhaps months, for international scientists and monitoring agencies to be able to develop a clear view on the test. The response from South Korea and Japan has been, as one would expect, sharply to condemn the actions of the North. Together with their US ally, Seoul and Tokyo have anticipated the likelihood of a fourth North Korean test for some time and should already have devised a well-planned and co-ordinated response. China has also spoken out forcefully against the actions of its North Korean ally and China's leader, Xi Jinping, will likely be intensely irritated by the further ratcheting up of tensions on the peninsula. Senior Chinese participation in the 10 October Workers' Party of Korea anniversary celebrations last year had suggested that Beijing had been able to exert some moderating influence on the North. This new development suggests China's influence is far weaker than might have appeared and that Kim Jong-un is committed to acting in defiance of his Chinese ally. An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council was speedily convened. There will be efforts to draft a resolution condemning the North's actions as a violation of international law. This is likely to be coupled with fresh efforts to impose tighter economic sanctions against the North Korean government, particularly measures targeted against senior members of the government and the elite in Pyongyang. However, sanctions in the past have had limited impact in retarding the North's nuclear programme. A critical issue here is the reluctance of China, which provides the bulk of North Korea's food and energy assistance, to impose substantive pressure on the DPRK for fear of destabilising the Kim government. Regime collapse risks generating an exodus of North Korean refugees across the 800-mile border with China, as well as a power vacuum in the North that might be filled by the US and its South Korean ally - two scenarios that Beijing is keen to avoid. A North Korea that steadily enhances its nuclear and conventional force capabilities poses a growing strategic danger to the region. The biggest worry is that through the latest test, the North will be able to miniaturise a nuclear warhead (a hydrogen weapon provides, pound for pound, more destructive clout than an atomic bomb) and in turn place it on a land or submarine-based ballistic missile capable of hitting South Korea, Japan or possibly the west coast of the United States. For now, the evidence suggests that the North is some years away from developing such a capability, but the longer the North is able to test with impunity, the more fragile the strategic calculus in the region becomes and the more limited the choices of the surrounding powers when it comes to confronting the North Korean challenge. October 2002: North Korea first acknowledges it has a nuclear weapons programme October 2006: The first of three underground nuclear explosions is announced, at a test site called Punggye-ri May 2009: A month after walking out of international talks on its nuclear programme, North Korea carries out its second underground nuclear test February 2013: A third nuclear test takes place using what state media calls a \"miniaturised and lighter nuclear device\" May 2015: Pyongyang claims to have tested a submarine-launched missile, which are more difficult to detect than conventional devices January 2016: North Korea says it has successfully tested a hydrogen bomb Dr John Nilsson-Wright is head of the Asia Programme at Chatham House, and senior lecturer in Japanese Politics and International Relations at the University of Cambridge", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1566, "answer_start": 236, "text": "The North Korean leadership is trying to do two things: Firstly, to strengthen Kim Jong-un's authority by demonstrating that the North is moving forward in its goal to enhance the country's military capabilities and specifically its nuclear deterrent. Since the 1960s, successive leaders of the DPRK have sought to develop an effective nuclear weapons programme as a means of underlining the country's political and strategic autonomy, while also boosting the reputation of its individual leaders. Kim Jong un, since coming to power in December 2011, has made the goal of a strong economy and military the centrepiece of national policy. The test comes a few days in advance of Kim's birthday and this demonstration of military defiance may be intended to bolster Kim's credentials as the country's supreme leader and effective commander-in-chief. Secondly, by provoking international attention - by bringing the diplomatic spotlight back onto North Korea - the aim is to force the international community, and specifically the United States, to negotiate with the North. Pyongyang hopes to prompt talks leading, amongst other things, to a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War, diplomatic recognition from the United States, and some measure of integration with the global economy and the relaxation of economic sanctions." } ], "id": "9626_0", "question": "What are North Korea's motives?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2614, "answer_start": 1567, "text": "It's too early to say whether this was in fact a genuine H-bomb test. Early reports of the seismic activity surrounding the putative test site in the country's north-east suggest that it was a 6 kiloton test, roughly equivalent to the last test the North carried out in February 2013. A genuine H-bomb would most likely produce a much higher yield and therefore technical specialists are sceptical about the North's claim to have tested a fully-fledged hydrogen bomb. Some have speculated that hydrogen isotopes may have been used in the nuclear chain reaction, providing limited, formal confirmation of the \"hydrogen\" character of the bomb, but this would be far short of a genuine, fusion (as opposed to fission) device. It will take considerable time to gather sufficient technical data to ascertain the precise nature of the test. Judging from the process of remote data gathering following the 2013 test, it will take weeks, perhaps months, for international scientists and monitoring agencies to be able to develop a clear view on the test." } ], "id": "9626_1", "question": "Was the latest nuclear test successful?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3493, "answer_start": 2615, "text": "The response from South Korea and Japan has been, as one would expect, sharply to condemn the actions of the North. Together with their US ally, Seoul and Tokyo have anticipated the likelihood of a fourth North Korean test for some time and should already have devised a well-planned and co-ordinated response. China has also spoken out forcefully against the actions of its North Korean ally and China's leader, Xi Jinping, will likely be intensely irritated by the further ratcheting up of tensions on the peninsula. Senior Chinese participation in the 10 October Workers' Party of Korea anniversary celebrations last year had suggested that Beijing had been able to exert some moderating influence on the North. This new development suggests China's influence is far weaker than might have appeared and that Kim Jong-un is committed to acting in defiance of his Chinese ally." } ], "id": "9626_2", "question": "What are the likely repercussions in the region?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4467, "answer_start": 3494, "text": "An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council was speedily convened. There will be efforts to draft a resolution condemning the North's actions as a violation of international law. This is likely to be coupled with fresh efforts to impose tighter economic sanctions against the North Korean government, particularly measures targeted against senior members of the government and the elite in Pyongyang. However, sanctions in the past have had limited impact in retarding the North's nuclear programme. A critical issue here is the reluctance of China, which provides the bulk of North Korea's food and energy assistance, to impose substantive pressure on the DPRK for fear of destabilising the Kim government. Regime collapse risks generating an exodus of North Korean refugees across the 800-mile border with China, as well as a power vacuum in the North that might be filled by the US and its South Korean ally - two scenarios that Beijing is keen to avoid." } ], "id": "9626_3", "question": "What can the international community do to temper the North's nuclear ambitions?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5286, "answer_start": 4468, "text": "A North Korea that steadily enhances its nuclear and conventional force capabilities poses a growing strategic danger to the region. The biggest worry is that through the latest test, the North will be able to miniaturise a nuclear warhead (a hydrogen weapon provides, pound for pound, more destructive clout than an atomic bomb) and in turn place it on a land or submarine-based ballistic missile capable of hitting South Korea, Japan or possibly the west coast of the United States. For now, the evidence suggests that the North is some years away from developing such a capability, but the longer the North is able to test with impunity, the more fragile the strategic calculus in the region becomes and the more limited the choices of the surrounding powers when it comes to confronting the North Korean challenge." } ], "id": "9626_4", "question": "What are the long-term implications?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The Dutch engineer behind the idea for circular runways at airports has revealed plans to build a test runway for unmanned delivery drones. Henk Hesselink is collaborating with Valkenburg airport, a disused naval base near The Hague, which has ambitions to become a drone innovation centre. His design for circular runways at passenger airports captured global attention last year, in aviation circles and on social media. The point, he explained, was to make more efficient use of space, reduce tricky crosswind landings and cut down on noise pollution. Mr Hesselink, a senior research and development manager at the Netherlands Aerospace Centre, says growing demand for drone delivery services will call for \"a network of drones\". While small drones will be used to deliver goods direct to your home, larger drone aircraft will be needed to carry goods to out-of-town distribution centres, he argues. These larger drones would be of a fixed-wing design like aeroplanes, rather than the quadcopter design favoured by hobbyists. These are more fuel efficient, fly for longer and can carry more cargo. But they need a runway to land and take-off - and this infrastructure, he points out, is not yet in place. \"The circular runway concept comes at a perfect time,\" says Hesselink. Drones are subject to less stringent safety rules than piloted aircraft carrying passengers. This may get round some of the safety fears raised about using circular runways, including the risk of aborted take-offs or landings. Drone delivery is being widely trialled around the world. Charities are using a drone-testing corridor in Malawi to test the feasibility of delivering medical supplies in areas where roads are poor. Businesses such as Amazon, UPS, Alibaba and Google are also developing drone delivery systems. Google's Project Wing has been active in Australia since 2014 and even trialled delivering meals to people's backyards last year. Amazon made its first commercial trial delivery in the UK in December 2016. However, drone deliveries in densely populated areas are likely to be severely restricted, according to Prof James Scanlan of Southampton University's UAV (Unmanned Automated Vehicle) group. \"You have to write out a safety case to the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) an inch thick,\" to fly the kind of aircraft Mr Hesselink proposes, he says. \"An incident would set us back decades.\" He also says it's not clear whether drones will be required to have their own parallel infrastructure - their own airports and air corridors - or should simply share them with commercial aircraft and follow the same rules. Mr Hesselink hopes that his circular runway project will be more widely welcomed as a solution for drone delivery logistics than it was as a proposal for passenger aircraft. A drone airport takes up far less room than a traditional passenger airport, he points out. A 300kg unmanned aircraft would only require a runway diameter of 600m, he says. He is currently building a consortium of financial backers to fund the test runway at Valkenburg. Follow Dougal Shaw on Twitter@dougalshawBBC The story of Henk Hesselink's circular runway was reported on the BBC's World Hacks programme. You can listen to his update on it in our latest podcast, which catches up with the people who we met in 2017.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3306, "answer_start": 1506, "text": "Drone delivery is being widely trialled around the world. Charities are using a drone-testing corridor in Malawi to test the feasibility of delivering medical supplies in areas where roads are poor. Businesses such as Amazon, UPS, Alibaba and Google are also developing drone delivery systems. Google's Project Wing has been active in Australia since 2014 and even trialled delivering meals to people's backyards last year. Amazon made its first commercial trial delivery in the UK in December 2016. However, drone deliveries in densely populated areas are likely to be severely restricted, according to Prof James Scanlan of Southampton University's UAV (Unmanned Automated Vehicle) group. \"You have to write out a safety case to the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) an inch thick,\" to fly the kind of aircraft Mr Hesselink proposes, he says. \"An incident would set us back decades.\" He also says it's not clear whether drones will be required to have their own parallel infrastructure - their own airports and air corridors - or should simply share them with commercial aircraft and follow the same rules. Mr Hesselink hopes that his circular runway project will be more widely welcomed as a solution for drone delivery logistics than it was as a proposal for passenger aircraft. A drone airport takes up far less room than a traditional passenger airport, he points out. A 300kg unmanned aircraft would only require a runway diameter of 600m, he says. He is currently building a consortium of financial backers to fund the test runway at Valkenburg. Follow Dougal Shaw on Twitter@dougalshawBBC The story of Henk Hesselink's circular runway was reported on the BBC's World Hacks programme. You can listen to his update on it in our latest podcast, which catches up with the people who we met in 2017." } ], "id": "9627_0", "question": "Ready for take-off?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The monkey chants and Nazi salutes from black-clad Bulgaria fans shocked many of those who watched the match with England in Sofia on Monday night, but they weren't perhaps entirely surprising. For years Bulgarian football has been plagued by racism in its stadiums. In 2011, the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) was fined after England players Ashley Young, Ashley Cole and Theo Walcott were subjected to racist abuse from fans during a European Championship qualifier. On 20 April 2013, halfway through a match, fans of Levski Sofia unveiled a banner wishing Adolf Hitler a happy birthday. And last year the club was fined after photos from the Bulgarian cup final showed a child making a Nazi salute, alongside another with a swastika drawn on his chest. While many have been quick to point out the problem is not only a Bulgarian one - top leagues have faced scandals involving racism in the not-so-distant past, including the English Premier League - it is one of the worst offenders in Europe. \"I've spoken to some of the ordinary football fans and they feel ashamed of what's going on because this is the image of the country,\" said Yana Pelovska, a Bulgarian journalist based in Sofia. Despite obvious examples of racism in the Bulgarian league, Ms Pelovska said that most of the worst abuse is saved for the international stage. Hardcore fans of clubs like CSKA Sofia told her that they wouldn't racially abuse local opposition teams because they had black players on their own side. \"It's complicated. I can't say this racist chanting is normal in Bulgarian matches,\" she said. Kamen Alipiev, a sports reporter based in Sofia, said there were wider societal issues over why racism was still a problem among Bulgarian fans. \"We have problems with communications with our Roma Gypsies in the area, with refugees coming from Asia and Africa... so maybe sometimes it sounds like it's normal.\" The fans \"can't imagine that they are racist,\" he explained. Tihomir Bezlov and Dr Atanas Rusev, researchers at the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) in Sofia, believe the behaviour is not only driven by racist attitudes, but also financial interests. Some supporters with a history of racist behaviour demand payment from clubs in order to stop, they say. In 2015, the CSD produced a report entitled Radicalisation in Bulgaria: Threats and Trends. It documents widespread racism among the country's football supporters. \"A famous Levski supporter explained that he does not like African-Americans, Turkish people and Arabs, but he does not mind the dark-skinned football players of Levski,\" the report notes. Although \"skinheads sharing racist views used to be very popular in CSKA factions\", the report says their influence has been diminished, partly because of the interventions of a fan leader, Rossen \"the Animal\" Petrov. The CSD researchers, Mr Alipiev and Bulgarian reporter Momchil Indjov, told the BBC they suspected there were links between football hooligans and far-right nationalist movements. Dr Rusev said hooligans had been mobilised during protests and to attack Roma communities. Mr Indjov said he believed many of those involved in the racist abuse on Monday were part of SW99 - a hooligan faction belonging to Levski Sofia - and said the behaviour appeared planned. Mr Bezlov said police had told him that CSKA Sofia fans were involved. While Bulgaria has faced criticism for its efforts - or lack thereof - at combating racism in football in the past, Monday night's scenes appear to have been taken more seriously. The match was halted twice, and on Tuesday the president of the BFU, Borislav Mihaylov, resigned after being told to quit by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. The president of European football's governing body Uefa, Aleksander Ceferin, said the \"football family and governments\" need to \"wage war on the racists\". \"There were times, not long ago, when the football family thought that the scourge of racism was a distant memory,\" Mr Ceferin said. \"The last couple of years have taught us that such thinking was, at best, complacent.\" The British government said it had written to Uefa to demand more action, and Uefa has opened disciplinary proceedings against Bulgaria. The shame many Bulgarians have felt from the behaviour of some of its fans on Monday could result in a long-overdue discussion about racism in the country, Mr Alipiev said. \"It will definitely create a discussion, especially after the reaction of our prime minister today... I think a red light is going on across the country,\" he said. \"It's not just about the football fans. We need to speak about our ability to accept others, not only in the stadiums. \"I really hope there will be a public discussion because it's a discussion about the state of the nation.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3361, "answer_start": 2260, "text": "In 2015, the CSD produced a report entitled Radicalisation in Bulgaria: Threats and Trends. It documents widespread racism among the country's football supporters. \"A famous Levski supporter explained that he does not like African-Americans, Turkish people and Arabs, but he does not mind the dark-skinned football players of Levski,\" the report notes. Although \"skinheads sharing racist views used to be very popular in CSKA factions\", the report says their influence has been diminished, partly because of the interventions of a fan leader, Rossen \"the Animal\" Petrov. The CSD researchers, Mr Alipiev and Bulgarian reporter Momchil Indjov, told the BBC they suspected there were links between football hooligans and far-right nationalist movements. Dr Rusev said hooligans had been mobilised during protests and to attack Roma communities. Mr Indjov said he believed many of those involved in the racist abuse on Monday were part of SW99 - a hooligan faction belonging to Levski Sofia - and said the behaviour appeared planned. Mr Bezlov said police had told him that CSKA Sofia fans were involved." } ], "id": "9628_0", "question": "Who are Bulgaria's hooligans?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Fallen trees and branches from a woodland could be a cause for recent sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, a conservation charity has suggested. The Woodland Trust said deadfall washed out by rivers from Urquhart Bay Wood could explain a recent report of something emerging from the loch. The trust said the lochside wood was a \"Nessie spawning ground\". Previous explanations for the monster have included circus elephants being exercised in the waters. Several reported sightings of Nessie have been made recently. Another image of an object in the loch was thought to be the wake of a boat. Monster enthusiasts had earlier in the year been lamenting a lack of incidents. Gary Campbell, who keeps a register of sightings, said in February that for the first time in almost 90 years no \"confirmed sightings\" had been made of the monster. He said at the time no-one had come forward in 18 months to say they had seen the monster. Being mistaken for tree has been no barrier to fame for other \"monsters\". Groot, above, is one of Marvel Comics' forest of unusual characters. A Flora colossus from Planet X, the capital of the branch worlds, Groot is one of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy portrayed in a series of comic book stories. The character was among the most popular of a movie based on the stories released over the summer, and a clip of the creature dancing has been viewed almost three million times on YouTube. Like Nessie, Groot has proved to be a goldmine in terms of merchandising with various toys created in his image. Ents, giant woodland shepherds, appear in JRR Tolkien stories. Film director Peter Jackson portrayed Ents as more tree-like than they appear in the books in his adaption of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The Woodland Trust said Nessie spotters might be disappointed to learn debris from Urquhart Bay Wood, near Drumnadrochit and the famous Urquhart Castle, was a likely cause of at least one of the recent sightings. A spokesman said: \"Large amounts of wood flows out of the woodland through the two winding rivers that flow into Loch Ness each year, peaking when water is high in late autumn and spring. \"I think that some of that debris explains long thin - some stick-like - shapes seen.\" The spokesman added: \"Urquhart Bay is a really important wet woodland, made up of species such as ash, alder, rowan and willow. \"It's one of very few intact floodplain woodlands remaining in the UK and has European importance. Challenges such as flooding, movement of the rivers and accumulation of woody debris make it an interesting place to manage.\" Known locally as The Cover, the wood was once part of the Glen Urquhart Estate. Originally the woodland was granted to the Earls of Seaforth by King James IV in 1509. The wood is situated on a flat low-lying area of alluvial sand and gravel deposits between the deltas of the Rivers Coiltie and Enrick where they flow into Loch Ness. Alder and ash are the main tree species but there are also bird cherry and hazel and small numbers of wych elm, gean, holly, rowan and elder. The Woodland Trust manages 56 acres (23 hectares) of woodland at Urquhart Bay. Wakes created by boats, otters and large fish called sturgeon have previously been offered as explanations for reports of the Loch Ness Monster. In 2006, a scientist said unexplained sightings of the Loch Ness monster could have been elephants enjoying a swim. Neil Clark, curator of palaeontology at Glasgow University's Hunterian Museum, spent two years researching Nessie. He said past sightings of the beast could have been circus elephants, as fairs visiting Inverness would often stop on the banks of Loch Ness to give the animals a rest. The trunk and humps in the water would bear similarities to some of the most famous Nessie photographs. There have been reported sightings of \"something\" in Loch Ness dating back to the 6th Century and it has grown into one of the world's most enduring myths.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1734, "answer_start": 928, "text": "Being mistaken for tree has been no barrier to fame for other \"monsters\". Groot, above, is one of Marvel Comics' forest of unusual characters. A Flora colossus from Planet X, the capital of the branch worlds, Groot is one of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy portrayed in a series of comic book stories. The character was among the most popular of a movie based on the stories released over the summer, and a clip of the creature dancing has been viewed almost three million times on YouTube. Like Nessie, Groot has proved to be a goldmine in terms of merchandising with various toys created in his image. Ents, giant woodland shepherds, appear in JRR Tolkien stories. Film director Peter Jackson portrayed Ents as more tree-like than they appear in the books in his adaption of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings." } ], "id": "9629_0", "question": "Bark worse than their bite?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "France's presidential couple are the centre of allegations that the Elysee Palace is shelling out a fortune on a new dinner service while complaining about the scale of the welfare budget. The 1,200-piece set, chosen by First Lady Brigitte Macron, cost EUR50,000 (PS44,000; $59,000), the state said. But a leading satirical magazine says the real cost is nearer EUR500,000. The claim surfaced as a video emerged of President Emmanuel Macron talking of \"shedloads of cash\" spent on benefits. The video, posted on Twitter by the president's communications spokesman, went viral and prompted accusations of contempt for the poor, feeding into perceptions of a privileged president aloof from how the public live. Some of the Elysee crockery dates back to Jacques Chirac's time as president over a decade ago, and some even from Rene Coty's time in the 1950s. Officials say it has to be replaced because it is getting old and is no longer complete. Enter the Sevres porcelain factory that has historically supplied the Elysee with its ceramics since 1848. The Bleu Elysee design by Evariste Richer is a sketch of the presidential palace itself. The Elysee said the bill for producing the 900 plates and 300 side plates came out of the factory's annual budget. So the cost of EUR50,000 was for paying the artists involved in creating the design. But Le Canard enchaine magazine calculated the real cost of hand-painting 1,200 plates was far higher, at least EUR400 a plate. That would be almost 10 times the official estimated cost. Others have put the bill at closer to EUR200 a plate and pointed out that the factory is 60% funded by the culture ministry to the tune of EUR3.6m a year. The head of the porcelain factory supervising the project said the price of the dinner service had not yet been worked out, but the bill would not be charged to the presidential palace. Observers say the timing of the dinner revelations is awkward, after a video went viral showing Mr Macron talking about money in colloquial language. In the video, circulated by his head of communications, Sibeth Ndiaye, the president is heard saying in passionate terms: \"Look where we are on welfare. We plough a shedload of cash into subsistence benefits, and people are still poor. \"They don't get out. People who are born poor stay poor. We've got to have something that enables people to get out of it.\" The president later gave a speech in the southern city of Montpellier spelling out the need to review a benefit system that lacked humanity, paid out increasing amounts of in-work benefits and stigmatised recipients. The poor timing was widely noted on Twitter, with one social media user saying: \"You plough a truckload of cash into dishes and people are not happy.\" Commentators pointed to a remark made by the president last year when he accused opponents of his plans to reform French labour laws as \"lazy\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1868, "answer_start": 710, "text": "Some of the Elysee crockery dates back to Jacques Chirac's time as president over a decade ago, and some even from Rene Coty's time in the 1950s. Officials say it has to be replaced because it is getting old and is no longer complete. Enter the Sevres porcelain factory that has historically supplied the Elysee with its ceramics since 1848. The Bleu Elysee design by Evariste Richer is a sketch of the presidential palace itself. The Elysee said the bill for producing the 900 plates and 300 side plates came out of the factory's annual budget. So the cost of EUR50,000 was for paying the artists involved in creating the design. But Le Canard enchaine magazine calculated the real cost of hand-painting 1,200 plates was far higher, at least EUR400 a plate. That would be almost 10 times the official estimated cost. Others have put the bill at closer to EUR200 a plate and pointed out that the factory is 60% funded by the culture ministry to the tune of EUR3.6m a year. The head of the porcelain factory supervising the project said the price of the dinner service had not yet been worked out, but the bill would not be charged to the presidential palace." } ], "id": "9630_0", "question": "Why are the Macrons changing the plates?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Universities in England will be able to charge more than PS14,000 per year for a fast-track two year degree, under plans from the government. Students would be able to get a degree in two years rather than three - and save a year's living costs. But universities would be able to charge students the price of three years of tuition fees for these accelerated two year courses. This would make annual fees in England higher than many US state universities. Universities Minister Jo Johnson told university leaders such flexibility would make courses more attractive for mature students and disadvantaged youngsters who might be put off by a full three year degree. Mr Johnson said that charging three years' fees for a two-year course was fair - as this was not a dilution of quality. \"It's not fewer credits, or lower quality of provision, it's the same standard, the same quality, but in a compressed period of time and that involves an increase in resources, which needs to be recognised in the fee structure,\" said the minister, speaking after a speech to university leaders in London. \"There are clear advantages for the student,\" he said, such as saving a year's living costs and allowing them to get into employment more quickly. But the UCU lecturers' union warned that the main beneficiaries would be private, for-profit providers, who could adopt a \"pile 'em high and teach 'em cheap\" approach. The Russell Group of leading universities said this would need \"careful consideration\" so that these shorter course \"don't negatively affect student learning or compromise the overall undergraduate experience\". But Universities UK said it would be \"a good thing\" if regulations over tuition fee limit could be changed to allow such flexibility. Labour's Gordon Marsden said: \"Is it yet another example of their using their new higher education legislation as a Trojan Horse to let tuition fees rip?\" There have been attempts to promote shorter courses in the past - but there has been little financial incentive for universities to run fast-track degrees if the amount they received in fees was also reduced. Concerns have also been expressed about a two-tier university system - with better-off students able to pay for a full three-year experience. The proposals, likely to be introduced by 2020, would allow universities to sign students up for a two-year degree and receive the same fee income as a three-year course. The government has announced a fee increase to PS9,250 per year - and then annual increases in line with inflation - which will push a three year course above PS28,000. The shorter course would see this divided over two years - but missing the third year would mean that students and their parents would face lower costs in accommodation and living expenses. This also reflects concerns about the lack of \"contact time\" for some university courses - with some students only receiving a few hours a week of seminars and lectures and long holidays in the summer and at Christmas. A shorter time in university would allow students to begin working at an earlier stage and repay their loan debts. Mr Johnson said that this would not mean any \"flight\" from the traditional three-year degree, but would provide an alternative for those wanting a different approach from a traditional three year residential degree. \"Take from example, someone who is in their mid to late twenties, who didn't go to university, who has already been in the workforce but wants an opportunity to retrain and acquire a level of skills they haven't got,\" the minister said. \"They don't want to spend three years studying and want a faster pace of learning than the classic three year model would allow.\" Mr Johnson also announced plans for universities to reveal more detailed information about the attainment levels of different groups - such as ethnic minorities and disadvantaged youngsters. There are also plans to make it easier for students to move between universities or courses.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3118, "answer_start": 1904, "text": "There have been attempts to promote shorter courses in the past - but there has been little financial incentive for universities to run fast-track degrees if the amount they received in fees was also reduced. Concerns have also been expressed about a two-tier university system - with better-off students able to pay for a full three-year experience. The proposals, likely to be introduced by 2020, would allow universities to sign students up for a two-year degree and receive the same fee income as a three-year course. The government has announced a fee increase to PS9,250 per year - and then annual increases in line with inflation - which will push a three year course above PS28,000. The shorter course would see this divided over two years - but missing the third year would mean that students and their parents would face lower costs in accommodation and living expenses. This also reflects concerns about the lack of \"contact time\" for some university courses - with some students only receiving a few hours a week of seminars and lectures and long holidays in the summer and at Christmas. A shorter time in university would allow students to begin working at an earlier stage and repay their loan debts." } ], "id": "9631_0", "question": "More teaching time?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Molecules found on mobile phones reveal an astonishing amount about the owner's health and lifestyle - including their food preferences and medication. Californian scientists found traces of everything from caffeine and spices to skin creams and anti-depressants on 40 phones they tested. We leave traces of molecules, chemicals and bacteria on everything we touch. Even washing hands thoroughly would not prevent the transfer to everyday objects, the researchers said. Using a technique called mass spectrometry, the University of California San Diego research team tested 500 samples taken from 40 adults' mobile phones and hands. They then compared them to molecules identified in a database and produced a \"lifestyle profile\" of each phone owner. Dr Amina Bouslimani, an assistant project scientist on the study, said the results were revealing. \"By analysing the molecules they left behind on their phones, we could tell if a person is likely to be female, uses high-end cosmetics, dyes her hair, drinks coffee, prefers beer over wine, likes spicy food, is being treated for depression, wears sunscreen and bug spray - and therefore likely to spend a lot of time outdoors - all kinds of things,\" she said. Biden and Obama jokes on Trump imagined Oxford to run first online 'Mooc' course The man who created a tiny country he can no longer enter Most of the molecules are thought to be transferred from people's skin, hands and sweat to their phone. Mosquito repellents and sunscreens were found to linger for a particularly long time on people's skin and phones, even when they had not been used for months. Previous research by the same team found that people who had not washed for three days still had lots of traces of hygiene and beauty products on their skin. The study said the testing method could: - identify an object's owner in the absence of fingerprints - check if patients were taking their medication - provide useful information about a person's exposure to pollution The researchers now want to find out more about the multitude of bacteria that cover our skin - and what they reveal about us. Senior author Prof Pieter Dorrestein said there were at least 1,000 different microbes living on the average person's skin, in hundreds of locations on the body.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1210, "answer_start": 751, "text": "Dr Amina Bouslimani, an assistant project scientist on the study, said the results were revealing. \"By analysing the molecules they left behind on their phones, we could tell if a person is likely to be female, uses high-end cosmetics, dyes her hair, drinks coffee, prefers beer over wine, likes spicy food, is being treated for depression, wears sunscreen and bug spray - and therefore likely to spend a lot of time outdoors - all kinds of things,\" she said." } ], "id": "9632_0", "question": "Hair dye?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Critics have blamed Australia for undermining a joint statement from Pacific island nations which called for stronger action on climate change. Regional leaders met at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu this week, where smaller island-dominated states sought a consensus on climate goals. However Australia, the region's largest emitter, did not endorse some calls - such as an end to coal mining. Pacific nations said they were disappointed with the revisions. \"I think we should have done more work for our people,\" said Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga of Tuvalu, the forum's host nation. He told reporters he had said to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison: \"You are concerned about saving your economy in Australia... I am concerned about saving my people in Tuvalu.\" Mr Morrison defended Australian efforts to fight climate change and said he had held \"very respectful\" conversations with other leaders. Small nations in the Pacific are among those bearing the brunt of climate change, with rising sea levels and associated impacts already forcing some residents to relocate. Many island states have criticised their most powerful neighbour, Australia, for what they say are inadequate actions to fight climate change. The Australian government maintains it will reach its Paris climate agreement targets, but argues industries including coal remain important to local job creation and energy needs. It is a touchy issue, however - and not just because of climate concerns. Australia has recently tried to strengthen its relationships in the Pacific, amid concerns about China's growing influence in the region. The majority of the 18 nations at the forum agreed to stronger climate goals, with only Australia - and to a lesser extent New Zealand - holding objections. Following 12 hours of negotiations, the group eventually produced the Kainaki II declaration, a statement which reiterated many of the existing goals under the Paris agreement. The statement fell short of a more ambitious communique endorsed by many Pacific states earlier this week, which had demanded an immediate end to coal mining. Australia has refused to submit to restrictions on coal to protect its local industry. In June, it approved a controversial major new coal mine in Queensland to be operated by India's Adani. Prior to the forum, it pledged $A500m (PS280m; $340m) to Pacific island nations for renewable energy projects - money which was redirected from Canberra's existing aid budget. Pacific leaders said a cash injection was not enough. Mr Sopoaga said Tongan Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva had been left in tears after one climate change presentation at the forum, saying \"such is the passion\". Mr Morrison reiterated that Australia would meet its obligation to cut emissions by 26% on 2005 levels by 2030. However, the UN has previously warned that it is not on track to achieve those goals.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1619, "answer_start": 912, "text": "Small nations in the Pacific are among those bearing the brunt of climate change, with rising sea levels and associated impacts already forcing some residents to relocate. Many island states have criticised their most powerful neighbour, Australia, for what they say are inadequate actions to fight climate change. The Australian government maintains it will reach its Paris climate agreement targets, but argues industries including coal remain important to local job creation and energy needs. It is a touchy issue, however - and not just because of climate concerns. Australia has recently tried to strengthen its relationships in the Pacific, amid concerns about China's growing influence in the region." } ], "id": "9633_0", "question": "What is the background?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2889, "answer_start": 1620, "text": "The majority of the 18 nations at the forum agreed to stronger climate goals, with only Australia - and to a lesser extent New Zealand - holding objections. Following 12 hours of negotiations, the group eventually produced the Kainaki II declaration, a statement which reiterated many of the existing goals under the Paris agreement. The statement fell short of a more ambitious communique endorsed by many Pacific states earlier this week, which had demanded an immediate end to coal mining. Australia has refused to submit to restrictions on coal to protect its local industry. In June, it approved a controversial major new coal mine in Queensland to be operated by India's Adani. Prior to the forum, it pledged $A500m (PS280m; $340m) to Pacific island nations for renewable energy projects - money which was redirected from Canberra's existing aid budget. Pacific leaders said a cash injection was not enough. Mr Sopoaga said Tongan Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva had been left in tears after one climate change presentation at the forum, saying \"such is the passion\". Mr Morrison reiterated that Australia would meet its obligation to cut emissions by 26% on 2005 levels by 2030. However, the UN has previously warned that it is not on track to achieve those goals." } ], "id": "9633_1", "question": "What happened at the forum?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The bloc led by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is trailing in third place in Iraq's parliamentary elections, according to partial results. With more than half of votes counted, a nationalist alliance between Shia Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr and mostly secular groups is in the lead. It is followed by a bloc linked to Iranian-backed Shia paramilitaries who fought the Islamic State (IS) group. The elections are the first since Iraq declared victory over IS in December. The final results are due to be announced later on Monday, triggering what are expected to be lengthy negotiations to form a new coalition government. The US has called for an \"inclusive government, responsive to the needs of all Iraqis\". Some 5,000 American troops are in Iraq supporting local forces in the battle against IS, a Sunni Muslim jihadist group. On Sunday night, officials from Iraq's election commission announced the almost full returns from 10 of Iraq's 19 provinces, including Baghdad and Basra. According to these early results: - The Saeroun (Marching Towards Reform) list - an alliance between Mr Sadr's Istiqama (Integrity) party and six mostly secular groups, including the Iraqi communist party - has the most votes in six provinces - Fatah (Conquest) - an alliance that comprises the political wings of militias in the Shia-led paramilitary Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) force and is led by former Transport Minister Hadi al-Amiri - is ahead in four provinces - The Nasr (Victory) Alliance of Mr Abadi, who is also Shia, is in third place If Mr Sadr and his allies maintain their position, it will represent a stunning comeback for the cleric, the BBC's Martin Patience reports from Baghdad. In contrast, our correspondent adds, the early results are a setback for Mr Abadi, who had hoped to capitalise on the defeat of IS to bolster his own chances. Turnout in the election was 44.5% - much lower than in previous polls. Son of an assassinated Shia cleric, he rose to prominence after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 that toppled Saddam Hussein. His fearsome Mehdi Army militia led two uprisings against US forces, whose withdrawal he consistently demanded, and was blamed for the killing of thousands of Sunni Muslims in the sectarian violence that plagued Iraq in 2006 and 2007. Mr Sadr fled to Iran before the Iraqi government launched a crackdown on the Mehdi Army and remained in self-imposed exile until 2011, after playing a key role in the reappointment of then Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. In recent years, Mr Sadr has distanced himself from Iran and reinvented himself as an Iraqi nationalist and anti-corruption campaigner. In 2016, his supporters stormed the parliament building in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone when the main political factions resisted their demands that Mr Abadi tackle corruption and replace the ministers in his cabinet with technocrats. For this year's elections, Mr Sadr's party and its allies campaigned on a platform of fighting corruption and investing in public services. After the announcement of the partial election results, supporters took to the streets of Baghdad's Sadr City district - named after his late father - to celebrate. One of them said the outcome signalled the start of a \"new chapter for the Iraqi people\". Mr Sadr cannot be appointed prime minister as he did not stand in the election but his apparent victory could make him the kingmaker in the coalition negotiations. Whoever is named prime minister will have to oversee the reconstruction of Iraq following the battle against IS, which seized control of large parts of the country in 2014. International donors pledged $30bn (PS22bn) at a conference in February but Iraqi officials have estimated that as much as $100bn is required. More than 20,000 homes and businesses were destroyed in the second city of Mosul alone. More than two million Iraqis are still displaced across the country and IS militants continue to mount deadly attacks despite having lost control of the territory they once held.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1924, "answer_start": 829, "text": "On Sunday night, officials from Iraq's election commission announced the almost full returns from 10 of Iraq's 19 provinces, including Baghdad and Basra. According to these early results: - The Saeroun (Marching Towards Reform) list - an alliance between Mr Sadr's Istiqama (Integrity) party and six mostly secular groups, including the Iraqi communist party - has the most votes in six provinces - Fatah (Conquest) - an alliance that comprises the political wings of militias in the Shia-led paramilitary Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) force and is led by former Transport Minister Hadi al-Amiri - is ahead in four provinces - The Nasr (Victory) Alliance of Mr Abadi, who is also Shia, is in third place If Mr Sadr and his allies maintain their position, it will represent a stunning comeback for the cleric, the BBC's Martin Patience reports from Baghdad. In contrast, our correspondent adds, the early results are a setback for Mr Abadi, who had hoped to capitalise on the defeat of IS to bolster his own chances. Turnout in the election was 44.5% - much lower than in previous polls." } ], "id": "9634_0", "question": "What exactly do the results show?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3449, "answer_start": 1925, "text": "Son of an assassinated Shia cleric, he rose to prominence after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 that toppled Saddam Hussein. His fearsome Mehdi Army militia led two uprisings against US forces, whose withdrawal he consistently demanded, and was blamed for the killing of thousands of Sunni Muslims in the sectarian violence that plagued Iraq in 2006 and 2007. Mr Sadr fled to Iran before the Iraqi government launched a crackdown on the Mehdi Army and remained in self-imposed exile until 2011, after playing a key role in the reappointment of then Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. In recent years, Mr Sadr has distanced himself from Iran and reinvented himself as an Iraqi nationalist and anti-corruption campaigner. In 2016, his supporters stormed the parliament building in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone when the main political factions resisted their demands that Mr Abadi tackle corruption and replace the ministers in his cabinet with technocrats. For this year's elections, Mr Sadr's party and its allies campaigned on a platform of fighting corruption and investing in public services. After the announcement of the partial election results, supporters took to the streets of Baghdad's Sadr City district - named after his late father - to celebrate. One of them said the outcome signalled the start of a \"new chapter for the Iraqi people\". Mr Sadr cannot be appointed prime minister as he did not stand in the election but his apparent victory could make him the kingmaker in the coalition negotiations." } ], "id": "9634_1", "question": "How important is Moqtada Sadr?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4032, "answer_start": 3450, "text": "Whoever is named prime minister will have to oversee the reconstruction of Iraq following the battle against IS, which seized control of large parts of the country in 2014. International donors pledged $30bn (PS22bn) at a conference in February but Iraqi officials have estimated that as much as $100bn is required. More than 20,000 homes and businesses were destroyed in the second city of Mosul alone. More than two million Iraqis are still displaced across the country and IS militants continue to mount deadly attacks despite having lost control of the territory they once held." } ], "id": "9634_2", "question": "What will the next government inherit?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump has announced tariffs on all goods coming from Mexico, demanding the country curb illegal immigration into the US. In a tweet, Mr Trump said that from 10 June a 5% tariff would be imposed and would slowly rise \"until the illegal immigration problem is remedied\". Jesus Seade, Mexico's top diplomat for North America, said the proposed tariffs would be \"disastrous\". Mr Trump declared a national emergency at the US-Mexico border in February. He said it was necessary in order to tackle what he claimed was a crisis at the US southern border. Border agents say they are overwhelmed, but critics say they are mishandling and mistreating migrants. On Thursday, US border authorities in El Paso, Texas, said a group of more than 1,000 migrants were detained on Wednesday - the largest single group agents had encountered. Robert Perez, customs and border protection deputy commissioner, said the apprehension \"demonstrates the severity of the border security and humanitarian crisis at our south-west border\". The US president has long accused Mexico of not doing enough to stem the flow of people, and this is his latest attempt to put pressure on the neighbouring state. Mr Seade said Mexico \"must respond vigorously\" if the tariffs - a tax on products made abroad - were brought in. However, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador responded by saying he did not want \"confrontation\". \"I propose deepening our dialogue, to look for other alternatives to the migration problem,\" he wrote in a letter on Thursday. During his election campaign and throughout his time in office, President Trump has sought funds to build a wall on the US-Mexico border. He declared the national emergency at the border in an attempt to divert federal funds for a barrier wall, but a judge blocked his efforts in May. The White House said on Thursday that the president would use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to implement the new tariffs on Mexico. The announcement came the same day that the White House told Congress it planned to pursue a new trade deal with Mexico and Canada. In a White House statement, Mr Trump said the tariffs would rise by five percentage points each month until 1 October, when the rate would reach 25%. The tariffs would stay at that level \"unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory\", he said. \"For years, Mexico has not treated us fairly - but we are now asserting our rights as a sovereign nation,\" the statement said. The president also took aim at his Democratic opponents, accusing them of a \"total dereliction of duty\" over border security. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is taking legal action to halt the Trump administration's efforts to build a border wall, saying it would be a waste of funds and would not stop illegal immigration. Amid record numbers of migrants crossing the border, the deaths of six sick children in US custody since September have raised questions about the level of care provided by US authorities. Andrew Walker, BBC economics correspondent President Trump's latest tariff proposal is driven by a political issue - which is not to say that previous tariff moves did not have any politics behind them. But it is sure to have financial and economic consequences. Stock markets in many countries have already registered significant falls. Japanese car makers were among those hit - they have operations in Mexico which will be affected if President Trump does go ahead. Perhaps he hoped that a welcome side effect would be improved competitiveness for American industry. Well, half the potential impact for the first stage in the proposed tariffs hikes was wiped immediately by a decline in the value of the Mexican peso, which has the effect of making Mexico a little more competitive, at least until the tariffs come into effect. There could also be ramifications for the new trade deal between the US, Mexico and Canada. It will probably make the Mexican Congress a lot more wary about approving the accord. Migrants, most of whom say they are fleeing violence in Central American countries, travel through Mexico on their way to the US, where they hope to claim asylum. Mr Trump believes they should be stopped long before they reach the border, however. Police do appear to have been cracking down, with 400 migrants detained in the southern state of Chiapas in April. President Lopez Obrador used the arrests to emphasise the country was not giving migrants \"free passage\". However, he added that it was out of concern for the migrants' safety over anything else. Mexico was the second largest supplier of goods to the US last year, with imports totalling $352bn (PS275bn), according to Goldman Sachs. It is known for agricultural products like avocados and tequila, but the country is also a major manufacturing hub and home to many US companies. The country produces hundreds of thousands of cars every month, and is also home to technology and aerospace companies. It is one of the G20 economies. US firms Ford, General Motors, John Deere, IBM and Coca-Cola all operate in Mexico, as well as thousands of other multinationals. The president's statement comes amid a trade war with China. After complaining for years about the US trade deficit with China, Mr Trump imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods coming from the country.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3069, "answer_start": 2110, "text": "In a White House statement, Mr Trump said the tariffs would rise by five percentage points each month until 1 October, when the rate would reach 25%. The tariffs would stay at that level \"unless and until Mexico substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming through its territory\", he said. \"For years, Mexico has not treated us fairly - but we are now asserting our rights as a sovereign nation,\" the statement said. The president also took aim at his Democratic opponents, accusing them of a \"total dereliction of duty\" over border security. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is taking legal action to halt the Trump administration's efforts to build a border wall, saying it would be a waste of funds and would not stop illegal immigration. Amid record numbers of migrants crossing the border, the deaths of six sick children in US custody since September have raised questions about the level of care provided by US authorities." } ], "id": "9635_0", "question": "What did Donald Trump announce?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4639, "answer_start": 4081, "text": "Migrants, most of whom say they are fleeing violence in Central American countries, travel through Mexico on their way to the US, where they hope to claim asylum. Mr Trump believes they should be stopped long before they reach the border, however. Police do appear to have been cracking down, with 400 migrants detained in the southern state of Chiapas in April. President Lopez Obrador used the arrests to emphasise the country was not giving migrants \"free passage\". However, he added that it was out of concern for the migrants' safety over anything else." } ], "id": "9635_1", "question": "What has Mexico done to tackle migration?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5433, "answer_start": 4640, "text": "Mexico was the second largest supplier of goods to the US last year, with imports totalling $352bn (PS275bn), according to Goldman Sachs. It is known for agricultural products like avocados and tequila, but the country is also a major manufacturing hub and home to many US companies. The country produces hundreds of thousands of cars every month, and is also home to technology and aerospace companies. It is one of the G20 economies. US firms Ford, General Motors, John Deere, IBM and Coca-Cola all operate in Mexico, as well as thousands of other multinationals. The president's statement comes amid a trade war with China. After complaining for years about the US trade deficit with China, Mr Trump imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods coming from the country." } ], "id": "9635_2", "question": "What will the tariffs affect?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says his country will defend itself \"against any attack\" after carrying out what appear to be its largest strikes on sites in Syria in decades. Israel launched raids against Iranian targets after saying it had intercepted an Iranian drone crossing the Syria-Israel border. Iran denies the allegation. During the offensive an Israeli F-16 fighter jet was shot down by Syria air defences, crashing in northern Israel. Its pilots ejected from the plane and were taken to hospital. It is believed to be the first time Israel has lost a jet in combat since 2006. Mr Netanyahu warned that Israel's policy to defend itself against \"any attempt to harm our sovereignty\" was \"absolutely clear\". \"Iran brazenly violated Israel's sovereignty,\" he said, adding: \"They dispatched an Iranian drone from Syrian territory into Israel... Israel holds Iran and its Syrian hosts responsible.\" Mr Netanyahu said Israel would oppose any attempt by Iran to entrench itself militarily in Syria. But he also said during a meeting with military chiefs that \"Israel seeks peace\". In other reaction: - The US state department said it supported Israel's right to defend itself, blaming Iran for the confrontation - In a phone call with Mr Netanyahu, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed the need to avoid a \"dangerous escalation\". He has been supporting President Assad's government in Syria's civil war - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate de-escalation in the actions that he said threaten a \"dangerous spill-over\" across Syria's borders Israel's military says one of its combat helicopters downed an Iranian drone infiltrating Israel on Saturday. It tweeted footage of the incident. In response, Israel said it attacked Syrian and Iranian targets in Syria, during which an F-16 jet was fired upon, Israel says, causing it to crash. The two pilots were able to parachute to safety before it came down in an empty field near the town of Harduf in northern Israel. Israel says it then carried out a second wave of strikes on both Syrian and Iranian military targets. The Israeli military said it had inflicted huge damage on targets in Syria in the \"most significant attack\" of its kind against the country since the 1982 Lebanon war. Syria's state media say air defences opened fire in response to an Israeli attack on a military base, hitting more than one plane. Iran is Israel's arch-enemy, and Iranian troops have been fighting rebel groups in Syria since 2011. Tehran has sent military advisers, volunteer militias and, reportedly, hundreds of fighters from its Quds Force, the overseas arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). It is also believed to have supplied thousands of tonnes of weaponry and munitions to help President Bashar al-Assad's forces and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah, which is fighting on Syria's side. Tehran has faced accusations that it is seeking to establish not just an arc of influence but a logistical land supply line from Iran through to Hezbollah in Lebanon.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2403, "answer_start": 1578, "text": "Israel's military says one of its combat helicopters downed an Iranian drone infiltrating Israel on Saturday. It tweeted footage of the incident. In response, Israel said it attacked Syrian and Iranian targets in Syria, during which an F-16 jet was fired upon, Israel says, causing it to crash. The two pilots were able to parachute to safety before it came down in an empty field near the town of Harduf in northern Israel. Israel says it then carried out a second wave of strikes on both Syrian and Iranian military targets. The Israeli military said it had inflicted huge damage on targets in Syria in the \"most significant attack\" of its kind against the country since the 1982 Lebanon war. Syria's state media say air defences opened fire in response to an Israeli attack on a military base, hitting more than one plane." } ], "id": "9636_0", "question": "What caused the escalation?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3043, "answer_start": 2404, "text": "Iran is Israel's arch-enemy, and Iranian troops have been fighting rebel groups in Syria since 2011. Tehran has sent military advisers, volunteer militias and, reportedly, hundreds of fighters from its Quds Force, the overseas arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). It is also believed to have supplied thousands of tonnes of weaponry and munitions to help President Bashar al-Assad's forces and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah, which is fighting on Syria's side. Tehran has faced accusations that it is seeking to establish not just an arc of influence but a logistical land supply line from Iran through to Hezbollah in Lebanon." } ], "id": "9636_1", "question": "What is the Iranian presence in Syria?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "This Saturday it will be 70 years since Japan's Emperor, Hirohito, publicly accepted the surrender terms of the key Allied countries in World War Two. It signalled Japan's capitulation and the end not only of the war in the Pacific, but also of Japan's colonial rule of the Korean peninsula, its influence in South East Asia and its attempt to dominate China and the Asian mainland. With Japan's conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe planning to issue an official statement reflecting on the past, this year is a particularly sensitive anniversary. Progressive critics, inside and outside Japan, worry that Mr Abe's statement may downplay past apologies in favour of a \"revisionist\" historical interpretation that will antagonise Japan's neighbours, most notably China and South Korea. Hirohito's remarks that day were unprecedented. Pre-recorded on a phonograph and delivered in rarefied, classical Japanese, they shocked a Japanese populace, which was unprepared for the possibility of surrender or defeat and had almost certainly never heard their divine head of state speak in public. The country was still on a war footing. That was despite the near total destruction of Japan's navy by July 1945, a policy of economic strangulation that had imposed massive material hardship on ordinary citizens, the firebombing of major cities, and the atomic devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August. The cathartic impact of the emperor's words allowed the public to embrace the once alien concept of defeat. The statement was also a necessary means of forcing consensus on a fractious Japanese political and military elite, some of whose members were determined to fight to the last. Hirohito's acceptance of defeat, which was backed by his senior ministers, almost failed in the face of an abortive coup by young army officers who were trying to stop the imperial broadcast from going ahead. For an emperor mindful of the impact of America's \"new and most cruel bomb\", surrender (even if he chose not to use the term) was a means of avoiding the total destruction of Japan and further civilian casualties, and revealingly, the possible \"total extinction of human civilisation\". The end of the war prompted jubilant celebrations in Europe and the US. In Korea it led to a similar outpouring of optimism as Koreans experienced their liberation from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule. Koreans also saw the brief establishment of a progressive Korean People's Republic in the south of the country. However, such optimism was short-lived, as US forces intervened to establish an American-led military government in September 1945, while Soviet forces created their own dependent government in the north of a peninsula increasingly divided along geographical and ideological lines. Ironically, the Americans turned to former Japanese colonial administrators to handle the civilian administration of Korea, a decision that made Koreans deeply sceptical of US intentions, reinforcing the belief (still present to this day) that Korea's interests take second place to those of more powerful states. Japan's defeat had profound and in some ways contradictory consequences for the East Asian region and the wider post-war world. It facilitated a US-led seven-year occupation of Japan that, in its first two years, promoted democratisation and demilitarisation. Japan established a new identity of anti-militarism, aversion to nuclear weapons and a focus on economic development that ultimately produced the high-speed miracle years of the 1960s. More controversially, the continuing occupation, especially from 1948, reflected the onset of the Cold War in East Asia. US policy makers worried about ideological divisions within Japan, the growing ascendancy of Mao's communist forces in mainland China and the Soviet presence in Japan's \"northern territories\" (the Kurile islands occupied by the Russians in the closing days of the war and still held by Moscow to this day). Japan, as America's most important emerging ally in the region, became bound into the strategic and ideological conflict between the communist and Western blocs, but in a manner that, some critics contend, fatally limited its autonomy and policy-making independence. From the vantage point of 2015, the 15 August anniversary is a reminder that Japan under Prime Minister Abe is still confronting difficult strategic challenges that echo those of 70 years ago. These include a Russia that is unwilling to cede territory to Japan, and a still-divided Korean peninsula but one in which North Korea is now a de facto nuclear state and therefore a more threatening power. Compared to 1945, China is a much more powerful actor able, through its more assertive maritime presence, to challenge the territorial possessions of its neighbours in the South China and (in the case of Japan) East China Seas. Hirohito characterised Japan's decision to go to war as an attempt to \"ensure Japan's self-preservation and the stabilisation of East Asia\". Controversially, he also pointed out that there was no intention \"to infringe upon the sovereignty of other nations or to embark on territorial aggrandisement\". While past Japanese prime ministers have acknowledged the suffering that Japan caused its neighbours during the Pacific War and expressed their \"remorse\", there are some conservative voices in Japan who identify with the sentiment embodied in Hirohito's August 1945 statement. To them, Japan's past actions were neither aggressive nor illegitimate, and they have been lobbying Mr Abe to reflect this alternative interpretation in his own, contemporary statement. It remains unclear to what extent the prime minister shares these views. Given the historical sensitivities involved, any expression of such conservative views would invite condemnation from China and South Korea, as well as from progressive opinion within Japan, at a time when the Abe administration is seeking to pass new legislation to enhance the strategic flexibility of its self-defence forces. For these reasons, as well as the need to avoid antagonising its US ally, which has called on Japan to avoid inflaming historical tensions, the government is likely to tread carefully. History, it seems, is anything but an academic matter. Mr Abe will need to be agile in pursuing a pragmatic foreign policy agenda while maintaining the support of his more conservative allies at home. Dr John Swenson-Wright is head of the Asia Programme at the Chatham House think tank. Chatham House will host the conference The Future of Capitalist Democracy: UK-Japan Perspectives on 21-22 September 2015.'", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2187, "answer_start": 787, "text": "Hirohito's remarks that day were unprecedented. Pre-recorded on a phonograph and delivered in rarefied, classical Japanese, they shocked a Japanese populace, which was unprepared for the possibility of surrender or defeat and had almost certainly never heard their divine head of state speak in public. The country was still on a war footing. That was despite the near total destruction of Japan's navy by July 1945, a policy of economic strangulation that had imposed massive material hardship on ordinary citizens, the firebombing of major cities, and the atomic devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August. The cathartic impact of the emperor's words allowed the public to embrace the once alien concept of defeat. The statement was also a necessary means of forcing consensus on a fractious Japanese political and military elite, some of whose members were determined to fight to the last. Hirohito's acceptance of defeat, which was backed by his senior ministers, almost failed in the face of an abortive coup by young army officers who were trying to stop the imperial broadcast from going ahead. For an emperor mindful of the impact of America's \"new and most cruel bomb\", surrender (even if he chose not to use the term) was a means of avoiding the total destruction of Japan and further civilian casualties, and revealingly, the possible \"total extinction of human civilisation\"." } ], "id": "9637_0", "question": "How were Hirohito's words received at the time?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3100, "answer_start": 2188, "text": "The end of the war prompted jubilant celebrations in Europe and the US. In Korea it led to a similar outpouring of optimism as Koreans experienced their liberation from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule. Koreans also saw the brief establishment of a progressive Korean People's Republic in the south of the country. However, such optimism was short-lived, as US forces intervened to establish an American-led military government in September 1945, while Soviet forces created their own dependent government in the north of a peninsula increasingly divided along geographical and ideological lines. Ironically, the Americans turned to former Japanese colonial administrators to handle the civilian administration of Korea, a decision that made Koreans deeply sceptical of US intentions, reinforcing the belief (still present to this day) that Korea's interests take second place to those of more powerful states." } ], "id": "9637_1", "question": "What happened next?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4868, "answer_start": 4241, "text": "From the vantage point of 2015, the 15 August anniversary is a reminder that Japan under Prime Minister Abe is still confronting difficult strategic challenges that echo those of 70 years ago. These include a Russia that is unwilling to cede territory to Japan, and a still-divided Korean peninsula but one in which North Korea is now a de facto nuclear state and therefore a more threatening power. Compared to 1945, China is a much more powerful actor able, through its more assertive maritime presence, to challenge the territorial possessions of its neighbours in the South China and (in the case of Japan) East China Seas." } ], "id": "9637_2", "question": "How has strategic balance in the region changed since then?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5706, "answer_start": 4869, "text": "Hirohito characterised Japan's decision to go to war as an attempt to \"ensure Japan's self-preservation and the stabilisation of East Asia\". Controversially, he also pointed out that there was no intention \"to infringe upon the sovereignty of other nations or to embark on territorial aggrandisement\". While past Japanese prime ministers have acknowledged the suffering that Japan caused its neighbours during the Pacific War and expressed their \"remorse\", there are some conservative voices in Japan who identify with the sentiment embodied in Hirohito's August 1945 statement. To them, Japan's past actions were neither aggressive nor illegitimate, and they have been lobbying Mr Abe to reflect this alternative interpretation in his own, contemporary statement. It remains unclear to what extent the prime minister shares these views." } ], "id": "9637_3", "question": "What is the contemporary significance of Hirohito's comments announcing Japan's surrender?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6630, "answer_start": 5707, "text": "Given the historical sensitivities involved, any expression of such conservative views would invite condemnation from China and South Korea, as well as from progressive opinion within Japan, at a time when the Abe administration is seeking to pass new legislation to enhance the strategic flexibility of its self-defence forces. For these reasons, as well as the need to avoid antagonising its US ally, which has called on Japan to avoid inflaming historical tensions, the government is likely to tread carefully. History, it seems, is anything but an academic matter. Mr Abe will need to be agile in pursuing a pragmatic foreign policy agenda while maintaining the support of his more conservative allies at home. Dr John Swenson-Wright is head of the Asia Programme at the Chatham House think tank. Chatham House will host the conference The Future of Capitalist Democracy: UK-Japan Perspectives on 21-22 September 2015.'" } ], "id": "9637_4", "question": "What balance will Mr Abe need to strike?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Pressure is growing on Saudi Arabia to explain the fate of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met King Salman in Riyadh. Mr Khashoggi was last seen at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul two weeks ago. Turkish officials believe Mr Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents but the Saudis have denied this. However, US media are reporting that the Saudis may be preparing to admit that Mr Khashoggi died as a result of an interrogation that went wrong. Overnight, Turkish police completed a search of the consulate after being admitted by Saudi authorities. The secretary of state and the king have now met in Riyadh. While much of what was discussed has yet to be announced, the US State Department said that Mr Pompeo had used the time to thank the king for his \"commitment to a thorough, transparent investigation\" into Mr Khashoggi's disappearance. Mr Pompeo was also expected to seek further clarification over a conversation between the king and President Donald Trump on Monday. Tweeting earlier about the call, Mr Trump said: \"Just spoke to the king of Saudi Arabia who denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened 'to our Saudi Arabian citizen'.\" He later told reporters: \"The denial was very, very strong. It sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers. Who knows?\" There is a lot at stake given the strength of Saudi-US ties. Mr Trump has already ruled out cancelling a lucrative arms deal, although he did threaten \"severe punishment\" if the kingdom were found to be responsible for the death. King Salman ordered an investigation into the missing journalist on Monday. Saudi statements up to now have dismissed allegations of a killing as \"baseless\" and \"lies\". The kingdom has also angrily rejected what it called political and economic \"threats\", saying it would respond to any punitive action, such as sanctions, \"with a bigger one\". Mr Pompeo is also expected to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his day in Riyadh. The secretary of state may then head to Turkey. It appeared in the New York Times and on CNN, quoting unnamed sources. They said Saudi Arabia would acknowledge that Mr Khashoggi's death was the result of an interrogation that went wrong and the intention had been only to abduct him from Turkey. This may explain in part Mr Trump's \"rogue killers\" line. Who such killers could be and how it fits into reports of a Saudi team being despatched to the consulate before Mr Khashoggi's arrival will presumably need to covered. CNN said the Saudis may argue the operation was conducted without clearance and those responsible would be held accountable. The Khashoggi family in Saudi Arabia issued a statement calling for an \"independent and impartial international commission\". By Frank Gardner, BBC News The recent, highly charged exchange of words between Washington and Riyadh now appears to have given way to a mutual search for the least bad explanation. Both countries' leaders know they have an enormous amount to lose if this affair ended up splitting apart their 73-year old strategic partnership. Iran, as the regional rival to Saudi Arabia, would be the prime beneficiary if the Saudis were to lose their defensive US umbrella. President Trump is also correct when he says thousands of US jobs would be lost, with China and Russia to be among those lining up to replace them. Which begs the wider question: is the West's relationship with Saudi Arabia so important that it outweighs the need to condemn and punish what many believe was a state-sponsored murder of a journalist inside a consulate? Hence the urgent dispatching of US Secretary of State for talks with the Saudi leadership. In private there may well be some strong words, in public both countries may want to present a united stand. But one thing is certain: whatever narrative emerges, the international reputation of the Saudi Crown Prince and power-behind-the-throne Mohammed Bin Salman will forever be tainted by this affair. For the first time since the journalist disappeared on 2 October, Turkish investigators were allowed to enter the building. A Saudi team entered first on Monday, followed roughly an hour later by Turkish forensic police. The Turkish investigators, some wearing overalls, gloves and covered shoes. stayed for about eight hours, leaving in the early hours of Tuesday. They reportedly took with them samples, including of soil from the consulate garden. Saudi Arabia agreed last week to allow Turkish officials to conduct a search but insisted it would only be a superficial \"visual\" inspection. Turkey rejected that offer. The Sabah daily newspaper said investigators had wanted to search the building with luminol, a chemical which shows up any traces of blood. It is not clear whether that happened. Reports on Tuesday said Istanbul police would also search the Saudi consul's residence. Mr Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government who has written for the Washington Post, was last seen walking into the consulate on 2 October. Reports suggest an assault and struggle took place in the consulate after Mr Khashoggi went to get paperwork for his forthcoming marriage. Turkish sources allege he was killed by a 15-strong team of Saudi agents but Riyadh insists that he left the consulate unharmed. Mr Khashoggi was once an adviser to the Saudi royal family but fell out of favour with the Saudi government and went into self-imposed exile. He is a US resident.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2036, "answer_start": 580, "text": "The secretary of state and the king have now met in Riyadh. While much of what was discussed has yet to be announced, the US State Department said that Mr Pompeo had used the time to thank the king for his \"commitment to a thorough, transparent investigation\" into Mr Khashoggi's disappearance. Mr Pompeo was also expected to seek further clarification over a conversation between the king and President Donald Trump on Monday. Tweeting earlier about the call, Mr Trump said: \"Just spoke to the king of Saudi Arabia who denies any knowledge of whatever may have happened 'to our Saudi Arabian citizen'.\" He later told reporters: \"The denial was very, very strong. It sounded to me like maybe these could have been rogue killers. Who knows?\" There is a lot at stake given the strength of Saudi-US ties. Mr Trump has already ruled out cancelling a lucrative arms deal, although he did threaten \"severe punishment\" if the kingdom were found to be responsible for the death. King Salman ordered an investigation into the missing journalist on Monday. Saudi statements up to now have dismissed allegations of a killing as \"baseless\" and \"lies\". The kingdom has also angrily rejected what it called political and economic \"threats\", saying it would respond to any punitive action, such as sanctions, \"with a bigger one\". Mr Pompeo is also expected to meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his day in Riyadh. The secretary of state may then head to Turkey." } ], "id": "9638_0", "question": "What's likely to come from the Pompeo meeting?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2760, "answer_start": 2037, "text": "It appeared in the New York Times and on CNN, quoting unnamed sources. They said Saudi Arabia would acknowledge that Mr Khashoggi's death was the result of an interrogation that went wrong and the intention had been only to abduct him from Turkey. This may explain in part Mr Trump's \"rogue killers\" line. Who such killers could be and how it fits into reports of a Saudi team being despatched to the consulate before Mr Khashoggi's arrival will presumably need to covered. CNN said the Saudis may argue the operation was conducted without clearance and those responsible would be held accountable. The Khashoggi family in Saudi Arabia issued a statement calling for an \"independent and impartial international commission\"." } ], "id": "9638_1", "question": "What is this US media line about?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4875, "answer_start": 3988, "text": "For the first time since the journalist disappeared on 2 October, Turkish investigators were allowed to enter the building. A Saudi team entered first on Monday, followed roughly an hour later by Turkish forensic police. The Turkish investigators, some wearing overalls, gloves and covered shoes. stayed for about eight hours, leaving in the early hours of Tuesday. They reportedly took with them samples, including of soil from the consulate garden. Saudi Arabia agreed last week to allow Turkish officials to conduct a search but insisted it would only be a superficial \"visual\" inspection. Turkey rejected that offer. The Sabah daily newspaper said investigators had wanted to search the building with luminol, a chemical which shows up any traces of blood. It is not clear whether that happened. Reports on Tuesday said Istanbul police would also search the Saudi consul's residence." } ], "id": "9638_2", "question": "What happened with the consulate search?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5449, "answer_start": 4876, "text": "Mr Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi government who has written for the Washington Post, was last seen walking into the consulate on 2 October. Reports suggest an assault and struggle took place in the consulate after Mr Khashoggi went to get paperwork for his forthcoming marriage. Turkish sources allege he was killed by a 15-strong team of Saudi agents but Riyadh insists that he left the consulate unharmed. Mr Khashoggi was once an adviser to the Saudi royal family but fell out of favour with the Saudi government and went into self-imposed exile. He is a US resident." } ], "id": "9638_3", "question": "What allegedly happened in Istanbul?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump has named senior Treasury Department official David Malpass to lead the World Bank. If approved, he is expected to push the bank to narrow the focus of its lending to the world's poorest countries, among other changes. His nomination has stirred debate, as some worry that Mr Malpass, a critic of the bank, will seek to reduce its role. White House officials said Mr Malpass, a long-time Republican, would be a \"pro-growth reformer\". At a press conference in Washington, Mr Trump praised Mr Malpass as a \"strong advocate for accountability at the World Bank for a long time\". The president, who frequently criticises multilateral institutions, said he expected Mr Malpass to ensure that the bank's dollars \"are spent effectively and wisely, serve American interests and defend American values.\" Mr Malpass, a Trump loyalist, was a senior economic adviser to the US president during his 2016 election campaign. He has served as the Treasury Department's undersecretary for international affairs since August 2017. The 62-year-old has criticised the World Bank, along with other institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, for being \"intrusive\" and \"entrenched\". He has also pushed the bank to reduce its lending to China, which he says is too wealthy to deserve such aid, and deploys harsh practices when lending to other countries. The US, the World Bank's largest shareholder and a major source of its funding, has traditionally held sway over the selection process for president. An American has led the institution since its start in the 1940s, when it was created to help rebuild Europe in the aftermath of World War II. However, there has been increased pressure to diversify the bank's leadership, reflecting the economic rise of other countries in recent decades. It is not clear if other countries will propose alternatives to challenge Mr Malpass for the presidency. The World Bank, which has 189 members, is accepting names until 14 March and plans to create a shortlist of up to three candidates for interviews. Its executive board expects to vote on candidates before its April meeting. The US controls 16% of the 25-member board's voting power. European shareholders, who control another significant chunk of voting power, are also unlikely to block the pick, according to Reuters. White House officials said Mr Malpass would champion \"pro-growth\" policies, emphasising the role of the private sector, increased lending transparency and more \"competitive\" tax systems. He will also oversee implementation of reforms the US pushed last year, which coupled an increase in money for the bank with changes aimed at reducing lending to China. Officials said Mr Malpass's nomination did not signal a lack of support for the organisation, which helps finance development projects with loans, credits and grants, committing more than $60bn (PS46.3bn) in its most recent financial year, However, they said the administration did want to see changes to make it more effective. \"Sometimes that does require real reform and modernising ways of doing business,\" a senior administration official said during a background briefing with reporters. If approved, Mr Malpass would replace Jim Yong Kim, a doctor and former president of Dartmouth University, who unexpectedly resigned last month. Mr Kim, whose tenure had been rocky, is joining a private equity fund.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1367, "answer_start": 821, "text": "Mr Malpass, a Trump loyalist, was a senior economic adviser to the US president during his 2016 election campaign. He has served as the Treasury Department's undersecretary for international affairs since August 2017. The 62-year-old has criticised the World Bank, along with other institutions such as the International Monetary Fund, for being \"intrusive\" and \"entrenched\". He has also pushed the bank to reduce its lending to China, which he says is too wealthy to deserve such aid, and deploys harsh practices when lending to other countries." } ], "id": "9639_0", "question": "Who is David Malpass?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "South Africa's elite police unit has raided the home of a controversial business family linked to President Jacob Zuma, as pressure increases on him to stand down. Officials say three people were arrested as part of an investigation into the wealthy, Indian-born Guptas. They have been accused of using their close friendship with Mr Zuma to wield enormous political influence. Meanwhile, Mr Zuma's party has given him until the end of the day to resign. His links to the Guptas are one of the reasons he is being forced to resign before the 2019 general election. The Guptas and Mr Zuma deny all allegations of wrongdoing. Pressure has been slowly increasing on Mr Zuma to stand down in recent weeks. He was expected to respond to a formal request from the African National Congress (ANC) to step down at some point on Wednesday. However, shortly after ANC chief whip Jackson Mthembu announced that a motion of no-confidence in the president would be heard on Thursday, Mr Zuma appeared on television to say he was not prepared to stand down immediately as he had not be given good reasons as to why he should resign. By Andrew Harding, BBC News, Johannesburg The timing is remarkable... So why did South Africa's elite Hawks choose to move against the Guptas now? There are four possibilities: 1: This was a genuine coincidence. The Hawks have, in recent weeks, begun to accelerate their investigation into alleged corruption at the Estina Dairy in Vrede [scroll down to read more on the allegations], with assets already seized, and prosecutions prepared, so perhaps, given the unpredictable way the political drama surrounding President Zuma is unfolding, this is just one of those serendipitous things. 2: The Hawks, with an eye on the news and the clear sense that President Zuma is losing power - and therefore any protection that the Guptas enjoyed as his friends is waning too - decided there was a risk members of the Indian-born family might flee the country. 3: The man who presumably authorised the move against the Guptas, the National Prosecuting Chief Sean Abrahams, saw the way the tide was turning against Mr Zuma (who appointed him). Mr Abrahams has been branded \"Sean The Sheep\" by South African media, following widespread claims that he has helped to protect Mr Zuma, the Guptas and others from corruption investigations. Mr Abrahams, who denies the allegations, might be looking to curry favour with any new ANC-led administration. 4: Cyril Ramaphosa, or those close to him, somehow influenced the police into launching the move in a deliberate attempt to put added pressure on President Zuma. His son, Duduzane, works for the Guptas and is being talked of as a possible target of the NPA's investigations. This would be an illegal move, but one that many South Africans now see as entirely possible, given the apparent politicisation of the justice system and the erosion of key institutions during the Zuma era. According to a statement released by the Hawks - the police's elite high-priority crimes unit - the raids were carried out in connection with the Vrede farm investigation. Three people were arrested during the raid, with two more expected to hand themselves in. According to local media, one of those arrested was a Gupta family member. That investigation relates to the Estina dairy farm near Vrede, in the Free State, a project which was originally meant to help poor black farmers but from which the Gupta family are alleged to have pocketed millions of dollars, allegations they deny. A tranche of leaked emails released last year alleged that some of the money ended up paying for the family's lavish wedding at Sun City, South Africa's upmarket holiday resort. In January, the Hawks raided the offices of the Free State Premier, Ace Magashule, looking for documents linked to the project. Mr Magashule was elected secretary-general of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in December. The embattled Gupta family own a range of business interests in South Africa, including computing, mining, air travel, energy, technology and media. The three brothers, Atul, Rajesh and Ajay, moved to the country in 1993 from India, just as white-minority rule was ending. They are known friends of President Zuma - and his son, daughter and one of the president's wives worked for the family's firms. The brothers have been accused of wielding enormous political influence in South Africa, with critics alleging that they have tried to \"capture the state\" to advance their own business interests. Former Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas made a public allegation in 2016 that he was offered 600m rand ($50m; PS36m) by the Gupta family to be the next finance minister - as long as he did their bidding. It was followed by a damning report by a South African government ombudsman that accused the Guptas and President Zuma of colluding to win government contracts. The public backlash worsened in 2017 when more than 100,000 emails were leaked which appeared to show the extent of the family's influence. It suggested a complex web of government contracts, as well as alleged kickbacks and money laundering. It prompted marches and public protests against the family and President Zuma, dubbed the \"Zuptas\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3933, "answer_start": 2937, "text": "According to a statement released by the Hawks - the police's elite high-priority crimes unit - the raids were carried out in connection with the Vrede farm investigation. Three people were arrested during the raid, with two more expected to hand themselves in. According to local media, one of those arrested was a Gupta family member. That investigation relates to the Estina dairy farm near Vrede, in the Free State, a project which was originally meant to help poor black farmers but from which the Gupta family are alleged to have pocketed millions of dollars, allegations they deny. A tranche of leaked emails released last year alleged that some of the money ended up paying for the family's lavish wedding at Sun City, South Africa's upmarket holiday resort. In January, the Hawks raided the offices of the Free State Premier, Ace Magashule, looking for documents linked to the project. Mr Magashule was elected secretary-general of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in December." } ], "id": "9640_0", "question": "Why was the Gupta's house raided?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump has said he is imposing hard-hitting new sanctions on Iran, including on the office of the country's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Mr Trump said the additional sanctions were in response to the shooting down of a US drone and \"many other things\". Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran's highest authority, was singled out because he was \"ultimately responsible for the hostile conduct of the regime\". Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said the Americans \"despise diplomacy\". In a tweet sent after the announcement, Mr Zarif also accused the Trump administration of having a \"thirst for war\". Tensions between the two countries have been escalating in recent weeks. However, US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Mr Trump's executive order - which would lock up \"billions\" of dollars in Iranian assets - was in the works before Tehran shot down an unmanned US drone in the Gulf last week. The UN Security Council has urged calm and the use of diplomacy. The US Treasury department said eight senior Iranian commanders who \"sit atop a bureaucracy that supervises the IRGC's [the elite Islamic Revolution Guard Corps] malicious regional activities\", were being targeted. It added that Mr Trump's executive order would also \"deny Iran's leadership access to financial resources and authorises the targeting of persons appointed to certain official or other positions by the Supreme Leader or the Supreme Leader's Office\", as well as foreign financial institutions which help them conduct transitions. Sanctions will also be imposed on Mr Zarif later this week, according to Mr Mnuchin. Putting sanctions on the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is significant. He is indeed the Supreme Leader, with the ultimate say in Iran's politics and military - and he has enormous economic power. He supervises an organisation known as Setad, which confiscated property abandoned after the 1979 revolution and morphed into a business juggernaut with holdings of about $95bn (PS75bn). Setad was already under US sanctions, but President Trump has gone further, targeting anyone connected to the Ayatollah - presumably including those sitting on company boards, or officials in his extensive \"shadow government\". So the US administration is tightening the squeeze on already draconian oil and financial sanctions and waiting to see if Tehran will eventually be forced to capitulate and accept negotiations. The US is demanding that Iran end its nuclear programme, curb its missile production and stop support for partner Arab militias. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the \"maximum pressure\" campaign is denying Iran revenue to support its regional military operations. That might be the more important goal for hawks such as Mr Pompeo, who has said he doesn't believe the Iranian regime can change in the way the US administration is demanding. Back in May 2018, the White House reinstated all sanctions removed under a 2015 nuclear deal made with world powers which sought to prevent Iran creating its own nuclear weapon. Relations between the two nations continued to sour, and in May - a year after Mr Trump abandoned the nuclear deal - the US stepped up pressure on Iran by ending exemptions from secondary sanctions for countries still buying Iranian oil. This was followed by a series of attacks on tankers in the Gulf, which the White House said Iran was behind. Tehran has denied all allegations. Iranian officials then announced the country was set to breach the limit on its stockpile of enriched uranium that was set under the 2015 deal on 27 June. Days later, the drone was shot down over what the US says was international waters, but Iran says was its territory. The sanctions - particularly those imposed on the energy, shipping and financial sectors - caused foreign investment to dry up and hit oil exports. They bar US companies from trading with Iran, but also with foreign firms or countries that are dealing with Iran. This has led to shortages of imported goods and products that are made with raw materials from abroad, most notably babies' nappies. The plunging value of the national currency, the rial, has also affected the cost of locally produced staples such as meat and eggs, which have soared in price. Iran has responded to the economic pressure by saying it planned to violate some of the nuclear deal's commitments. It has also accused European countries of failing to live up to their promises of protecting Iran's economy from US sanctions. Iran's IRGC said the drone's downing was a \"clear message\" to the US that Iran's borders were \"our red line\". But US military officials maintain the drone was in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz at the time. Jonathan Cohen, acting Permanent Representative of the US to the UN, said Iran's argument was based on the drone being in the country's flight information region, which is different to a country's airspace. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a high-ranking officer in the IRGC, said another military aircraft, carrying 35 passengers, had been flying close to the drone. \"We could have shot down that one too, but we did not,\" he said.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1599, "answer_start": 971, "text": "The US Treasury department said eight senior Iranian commanders who \"sit atop a bureaucracy that supervises the IRGC's [the elite Islamic Revolution Guard Corps] malicious regional activities\", were being targeted. It added that Mr Trump's executive order would also \"deny Iran's leadership access to financial resources and authorises the targeting of persons appointed to certain official or other positions by the Supreme Leader or the Supreme Leader's Office\", as well as foreign financial institutions which help them conduct transitions. Sanctions will also be imposed on Mr Zarif later this week, according to Mr Mnuchin." } ], "id": "9641_0", "question": "Who is affected?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3675, "answer_start": 2843, "text": "Back in May 2018, the White House reinstated all sanctions removed under a 2015 nuclear deal made with world powers which sought to prevent Iran creating its own nuclear weapon. Relations between the two nations continued to sour, and in May - a year after Mr Trump abandoned the nuclear deal - the US stepped up pressure on Iran by ending exemptions from secondary sanctions for countries still buying Iranian oil. This was followed by a series of attacks on tankers in the Gulf, which the White House said Iran was behind. Tehran has denied all allegations. Iranian officials then announced the country was set to breach the limit on its stockpile of enriched uranium that was set under the 2015 deal on 27 June. Days later, the drone was shot down over what the US says was international waters, but Iran says was its territory." } ], "id": "9641_1", "question": "Why is the US imposing sanctions now?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4476, "answer_start": 3676, "text": "The sanctions - particularly those imposed on the energy, shipping and financial sectors - caused foreign investment to dry up and hit oil exports. They bar US companies from trading with Iran, but also with foreign firms or countries that are dealing with Iran. This has led to shortages of imported goods and products that are made with raw materials from abroad, most notably babies' nappies. The plunging value of the national currency, the rial, has also affected the cost of locally produced staples such as meat and eggs, which have soared in price. Iran has responded to the economic pressure by saying it planned to violate some of the nuclear deal's commitments. It has also accused European countries of failing to live up to their promises of protecting Iran's economy from US sanctions." } ], "id": "9641_2", "question": "How have earlier US sanctions hit Iran?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5121, "answer_start": 4477, "text": "Iran's IRGC said the drone's downing was a \"clear message\" to the US that Iran's borders were \"our red line\". But US military officials maintain the drone was in international airspace over the Strait of Hormuz at the time. Jonathan Cohen, acting Permanent Representative of the US to the UN, said Iran's argument was based on the drone being in the country's flight information region, which is different to a country's airspace. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a high-ranking officer in the IRGC, said another military aircraft, carrying 35 passengers, had been flying close to the drone. \"We could have shot down that one too, but we did not,\" he said." } ], "id": "9641_3", "question": "What happened to the US drone?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Following the Conservatives' decisive general election victory, the UK is leaving the European Union. But where does the public now stand on Brexit and what do they think it should mean for immigration and the economy? Despite the Conservatives' election success, polls conducted during the campaign suggested - as they had done for the last two years - that there was a small but consistent majority in favour of remaining in the EU. On average, the last half dozen polls before the election put Remain on 53% and Leave on 47%. According to these polls, most Remain (88%) and Leave voters (86%) would vote the same way as in the 2016 referendum. However, those who did not vote in 2016 back Remain by two to one (53% to 26%). One poll conducted since the election, by BMG Research, suggests opinion has not shifted significantly since the election. It put Remain on 52% and Leave on 48%. The lead for Remain is too small to be certain that most voters would prefer Brexit was not happening. However, the evidence certainly does suggest the UK remains more or less evenly divided about Brexit. Two key issues in the 2016 referendum were immigration and the economy. In both cases, Remain and Leave voters still have very different views about what Brexit will mean. According to research by NatCen, nearly two in five of all voters (38%) think immigration will fall. Just 7% believe it will increase after the UK leaves the EU. However, nearly half (46%) of those who voted Leave believe immigration will be lower, compared with only 34% of Remain supporters. These figures have not changed much since the EU referendum. In contrast, attitudes towards the economic consequences of leaving the EU have shifted. In September 2016, a few months after the EU referendum, under half (45%) said the economy would be worse as a result of Brexit, while 30% believed it would be better. But in a survey by NatCen during the election campaign, over half (56%) said the economy would be worse as a result of Brexit. Fewer than a quarter (21%) believed it would be better. However, those who voted Leave are still more likely to say that the economy will be better off (46%) than worse off (21%). In contrast, as many as 84% of Remain supporters believe the economy will be worse off. Immigration and the economy will also be important in forthcoming talks about the UK's future relationship with the EU. The UK will have to decide what rules on immigration it wants and how much it wishes to depart from rules governing what can be bought and sold in the EU. Concern about immigration has fallen during the last three years. However, most voters reject current rules which mean anyone from the EU can live and work in the UK, but people from outside the EU must apply to do so. During the election, nearly three in five (58%) voters told NatCen that EU residents should also have to apply to live and work in the UK. Less than a quarter (22%) said they were against the idea. Even among those who voted Remain, nearly half (47%) said they were in favour of this approach. It is figures like these that help explain why the government wants to end freedom of movement. Most voters seem keen to keep close economic ties with the EU. No fewer than 86% agree that after Brexit, companies based in the EU should be allowed \"to sell goods and services freely in Britain in return for allowing British companies to sell goods and services freely in the EU\". To realise that ambition, it is likely that the regulations on what can be made and sold in the UK will have to remain fairly similar to those in the EU. Voters are not always opposed to keeping to EU rules, particularly when those rules might be thought to favour consumers. Even after Brexit, NatCen's research found nearly three-quarters (72%) want UK companies to follow EU rules limiting the cost of using a mobile phone abroad. Similarly, almost four in five (78%), think UK airlines should still follow EU rules requiring them to compensate seriously-delayed passengers. As the UK government seeks the freedom to do things differently, it might well consider that voters could want some things to remain the same - particularly when it comes to their rights as consumers. More from Sir John Curtice About this piece This analysis piece was commissioned by the BBC from an expert working for an outside organisation. Sir John Curtice is professor of politics, Strathclyde University, and senior research fellow at NatCen Social Research and The UK in a Changing Europe. Edited by Duncan Walker Charts by David Brown and Mike Hills", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1093, "answer_start": 219, "text": "Despite the Conservatives' election success, polls conducted during the campaign suggested - as they had done for the last two years - that there was a small but consistent majority in favour of remaining in the EU. On average, the last half dozen polls before the election put Remain on 53% and Leave on 47%. According to these polls, most Remain (88%) and Leave voters (86%) would vote the same way as in the 2016 referendum. However, those who did not vote in 2016 back Remain by two to one (53% to 26%). One poll conducted since the election, by BMG Research, suggests opinion has not shifted significantly since the election. It put Remain on 52% and Leave on 48%. The lead for Remain is too small to be certain that most voters would prefer Brexit was not happening. However, the evidence certainly does suggest the UK remains more or less evenly divided about Brexit." } ], "id": "9642_0", "question": "Do most voters now support Brexit?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3156, "answer_start": 2273, "text": "Immigration and the economy will also be important in forthcoming talks about the UK's future relationship with the EU. The UK will have to decide what rules on immigration it wants and how much it wishes to depart from rules governing what can be bought and sold in the EU. Concern about immigration has fallen during the last three years. However, most voters reject current rules which mean anyone from the EU can live and work in the UK, but people from outside the EU must apply to do so. During the election, nearly three in five (58%) voters told NatCen that EU residents should also have to apply to live and work in the UK. Less than a quarter (22%) said they were against the idea. Even among those who voted Remain, nearly half (47%) said they were in favour of this approach. It is figures like these that help explain why the government wants to end freedom of movement." } ], "id": "9642_1", "question": "Who should be allowed to live and work in the UK?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4218, "answer_start": 3157, "text": "Most voters seem keen to keep close economic ties with the EU. No fewer than 86% agree that after Brexit, companies based in the EU should be allowed \"to sell goods and services freely in Britain in return for allowing British companies to sell goods and services freely in the EU\". To realise that ambition, it is likely that the regulations on what can be made and sold in the UK will have to remain fairly similar to those in the EU. Voters are not always opposed to keeping to EU rules, particularly when those rules might be thought to favour consumers. Even after Brexit, NatCen's research found nearly three-quarters (72%) want UK companies to follow EU rules limiting the cost of using a mobile phone abroad. Similarly, almost four in five (78%), think UK airlines should still follow EU rules requiring them to compensate seriously-delayed passengers. As the UK government seeks the freedom to do things differently, it might well consider that voters could want some things to remain the same - particularly when it comes to their rights as consumers." } ], "id": "9642_2", "question": "Should rules for companies change?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A Conservative MP's decision to block a bill protecting girls from female genital mutilation was \"appalling\" and he must change his mind, Treasury minister Liz Truss has said. Sir Christopher Chope provoked outrage after shouting \"object\" during a debate on anti-FGM legislation last week. Ms Truss said she will \"look for him around the Commons\" to talk it over. Communities Secretary James Brokenshire said the government is \"looking urgently\" at how to get the law passed. Appearing on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Brokenshire said Sir Christopher's own Conservative association was investigating, adding: \"I think that's the best place for this to be dealt with.\" Councillor Ray Bryan, chairman of the Christchurch and East Dorset Conservative Association, said he has called an executive meeting about the issue for later this week and he will speak to Sir Christopher then. Sir Christopher's objection - which happened in Friday's debate in the Commons - has already been heavily criticised by cross-party MPs. Sir Christopher argued his aim was to stop badly thought-out legislation. He said he had not been objecting to the substance of the issue, but wanted to see all legislation properly debated. It is not the first time Sir Christopher has come under fire for objecting. He previously infuriated campaigners by objecting to a ban on upskirting last year. Speaking on Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss said: \"When I see one of my colleagues opposing a measure which could have saved girls' lives, could have saved girls from that horrendous experience, I'm absolutely appalled. \"I'm going to be speaking to him this week. I want to see him change his mind, I want to see the Conservative Party make sure that we show that that is completely unacceptable.\" She added: \"I think Conservatives do need to put peer pressure on our colleagues who are stopping these types of things happening.\" Meanwhile, asked by the BBC's Andrew Marr whether he was proud to be Sir Christopher's colleague, Mr Brokenshire said: \"I'm just hugely disappointed. \"I understand that Christopher feels a lot about the process issues, about debate, about the way Parliament operates. \"But on this, I hope he will even reflect because this is a hugely sensitive and serious issue.\" Mr Brokenshire reiterated what the government's Chief Whip, Julian Smith, had tweeted on Friday, saying work is being done to bring back the FGM bill in government time. The private member's bill on Friday, brought by crossbench peer Lord Berkley of Knighton, would have allowed the courts to make interim care orders under the Children Act, in cases where children are believed to be at risk of FGM. The bill had already cleared the House of Lords. But parliamentary rules mean it only requires one MP to shout \"object\" to a private member's bill which is listed for a second reading but not debated to block its progress. The BBC's parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy said with a lot of private members' bills in the queue for consideration in Parliament, this one was unlikely to become law unless the government got behind it or decided to attach it to another piece of legislation. Earlier this month, a woman who mutilated her three-year-old daughter became the first person in the UK to be found guilty of FGM.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3329, "answer_start": 2478, "text": "The private member's bill on Friday, brought by crossbench peer Lord Berkley of Knighton, would have allowed the courts to make interim care orders under the Children Act, in cases where children are believed to be at risk of FGM. The bill had already cleared the House of Lords. But parliamentary rules mean it only requires one MP to shout \"object\" to a private member's bill which is listed for a second reading but not debated to block its progress. The BBC's parliamentary correspondent Mark D'Arcy said with a lot of private members' bills in the queue for consideration in Parliament, this one was unlikely to become law unless the government got behind it or decided to attach it to another piece of legislation. Earlier this month, a woman who mutilated her three-year-old daughter became the first person in the UK to be found guilty of FGM." } ], "id": "9643_0", "question": "How was the bill stopped?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Turkey has been shelling both Kurdish fighters of the Popular Protection Units (YPG) and so-called Islamic State inside northern Syria. The YPG are widely regarded as one of the most effective forces in the fight against IS and attacks on them have prompted calls from the UN, US and EU for Turkey to show restraint. Ankara says it is retaliating against what it calls provocations by the YPG but it has long warned against the group making territorial advances in northern Syria near its border. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a Turkish-Kurdish rebel group fighting for autonomy since the 1980s. A ceasefire between Turkey and the PKK ended last year and clashes have since claimed hundreds of lives on both sides. While Turkey is fighting against the PKK on its soil, neighbouring Syrian Kurds continue carving out a self-declared autonomous region known as Rojava, and the YPG has gained the trust of Turkey 's international allies in the fight against IS. The PKK is officially considered a terrorist organisation by the EU and the US but Turkey has failed to convince its Western allies to regard the YPG likewise. The US state department and Pentagon have in the past pressed Turkey to stop shelling the YPG and urged Syrian Kurds not to expand their areas of operation. The EU has also called on Turkey to stop shelling Syrian territory and refrain from further complicating the efforts of world powers to halt the hostilities. The UN has urged Turkey to comply with international law in Syria. A US-backed alliance between the YPG and some Syrian Arabs called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been advancing and taking over strategic areas from various armed Islamist groups despite Turkey 's ongoing bombardments. It scored a notable success by driving IS out of the crossroads town of Manbij this month. The jihadists were forced to retreat to the town of Jarablus on the Turkish border, which is believed to be the next focus of the advance against IS. Turkey is wary of the Kurds trying to take control of another border town to the west, Azaz, which it sees as part of a planned \"buffer zone\" in northern Syria. Kurds accuse Turkey of using the US-led coalition against IS as a cover to attack the PKK in both Turkey and Iraq, and now against the YPG in northern Syria. The Kurds say Turkey's bombardment of their positions is helping IS to attack Kurdish-held frontline areas in Syria and Iraq. Turkish bombardments have also angered Iraqi Kurds, since IS has increased its attacks against Iraqi Kurdish forces in the Makhmur area near the city of Mosul. \"Turkey shamelessly and openly backs IS and al-Qaeda terrorists against Kurdish freedom fighters,\" Sadi Pria, a top Iraqi Kurdish official in Irbil, has said. Syrian Kurds, including those leading the YPG, share the PKK's aspiration to establish an autonomous democratic confederation but the YPG denies Turkey's claim that it is an extension of the PKK. PKK leaders have repeatedly warned of a \"total civil war\" inside Turkey in retaliation for attacks against Syria 's Kurds. Meanwhile, the Turkey-PKK battlefield has expanded from guerrilla fighting in the mountains to urban warfare in the heart of Turkey 's predominantly Kurdish cities, including in Diyarbakir . Turkey says it will continue to bombard the Syrian Kurds as long as it feels threatened by them. The YPG will most probably ignore Turkey 's threats and continue its advances to capture more areas. In July 2015, the group took over the strategic border town of Tal Abyad despite Turkey 's warnings not to do so. On the other side of the border an escalation of the Turkey-PKK conflict is highly likely in the form of urban and rural warfare, especially after winter. BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1545, "answer_start": 1004, "text": "The PKK is officially considered a terrorist organisation by the EU and the US but Turkey has failed to convince its Western allies to regard the YPG likewise. The US state department and Pentagon have in the past pressed Turkey to stop shelling the YPG and urged Syrian Kurds not to expand their areas of operation. The EU has also called on Turkey to stop shelling Syrian territory and refrain from further complicating the efforts of world powers to halt the hostilities. The UN has urged Turkey to comply with international law in Syria." } ], "id": "9644_0", "question": "What does the international community say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2174, "answer_start": 1546, "text": "A US-backed alliance between the YPG and some Syrian Arabs called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) has been advancing and taking over strategic areas from various armed Islamist groups despite Turkey 's ongoing bombardments. It scored a notable success by driving IS out of the crossroads town of Manbij this month. The jihadists were forced to retreat to the town of Jarablus on the Turkish border, which is believed to be the next focus of the advance against IS. Turkey is wary of the Kurds trying to take control of another border town to the west, Azaz, which it sees as part of a planned \"buffer zone\" in northern Syria." } ], "id": "9644_1", "question": "What do Syria's Kurds say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2777, "answer_start": 2175, "text": "Kurds accuse Turkey of using the US-led coalition against IS as a cover to attack the PKK in both Turkey and Iraq, and now against the YPG in northern Syria. The Kurds say Turkey's bombardment of their positions is helping IS to attack Kurdish-held frontline areas in Syria and Iraq. Turkish bombardments have also angered Iraqi Kurds, since IS has increased its attacks against Iraqi Kurdish forces in the Makhmur area near the city of Mosul. \"Turkey shamelessly and openly backs IS and al-Qaeda terrorists against Kurdish freedom fighters,\" Sadi Pria, a top Iraqi Kurdish official in Irbil, has said." } ], "id": "9644_2", "question": "Why do Kurds accuse Turkey of backing IS?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "British politicians are now poring over ways to extricate Britain from the EU, following June's vote to leave. One of the key problems they hope to solve is how to protect UK access to Europe's markets, while controlling immigration from the EU. Many in Britain wonder if non-EU member Switzerland could show the way. Switzerland has access to Europe's single market, its economy is booming, unemployment is low. The country, at first sight, thrives outside the EU. But first appearances can be deceptive. In one very crucial area, immigration, the Swiss find themselves in a very tricky position. It is all to do with a landmark referendum held in February 2014, when the Swiss voted - very narrowly - in favour of quotas on immigration from the EU. That sounds a perfectly reasonable thing to do: Switzerland is not in the EU and should, it might be assumed, be able to control its borders, and the numbers of people arriving to work. But it is not that simple. Over more than a decade the Swiss, whose economy depends on trade with Europe, have negotiated a series of bilateral, but interdependent, agreements with Brussels. Access to the EU's single market hinges on Switzerland's participation in free movement of people. And so, two-and-a-half years after the vote for quotas, nothing has changed. Free movement is still in place in Switzerland. Despite ever more desperate efforts by Swiss diplomats to negotiate a deal with the EU that would honour voters' wishes, the silence from Brussels has been deafening. \"The EU has one red line, and that is quotas,\" explained Cenni Najy of the Swiss political think-tank Foraus. \"They will never accept quotas, because that would mean really the end of free movement.\" And Mr Najy believes Britain's vote to leave the EU will make Switzerland's situation even more difficult. \"I think Switzerland will have to wait many months, maybe even many years,\" he said. \"Now the number one preoccupation of the European Commission is to find a settlement for the UK, and not to allow Switzerland to free ride or to have very specific tailor-made agreements.\" But Switzerland cannot afford the delay. The government is in a race against time to prepare legislation to limit EU immigration, before a March 2017 deadline demanded under the Swiss constitution. - Switzerland voted against joining the European Economic Area (first step to EU membership) in 1992 - It has negotiated more than 100 bilateral treaties with Brussels - 24.3% of the total population of 8.2 million is not Swiss - Largest group of non-Swiss nationals are Italians, closely followed by Germans, then Portuguese - Immigration from EU countries has been among highest in Europe, but has decreased since 2014 because of market forces Will the Swiss limit EU immigration? Switzerland country profile Five models for post-Brexit UK trade The conundrum is: how to introduce the quotas that voters say they want, while preserving that crucial access to Europe's single market. Last month, Switzerland's President Johann Schneider-Ammann met the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Summit in Mongolia. Swiss diplomats were privately relieved the meeting involved a quick coffee and not just a handshake in a corridor, but it did not yield the deal the Swiss had hoped for. Later Mr Schneider-Ammann, in an interview with Swiss television, bluntly highlighted the problem. \"We've got to find a way to keep free movement of people, and to respect the will of the voters to reduce immigration... we're trying to square a circle.\" Swiss business leaders, increasingly uncertain about how long they will be able to recruit from Europe, or how long their access to the single market will last, are worried. \"It doesn't help investors in Switzerland as long as this big question is not settled with the European Union,\" pointed out Jan Atteslander of the Swiss Business Federation. The federation has been working on compromise proposals: not exactly quotas, but a mechanism under which employers would be required to give preference to workers already living in Switzerland, if, in certain professions, unemployment was high. \"It's a safeguard clause,\" Mr Atteslander explained. \"That in some areas, where you see too high immigration, you can slow it down temporarily, and then after a quarter or half a year you can look again.\" It is believed the UK government may also be looking at such options. The problem, many analysts believe, is that a deal designed to please everyone, both Brussels and Swiss voters, may actually please no one. It is unlikely that Mr Atteslander's modest temporary suggestion - which, given Switzerland's strong economy and need for skilled workers, is unlikely even to be triggered in the foreseeable future - will please the powerful right-wing Swiss People's Party (SVP). It campaigned hard for proper quotas on immigration, and its leaders insist that the will of Swiss voters must be honoured in full. Meanwhile from Brussels' point of view, a safeguard clause which appears to discriminate against EU citizens in favour of the Swiss could still be viewed as a violation of free movement. And so another solution is emerging, which may sound rather familiar to Brexit Britain. Among young Swiss, a majority of whom voted against immigration quotas, there is a movement to hold the vote all over again. The necessary 100,000 signatures have been gathered, and campaigner Sean Serafin believes a new vote will be more informed than the last one. \"When voting on quotas the Swiss had a system they knew well, which was freedom of movement, and a theoretical system, quotas, which was not very clear,\" he explained. \"So I think they decided to vote for some sort of control over immigration, without knowing what it meant.\" Mr Serafin is confident that, now that voters know how hard it is to \"square the circle\" with Brussels, they may change their minds, and back free movement of people. But a new referendum cannot be held before that March deadline, and the Swiss now hope a visit to Zurich, planned for September by Jean-Claude Juncker, might bring a deal. Political analyst Cenni Najy is sceptical. \"Within the internal market there are four freedoms, and you cannot disassociate them,\" he says. \"If you want access to the internal market, you have to accept free movement of persons. They [the EU] have said it to Switzerland and I think they are going to say it also to the UK.\" Some of Britain's most Eurosceptic politicians have suggested leaving the single market would be a survivable move. But UK business leaders, like the Swiss, are becoming anxious. So while Britain agonises over its EU exit strategy, in Switzerland the waiting game continues. Perhaps that deafening EU silence over Swiss attempts to change free movement is directed not just at the little alpine country, but at the big island nation across the Channel too.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5972, "answer_start": 5175, "text": "And so another solution is emerging, which may sound rather familiar to Brexit Britain. Among young Swiss, a majority of whom voted against immigration quotas, there is a movement to hold the vote all over again. The necessary 100,000 signatures have been gathered, and campaigner Sean Serafin believes a new vote will be more informed than the last one. \"When voting on quotas the Swiss had a system they knew well, which was freedom of movement, and a theoretical system, quotas, which was not very clear,\" he explained. \"So I think they decided to vote for some sort of control over immigration, without knowing what it meant.\" Mr Serafin is confident that, now that voters know how hard it is to \"square the circle\" with Brussels, they may change their minds, and back free movement of people." } ], "id": "9645_0", "question": "Vote again?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6926, "answer_start": 5973, "text": "But a new referendum cannot be held before that March deadline, and the Swiss now hope a visit to Zurich, planned for September by Jean-Claude Juncker, might bring a deal. Political analyst Cenni Najy is sceptical. \"Within the internal market there are four freedoms, and you cannot disassociate them,\" he says. \"If you want access to the internal market, you have to accept free movement of persons. They [the EU] have said it to Switzerland and I think they are going to say it also to the UK.\" Some of Britain's most Eurosceptic politicians have suggested leaving the single market would be a survivable move. But UK business leaders, like the Swiss, are becoming anxious. So while Britain agonises over its EU exit strategy, in Switzerland the waiting game continues. Perhaps that deafening EU silence over Swiss attempts to change free movement is directed not just at the little alpine country, but at the big island nation across the Channel too." } ], "id": "9645_1", "question": "Lessons for Britain?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Wintry weather has grounded flights, closed hundreds of schools, and caused travel chaos across the UK. But while commuters frantically clawed at the ice on their windscreens, many took to the web to ask all manner of snow-related questions. Here are the answers to some of the most-searched. When it comes to de-icing your car, patience is a virtue. For starters, don't do what this driver did and leave only a tiny gap in their snow-covered windscreen before driving off. When you use the car's heater to defrost the windows, increase the heat gradually or it'll create extra mist. Brush off the snow from the car's exterior, including the front grille. Don't use boiling water to de-ice windscreens - hot water can crack the glass, and the water will only freeze again on the screen or on the ground where you are standing. Instead, spray the windscreen with plenty of de-icer and use a scraper to remove the frost from the entire screen. A squirt of WD-40 can also prevent door locks freezing up. If they do, heat your key with a lighter to melt the ice. But if you fancy a more extreme solution, you could take the approach Russians used to de-ice their airplanes: find leftover jet fighter engines and use them to blast hot air at the affected areas. (Results not guaranteed.) Sadly, rounding off your lunch of crisps and chocolate with a fizzy vitamin C tablet isn't a surefire way to stave off the office cold. It mainly comes down to - no surprises here - eating well, sleeping properly, and exercising enough. The NHS recommends eating plenty of fruit and veg, as well as a hearty breakfast to set you up for the day. Milk and dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais are also great sources of protein, vitamins and calcium. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't have to be below zero to snow. You can start wishing for a snow day as soon as the temperature drops below 2degC. According to the Met Office, most of the UK's heaviest snowfalls tend to be when the temperature sits between 0degC and 2degC. Any hotter than that and the snowflakes will melt and fall as sleet or rain. Gritters may have been out in force - but the \"grit\" they've been laying is actually rock salt. Salt lowers the freezing point of water, so it stops ice forming and causes existing ice or snow to melt. In a word, carefully. Stopping distances are greater in snow and ice. Allow extra time, plan your journey, wear warm clothes, and make sure your phone is properly charged. Stock up on chocolate, biscuits and hot drinks, in case you get stuck. After de-icing your car, use second gear to pull away, lifting the clutch gently to avoid wheel spin. Stay in a higher gear for better control as you pick up speed. Maintain the right speed for the conditions - not too fast so that you risk losing control, but not so slow that you risk losing momentum when you need it. If your school has declared a snow day, you've got your head teacher to thank. They are usually the ones who decide whether to close the school. The decision is based on the welfare of children, taking into account whether: - children can get to and from school safely - the site is safe - there are enough staff to supervise the students. If the weather is fine in the morning, but scheduled to get worse later in the day, the school may decide to close for the whole day. Most people know it's white and cold and falls from the sky. But what actually is it? As the Met Office explains, snow forms when tiny ice crystals in clouds stick together, becoming snowflakes. If enough of these crystals stick together, they'll become heavy enough to fall to the ground. As the snowflakes drift down from the sky, those falling through moist air that is slightly warmer than 0degC will melt at the edges and stick together, producing big flakes. This type of snow is \"wet\" and makes for good snowmen. \"Dry snow\", which is ideal for snow sports, comes from snowflakes that fall through cold, dry air, producing small, powdery flakes.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1283, "answer_start": 294, "text": "When it comes to de-icing your car, patience is a virtue. For starters, don't do what this driver did and leave only a tiny gap in their snow-covered windscreen before driving off. When you use the car's heater to defrost the windows, increase the heat gradually or it'll create extra mist. Brush off the snow from the car's exterior, including the front grille. Don't use boiling water to de-ice windscreens - hot water can crack the glass, and the water will only freeze again on the screen or on the ground where you are standing. Instead, spray the windscreen with plenty of de-icer and use a scraper to remove the frost from the entire screen. A squirt of WD-40 can also prevent door locks freezing up. If they do, heat your key with a lighter to melt the ice. But if you fancy a more extreme solution, you could take the approach Russians used to de-ice their airplanes: find leftover jet fighter engines and use them to blast hot air at the affected areas. (Results not guaranteed.)" } ], "id": "9646_0", "question": "How do I efficiently de-ice my car?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1751, "answer_start": 1284, "text": "Sadly, rounding off your lunch of crisps and chocolate with a fizzy vitamin C tablet isn't a surefire way to stave off the office cold. It mainly comes down to - no surprises here - eating well, sleeping properly, and exercising enough. The NHS recommends eating plenty of fruit and veg, as well as a hearty breakfast to set you up for the day. Milk and dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais are also great sources of protein, vitamins and calcium." } ], "id": "9646_1", "question": "How can I boost my immune system in the winter weather?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2108, "answer_start": 1752, "text": "Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't have to be below zero to snow. You can start wishing for a snow day as soon as the temperature drops below 2degC. According to the Met Office, most of the UK's heaviest snowfalls tend to be when the temperature sits between 0degC and 2degC. Any hotter than that and the snowflakes will melt and fall as sleet or rain." } ], "id": "9646_2", "question": "At what temperature does snow fall?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2310, "answer_start": 2109, "text": "Gritters may have been out in force - but the \"grit\" they've been laying is actually rock salt. Salt lowers the freezing point of water, so it stops ice forming and causes existing ice or snow to melt." } ], "id": "9646_3", "question": "Why does salt melt ice?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2874, "answer_start": 2311, "text": "In a word, carefully. Stopping distances are greater in snow and ice. Allow extra time, plan your journey, wear warm clothes, and make sure your phone is properly charged. Stock up on chocolate, biscuits and hot drinks, in case you get stuck. After de-icing your car, use second gear to pull away, lifting the clutch gently to avoid wheel spin. Stay in a higher gear for better control as you pick up speed. Maintain the right speed for the conditions - not too fast so that you risk losing control, but not so slow that you risk losing momentum when you need it." } ], "id": "9646_4", "question": "How should I drive in snow and icy conditions?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3348, "answer_start": 2875, "text": "If your school has declared a snow day, you've got your head teacher to thank. They are usually the ones who decide whether to close the school. The decision is based on the welfare of children, taking into account whether: - children can get to and from school safely - the site is safe - there are enough staff to supervise the students. If the weather is fine in the morning, but scheduled to get worse later in the day, the school may decide to close for the whole day." } ], "id": "9646_5", "question": "Why do schools close when it snows?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4000, "answer_start": 3349, "text": "Most people know it's white and cold and falls from the sky. But what actually is it? As the Met Office explains, snow forms when tiny ice crystals in clouds stick together, becoming snowflakes. If enough of these crystals stick together, they'll become heavy enough to fall to the ground. As the snowflakes drift down from the sky, those falling through moist air that is slightly warmer than 0degC will melt at the edges and stick together, producing big flakes. This type of snow is \"wet\" and makes for good snowmen. \"Dry snow\", which is ideal for snow sports, comes from snowflakes that fall through cold, dry air, producing small, powdery flakes." } ], "id": "9646_6", "question": "What actually is snow?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Remember when Donald Trump said he and Kim Jong-un fell in love? Well now it seems they just don't talk anymore. Instead, the US and North Korea appear to be staring one another down, waiting for the other to blink or make a move. And neither appears willing to give way. Discussions aimed at setting up a second summit between the two leaders didn't happen as planned this week. Chairman Kim's aide, the hardliner Kim Yong-chol was supposed to travel to New York and meet US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. But the BBC understands that the meeting was cancelled after the State Department discovered that the North Koreans didn't get on the plane as planned. The official line is that the meeting will be rescheduled and Mr Trump said he's \"very happy\" with how things are going, and that he's in \"no rush\" while sanctions remain in place. In Seoul, too, they are urging reporters not to read too much into the missed meeting - there have been missed meetings in the past, they say. Although officials from the Foreign Ministry did express \"disappointment\". South Korea's President Moon Jae-in warned me in his BBC interview that he expected \"bumps and bruises\" on the way as the international community tries to persuade North Korea to disarm. But it's hard not to feel that both the momentum for talks and the opportunity to engage with North Korea may be slipping away. Even at a lower level, the new US North Korean envoy Stephen Biegun has been in his job for over two months and has still not met his Pyongyang counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Choi Sun-hui. The root of this standoff is that North Korea and the US have never really agreed on the goalposts of \"denuclearisation\". What do they actually mean when they talk about disarmament? Yes the two leaders signed an agreement in Singapore, but the lack of detail in the deal we talked about back then is now coming back to haunt these talks and potentially scupper progress. From the start, Pyongyang has been clear. They will not unilaterally disarm. They want a staged process where they give a little and get something in return. That means, right now they feel they have done enough to warrant sanctions relief. Both the US and the UN have placed tough economic penalties on North Korea. Around 90% of its exports are banned including coal, iron ore, seafood and textiles. There are also caps on the amount of oil it can buy. If Kim Jong-un is going to build up his economy as he has promised his people, then he will need the sanctions lifted. However, the US has also been absolute. There will be no sanctions relief until \"complete denuclearisation\". Right now, that seems a lofty and unrealistic goal. President Trump did say that \"he'd love to take the sanctions off\", and then added that North Korea \"would have to be responsive, too\". Russia called a meeting this week of the United Nations Security Council to discuss sanctions on North Korean banks. But the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, was unequivocal: \"The threat is still there. North Korea still has nuclear facilities and they've still not allowed inspectors in to inspect them.\" Several analysts have called on the US to adjust its thinking and approach. Bend a little before this process breaks completely. But so far there have been no signs that the Trump administration is willing to do this. So if the US is not prepared to act, what does Pyongyang do? Last week it issued a threat in a statement from the Foreign Ministry's Institute for American Studies. It claimed that \"the improvement of relations and sanctions is incompatible\", and that the US was \"bragging arrogantly without showing any change in its stand, while failing to properly understand our repeated demand\". The statement went on to suggest that unless the US removed sanctions, then it could restart its nuclear programme. Let's be clear here, several studies by US intelligence and by the UN suggest North Korea has not stopped its building or stockpiling of weapons. But it has stopped testing missiles and nuclear weapons, which President Trump has taken as a personal victory. Mr Trump even declared that \"there was no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea\". So yes, North Korea has a choice. It could test another missile, which would be embarrassing to a US President who has declared that the problem was solved. But that would come with huge risks. A missile test is more likely to anger an unpredictable Donald Trump who hates when his administration shows any sign of weakness. It would, once again, raise international condemnation and is unlikely to have the desired effect of sanctions relief. Another missile or nuclear test would also harm North Korea's developing relationship with the South, where several companies are poised to invest as soon as the restrictions are lifted. Kim Jong-un's other choice is to blink first and fulfil some of his promises. He could let inspectors into Punggye-ri, the state's only known nuclear test site. TV cameras were brought in to witness a series of explosions there in May, which North Korea claims was its complete destruction. President Moon said Mr Kim told him he would allow inspectors in, and there have been reports in South Korea that preparations are being made. This would allow Pyongyang to argue that they are once again keeping their end of the bargain. Mr Kim could also close the Yongbyon nuclear facility where North Korea is believed to produce fissile material for nuclear weapons. North Korea pledged to close it earlier this year, but only if the US takes corresponding measures. It would be very difficult politically for Mr Kim to do this first, so the US would have to put something good on the table for Pyongyang to take this step. It is worth mentioning that several people I speak to, who have regular contact with leaders in Pyongyang, have told me about the pressures facing Kim Jong-un as a young leader. He is surrounded by a number of military hardliners who are not willing to disarm, nor do they wish to be seen as bowing to US requests. Perhaps both sides are calculating that they can simply \"run the clock\", play for time and wait. The US can keep sanctions in place until North Korea takes further action. Pyongyang can continue to issue warnings and develop other diplomatic ties. However, this is a huge gamble for the US. North Korea's nuclear arsenal has been labelled an urgent problem by US defence and intelligence chiefs. That threat is still there and the longer this standoff continues, the more likely it is that Pyongyang will continue to develop weapons. The stringent economic sanctions imposed on the state may only have a limited effect. The Trump administration had managed to get China and Russia on board with its \"maximum pressure\" policy for some months. But reports suggest the borders have become porous in places and the supplies are making their way into North Korea. Kim Jong-un has proved to be a savvy political operator and has rebuilt relationships with his neighbours. The US maintains that another summit between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump will take place early next year. The two leaders may prefer dealing with one another directly. But it still needs talks to take place between those lower down the chain of command to sort out the details of a deal. A timetable for disarmament and corresponding US actions for instance. Without those details on paper, as you can see, we end up with what is the equivalent of this diplomatic game of chicken which puts president Mr Trump's much applauded North Korea policy in danger of crashing.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2809, "answer_start": 1567, "text": "The root of this standoff is that North Korea and the US have never really agreed on the goalposts of \"denuclearisation\". What do they actually mean when they talk about disarmament? Yes the two leaders signed an agreement in Singapore, but the lack of detail in the deal we talked about back then is now coming back to haunt these talks and potentially scupper progress. From the start, Pyongyang has been clear. They will not unilaterally disarm. They want a staged process where they give a little and get something in return. That means, right now they feel they have done enough to warrant sanctions relief. Both the US and the UN have placed tough economic penalties on North Korea. Around 90% of its exports are banned including coal, iron ore, seafood and textiles. There are also caps on the amount of oil it can buy. If Kim Jong-un is going to build up his economy as he has promised his people, then he will need the sanctions lifted. However, the US has also been absolute. There will be no sanctions relief until \"complete denuclearisation\". Right now, that seems a lofty and unrealistic goal. President Trump did say that \"he'd love to take the sanctions off\", and then added that North Korea \"would have to be responsive, too\"." } ], "id": "9647_0", "question": "Complete denuclearisation?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4181, "answer_start": 2810, "text": "Russia called a meeting this week of the United Nations Security Council to discuss sanctions on North Korean banks. But the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, was unequivocal: \"The threat is still there. North Korea still has nuclear facilities and they've still not allowed inspectors in to inspect them.\" Several analysts have called on the US to adjust its thinking and approach. Bend a little before this process breaks completely. But so far there have been no signs that the Trump administration is willing to do this. So if the US is not prepared to act, what does Pyongyang do? Last week it issued a threat in a statement from the Foreign Ministry's Institute for American Studies. It claimed that \"the improvement of relations and sanctions is incompatible\", and that the US was \"bragging arrogantly without showing any change in its stand, while failing to properly understand our repeated demand\". The statement went on to suggest that unless the US removed sanctions, then it could restart its nuclear programme. Let's be clear here, several studies by US intelligence and by the UN suggest North Korea has not stopped its building or stockpiling of weapons. But it has stopped testing missiles and nuclear weapons, which President Trump has taken as a personal victory. Mr Trump even declared that \"there was no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea\"." } ], "id": "9647_1", "question": "Will Washington compromise?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Prime Minister Theresa May has been forced to quit. Parliament is deadlocked. Both the Conservative and Labour parties are deeply divided and deeply unpopular. What's more, with days to go before there is a new occupant of No 10, no-one has identified a clear route to an agreement that will avoid an outcome pretty much everyone says they want to avoid - a costly and disruptive no-deal Brexit. So, how did the UK end up here? For the past few months, the BBC's Panorama team has spoken to those with first-hand knowledge of the negotiations - in Brussels, Paris and Dublin as well as Westminster. We've interviewed at length, on and off the record, the men and women who tried and failed to make a Brexit deal that both the UK and the EU could agree to. This is an account of 10 crucial mistakes, mishaps and misunderstandings that might explain why we haven't left yet. George Bridges was a new minister in the Brexit department created from scratch in 2016 when Theresa May became prime minister - a job she only got because the UK voted to leave the EU. At least Bridges had an office. Secretary of State David Davis's political advisers had to share a cupboard, while the department's top official had to change his office three times in one day. It was chaos. Lord Bridges, who was a junior minister, assumed that the thinking about Brexit must be taking place somewhere else: \"I was very much under the view that there would be somewhere in No 10 a very small, very secret group, putting together an almighty chart, a big plan of how we were going to negotiate and crucially what our overall objectives were. So, the prime minister - rather like a Bond villain - would be sitting with her white cat on her lap with this big plan behind her. I'd love to say that that room existed. I never found it.\" He wasn't the only one. In Brussels, top EU officials were waiting to see what the UK would propose. \"We thought they are so brilliant there will be, in some vault somewhere in Westminster, a Harry Potter type book with all the tricks and all the things in it to do.\" Frans Timmermans, first vice president of the European Commission, was shocked by what he saw and heard. Or rather what he didn't: \"I thought, 'Oh my God, they haven't got a plan...they haven't got a plan... it's like Lance Corporal Jones'. It was, 'Don't panic, don't panic,' running around like idiots.\" The truth is there was no plan for Brexit when the UK voted to leave. David Cameron had no Plan B when he called the EU referendum. One senior official says he stopped civil servants preparing one as he was fearful it might leak. The main Leave campaign, led by Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, had decided not to produce a Plan A. They knew the choices that would have to be made would split their coalition of support. Theresa May came to office without a plan. Indeed, she barely mentioned Brexit in her speech in Downing Street. Speaking to the BBC, former French President Francois Hollande says he told his fellow EU leaders straight after the referendum that the UK would have to pay a price: \"Brexit might lead to a slippery slope where others, and particularly those under the sway of populists, might decide to follow what the British have just been doing.\" EU leaders sensed that populism was on the march. Brexit was followed by the election of Donald Trump. When the new US president called the other President Donald - Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council - he asked a question with a hint of menace: \"Who's next?\" With elections due in France and the Netherlands in 2017, this was no mere taunt. The leader of the French National Front, Marine Le Pen, was campaigning for \"Frexit\". Polls suggested victory was likely for the Dutch far right leader Geert Wilders. Hungary, Austria and Italy were already governed by politicians who were highly critical of the EU. There were tears in the office of Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, when he and his officials heard that the UK had voted to leave. Juncker's right hand man was a formidable German lawyer called Martin Selmayr, thought by many to be the most important man in Brussels. Giving his first British broadcast interview to Panorama, he says: \"I think the most important thing at this moment in time was to preserve the unity of the other 27 member states - to make sure that in the process that followed, all 27 saw eye to eye ...[and] to use this moment not to further weaken the [European] Union, not the beginning of the end, but the start of a new beginning for the European project,\" says Selmayr. When Selmayr met the British minister he knew best, David Lidington, who'd been Minister for Europe for many years and who would go on to become Theresa May's de facto deputy - he spelt out what this would mean. Lidington recalls this conversation: \"He said to me, 'Look David, there's not going to be the traditional EU late into the night, into the wee small hours, horse trading on this. It'll be the Commission that your side talks to. We are not going to give your prime minister the chance to try and pick us off.\" The UK was no longer to be treated like a member of the club, in which it could seek to build alliances and divide and rule the 27 countries still inside. It would be treated as if it had already left. Negotiations would take place not with representatives of every country but with a team led by one man - a suave silver-haired Frenchman called Michel Barnier. In his first British broadcast interview since the negotiations began, he told Panorama: \"Everybody will have to pay a price - EU and UK - because there is no added value to Brexit. Brexit is a negative negotiation. It is a lose-lose game for everybody.\" Philip Hammond didn't like what he was hearing. Theresa May was delivering her first speech as prime minister to the Conservative Party Conference in 2016, and her new chancellor of the Exchequer was sitting in the audience. \"I was trying to keep my face dead straight, conscious that there were cameras on me,\" he says. May began by saying that \"Brexit means Brexit and we're going to make a success of it\". That came as no surprise to Hammond. He'd heard her use the phrase many times before. But then the prime minister continued: \"Our laws will be made not in Brussels but in Westminster. The authority of EU law in Britain will end.\" That meant that the UK would have to leave the single market. It could not stay as close as possible to the EU economically - like Norway or Switzerland. Hammond says that he had not been consulted about the speech or the policy: \"I didn't know. I think the prime minister felt that as a former remainer she needed to demonstrate her credentials by presenting quite an extreme version of Brexit. Some of the things that were being said were likely to have quite an impact outside the hall.\" Senior EU figures were watching and concluded that the prime minister had outlined a series of undeliverable red lines. The man who'd written the speech was May's powerful chief of staff Nick Timothy. A passionate leaver, he had also dreamed up \"Brexit means Brexit\" - a phrase that was much less empty than it seemed. \"I plead guilty to that phrase. It was one of the most irritating in British politics. \"Funnily enough it actually meant three different things. Firstly, that she understood that having been a remainer when the country voted to leave she would deliver on that mandate. \"It was [also] a warning to others - I think in particular in Parliament who were already showing signs of not really accepting the result - that Brexit must mean Brexit. Then at a third level that Brexit must meaningfully mean Brexit and couldn't be a kind of shadow membership.\" Click here to watch Panorama: Britain's Brexit Crisis on BBC One, 18 July at 21:00 In the same speech, May announced that she would soon begin the formal process of leaving the EU by triggering Article 50. Hammond believes this was a mistake, given that there had been no real debate in the government, let alone the country, about what Brexit should mean. \"With the benefit of hindsight, I can now see that that was wrong,\" he says. \"The real issue is debating with ourselves what kind of Brexit Britain wants. And we should have done that before we triggered the process.\" The chancellor says there was always going to be a tension between protecting the economy and \"taking back control\" of policies like immigration. It was a tension that was never fully resolved. \"... She hoped to improve her position and make it easier to deliver what people voted for in the referendum but actually the result made that job even more difficult.\" Gavin Barwell lost his seat as a Conservative MP when Theresa May called a general election in June 2017. He was hired as her new chief of staff, replacing Nick Timothy - the man blamed by many for her decision to go to the polls. The election left her with no majority in the House of Commons. \"Those first few weeks were a pretty traumatic experience,\" says Barwell. \"That was apparent from the first day I walked into No 10.\" The US President Lyndon B Johnson said: \"The first rule of politics - you have to be able to count.\" In other words, leaders need to be sure that they have more people backing their policies than opposing them. The votes of Tory MPs alone would not now give May a majority. She turned to Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) for support. What she didn't do - until it was far too late - was to try to woo opposition MPs. That was what Ted Heath had done before he took Britain into the Common Market in 1973. Incidentally, it was not just May's closest advisers and cabinet ministers who helped convince her to call an election. Allies of Jean-Claude Juncker, a former prime minister himself, admit that while he would never have advised her to call an election, he did tell her that having her own mandate would help her. Juncker warned that a tiny majority in a House of Commons that was less enthusiastic about Brexit than the British public would cause real problems when she eventually needed MPs to ratify a Brexit deal with the EU. \"...The UK chose itself the date for leaving in March 2019. This is why every time I just recall the clock is ticking. Be careful eh?\" Again and again, Michel Barnier reminded British ministers that they would have just two years to reach agreement. It was clearly stated in Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty that set the rules for how a country could leave the EU. It allowed Brussels to use time against the UK. Senior figures in government have told me that the UK side misunderstood Barnier's real role. He was the public face of the negotiations and the politician who would keep the leaders of the EU's 27 countries on side. Barnier's deputies did the real negotiating, alongside Martin Selmayr - the man whose nickname in Brussels is \"the Monster\" - who really decided what could and could not be agreed by the EU. Selmayr explains the thinking behind the process for the Brexit negotiations, that would give the EU control not just of the timetable but also the agenda and the order [or sequencing] of the talks. \"Brexit will always be a sad event because it's a divorce. First of all you separate the assets... the rights and duties that are stemming from 40 years of a very long and intense and close relationship. Then you see if you remain friends afterwards or if you can remain close friends afterwards.\" In 2017, Brexit Secretary David Davis promised a long hot summer when he would fight the idea that the UK would have to agree the Brexit bill it owed - which would run into tens of billions of pounds - before any talks could begin on a future trading relationship with the EU. In the event the fight never occurred. He claims that he was overruled by May: \"She felt pressurised, unconfident, maybe even insecure after the general election outcome. She gave away the fact that we were going to meet everything they wanted - money and citizens' rights and so on - and get nothing back in return.\" David Davis never persuaded the rest of the cabinet, let alone the prime minister herself, to make the threat summed up in another of her oft-repeated phrases - \"no deal is better than a bad deal\" - appear credible. \"The Treasury in particular would always argue you can't frighten the horses,\" he says. \"Don't talk about it publicly, don't say what needs to be done, don't do the public preparation.\" Davis complains that the chancellor was so nervous of spooking business that he stopped the Brexit department sending out letters to tens of thousands of small businesses telling them to prepare for a no-deal Brexit. Hammond counters that he was trying to reassure business to stay in the country and to keep investing, so the last thing he wanted was anything that would have the appearance of no deal. \"There was a tension at the beginning. We didn't want to send business a message that we're going to crash out of the EU and see businesses perhaps relocating - taking jobs out of the United Kingdom.\" The official projections were clear. A no-deal Brexit would lead to 10% tariffs on car exports, and 40% tariffs on the sale of lamb, says Hammond, as well as potential chaos at Dover with the French being able to \"dial up and dial down\" the queues at will to make a political point. Hammond was not alone. One of the top officials handling Brexit told ministers that threatening no deal was like taking the pin out of a grenade and holding it next to your own head. When I asked Michel Barnier if May or her ministers had ever made a no deal threat behind closed doors, he replied emphatically, \"No\", before adding, \"I think that the UK side, which is well informed and competent and knows the way we work on the EU side, knew from the very beginning that we've never been impressed by such a threat. It's not useful to use it.\" Selmayr agreed. \"I don't think it's ever a reality for anybody who is in a responsible position. It has consequences. It ruins your relationship for the future and I don't think anybody responsible on the UK side or the EU side has an interest in that,\" he said. In fact, when I asked Selmayr if he thought the UK was prepared for that eventuality, he said he was \"very certain\" it was not. \"We have seen what has been prepared on our side of the border for a hard Brexit,\" he said. \"We don't see the same level of preparation on the other side of the border. \"... That would be in many ways a symbol of the past of tragedy, of emotion, of terrorism, of murder.\" It was not just in Brussels that Brexit was seen as a threat. In Dublin, Simon Coveney - who is now Ireland's Tanaiste, or deputy head of government - says he feared that there would be a return to a hard Irish border unless the issue was addressed right at the beginning of the negotiations. Other senior figures in the Irish government have told the BBC that they were concerned that Ireland could be \"dragged out\" of the EU by its bigger, richer neighbour. That is why the backstop - the issue which came to dog Brexit - was born. After Brexit, the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic would be the only land border between the EU and the UK. If peace was to continue, everyone agreed that there should be no border controls. However, the EU's desire to protect its single market would mean there had to be checks on certain goods such as farm animals and chemicals that crossed the border. The argument went that a post-Brexit Britain might do a trade deal with Donald Trump's US and could agree to allow the import of chlorine-washed chicken or hormone-treated meat. Without a border, those banned goods could move from north to south and into the EU, undercutting European food standards and representing cheap and unfair competition to their farmers. Controls designed to enforce EU rules could become a target for paramilitaries and encourage smuggling which for years was key to the financing of terrorism. If the UK followed EU rules and regulations, this wouldn't be a problem but Ireland and the EU demanded a guarantee - or a backstop - that whatever trade deal was eventually signed between the two sides there could never be a hard border. Brexiteers saw this as a trap designed to keep the UK bound to EU rules and in a customs union. Talking to the BBC, the former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, sums up their fears: \"The idea that you could leave the EU, be successful and demonstrate that the EU perhaps wasn't all it was cut out to be was for them the thing that made [the EU] the most nervous. And the obvious answer to that was to try and lock the United Kingdom in to as many EU rules as possible without any say over them and without any means to escape from that regime, and that's the conundrum of the backstop.\" Raab's predecessor David Davis agrees with this position: \"They needed a lever which put us in the wrong and them in the right, I think that's the way they saw it. [With] the Irish border there's a strong political, moral, sentimental argument... based on fiction really, but nevertheless that's how it's used.\" In other words the backstop was as much about trade as it was about peace. It was as much about French determination to protect the single market as it was about Irish worries about a new source of conflict. One of May's closest allies told us it was the \"operationalisation by Brussels of a French idea dressed in a green jersey\". So why did the prime minister sign up to it? Because the clock was ticking and because she'd agreed to the EU's sequencing of the talks. No backstop meant no progress to talking about trade. What's more, Theresa May was desperate to get agreement to the Treasury's top priority, which was the demand from big business for an extra two years to adapt to Brexit - the so-called transition period. Davis blames No 10 for agreeing to the backstop. \"They signed up to the backstop because they were desperate to make progress. They basically had a loss of nerve.\" When we put to Martin Selmayr that the deal was \"swallow what you don't much like on Ireland, and get more time\", he replies: \"Absolutely.\" \"Let's get the UK involved with France and Germany. Let's see how the dust settles and let's talk about whether we can come to a new deal for Europe.\" Britain's de facto deputy prime minister David Lidington reveals to Panorama that he was made that startling offer by Martin Selmayr. It followed a summit of world leaders at which EU heads found themselves on the same side as Theresa May in a series of arguments with President Trump. Selmayr explains why the offer was made: \"All the other European leaders were left behind when he [Trump] took the helicopter and they looked each other in the eyes and also at Theresa May and they thought, 'At least we all agree with each other, we are the last bastion of the rules-based international system.' I think that led to many thinking, 'Well, if she comes back tomorrow and has thought again, we wouldn't mind'.\" Donald Tusk once joked in public about the idea that Brexit could be reversed saying, \"Who knows? You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.\" However, this is the first time it has been confirmed that an approach and an offer was made by the European Commission to put Brexit on ice. The offer was rejected and some in the EU came to the view it would be better if the UK left - and left quickly. However, the scale of opposition Theresa May faced in Parliament meant others continued to believe and hope that there would be another referendum and Brexit would not happen. This made them less likely to compromise. \"The two big parties have been trying to outmanoeuvre each other on Brexit, and for a long time Brexit has been used by the opposition party as a way of trying to trigger a general election. For me, as somebody who loves Britain, who's lived there, who's studied there, who has family there, I think it's a tragedy quite frankly, that in the face of this huge decision that the British people have made, that the political system has not been able to unite behind a middle-ground position and unite the country.\" Simon Coveney is scathing about the failure of the British Parliament and political system to achieve consensus on Brexit. It's a stark contrast with the unity which has been on show in Dublin. He blames the opposition Labour Party as well as the Tories. The government's Chief Whip, Julian Smith, says that he has lost a lot of sleep as a result of trying - and failing - to get a deal through the House of Commons. \"I think that there was definitely a shift from some Brexiteers who, if you'd asked them three years ago, would they be happy with the prime minister's deal, they'd have bitten your arm off. They then, during the course of the last year, became, I think, increasingly concerned about different elements of it, seeing some form of threat behind many aspects of it, and there was a kind of purification process - they sort of wanted everything on day one.\" The Tories were hopelessly divided over what sort of Brexit deal to pursue. When May finally proposed her \"Chequers plan\" she did it without ensuring that she had the support of David Davis, her Brexit secretary . Her allies believe that if Davis had been offered another job, he would have taken it rather than quitting the Cabinet altogether. They believe that Boris Johnson might then have stayed in the government. As it was he became the figurehead for those wanting to \"chuck Chequers\" and, eventually, to chuck Theresa May as well. The chief whip also blames the Speaker for blocking Brexit. John Bercow ruled that the government could not bring back its withdrawal agreement to the Commons after it had been defeated twice. By this time, even hardliners like Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg were prepared to vote with the government. No 10 insiders claim that they had the basis of an agreement which could have got DUP support as well but the vote was never held. \"Parliament is and has been deadlocked for one simple reason,\" says Julian Smith. \"Large groups of MPs have been prepared to gamble that they could force the outcome they wanted - a harder Brexit or another referendum or a general election - rather than backing Theresa May's deal.\" \"If the only goal of the EU is this market obviously you could think that the German car industry could force the German government to comply with the demands coming out of London, but for Germany the EU is much, much more than a market. It's their destiny, it's not revisiting the horrors of history so even the car industry itself understands that this is fundamentally more important than selling cars to the United Kingdom.\" EU leaders such as Frans Timmermans believe that British politicians do not understand the idealism and the history which underlies the European project. He says that \"continental Europeans\" do not see the EU in the same way as the United Kingdom - \"as a market\". Brexiteers like Boris Johnson don't dispute the history but they do doubt that the leaders of any country would willingly harm their own economies. He has said in public that EU countries will want to sell us their cars or cheese or even Prosecco. Did that claim infuriate Timmermans? \"Yes it did, also, perhaps I'm being a bit harsh but it's about time we became a bit harsh also because I'm not sure he [Johnson] was being genuine, I always have the impression he's playing games.\" David Lidington - a lifelong pro-European - agrees that the EU has always seen itself as a political project but says it takes two to create a misunderstanding. He says that EU leaders have too often dismissed British demands as driven purely by short-term political pressures rather than principle: \"They thought Tories were simply pandering to UKIP or the DUP and never understood that Euroscepticism, a desire for sovereignty, support for the Union were real forces that any political leader and party would have to address.\" Those misunderstandings have dogged the Brexit negotiations as both sides have miscalculated how the other side will react. What has not been tested yet is whether the credible threat of no deal, a refusal to compromise on the Irish border and a willingness to withhold the PS39bn divorce bill which Britain has agreed to pay will improve or destroy the chances of getting a deal. We're about to find out. Additional research and reporting by Britain's Brexit Crisis producer Max Stern", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 7736, "answer_start": 5738, "text": "Philip Hammond didn't like what he was hearing. Theresa May was delivering her first speech as prime minister to the Conservative Party Conference in 2016, and her new chancellor of the Exchequer was sitting in the audience. \"I was trying to keep my face dead straight, conscious that there were cameras on me,\" he says. May began by saying that \"Brexit means Brexit and we're going to make a success of it\". That came as no surprise to Hammond. He'd heard her use the phrase many times before. But then the prime minister continued: \"Our laws will be made not in Brussels but in Westminster. The authority of EU law in Britain will end.\" That meant that the UK would have to leave the single market. It could not stay as close as possible to the EU economically - like Norway or Switzerland. Hammond says that he had not been consulted about the speech or the policy: \"I didn't know. I think the prime minister felt that as a former remainer she needed to demonstrate her credentials by presenting quite an extreme version of Brexit. Some of the things that were being said were likely to have quite an impact outside the hall.\" Senior EU figures were watching and concluded that the prime minister had outlined a series of undeliverable red lines. The man who'd written the speech was May's powerful chief of staff Nick Timothy. A passionate leaver, he had also dreamed up \"Brexit means Brexit\" - a phrase that was much less empty than it seemed. \"I plead guilty to that phrase. It was one of the most irritating in British politics. \"Funnily enough it actually meant three different things. Firstly, that she understood that having been a remainer when the country voted to leave she would deliver on that mandate. \"It was [also] a warning to others - I think in particular in Parliament who were already showing signs of not really accepting the result - that Brexit must mean Brexit. Then at a third level that Brexit must meaningfully mean Brexit and couldn't be a kind of shadow membership.\"" } ], "id": "9648_0", "question": "3. \"Brexit means Brexit\" but what on earth did that mean?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Turkey says it will conduct a search of Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul over the missing Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The country's foreign ministry said Saudi Arabia was \"open to co-operation\" and a requested search of the building could now go ahead as part of the investigation. Mr Khashoggi was last seen visiting the consulate last week and Turkey says he may have been murdered there. Saudi Arabia denies the suggestion. It says the journalist left the consulate shortly after arriving, while Turkey says he was not seen leaving the building. The country has demanded Saudi Arabia prove he left - despite not giving evidence of the claim he was killed inside. A critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Mr Khashoggi was living in self-imposed exile in the US and writing opinion pieces for the Washington Post before his disappearance. BBC Newshour interviewed the journalist just three days before his visit to the consulate, and in an off-air conversation asked if he would ever return to his home country. \"I don't think I'll be able to go home,\" he told the BBC, saying that in Saudi Arabia \"the people who are arrested are not even dissidents\" and saying he wished he had a platform at home to write and speak freely at this time of \"great transformation\" in his country. The programme has released audio of the conversation, saying that although it would not normally do so, it had decided to make an exception \"in light of the circumstances\". US President Donald Trump has said he is concerned about Mr Khashoggi, while US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on Saudi Arabia to \"support a thorough investigation\" of his disappearance and \"to be transparent about the results\". UN experts have also demanded a \"prompt independent and international investigation\" into his disappearance. UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt meanwhile tweeted that he had spoken to the Saudi ambassador and that the UK \"will treat the incident seriously\" if reports are accurate. Last week, Crown Prince Mohammed told Bloomberg News that his government was \"very keen to know what happened to him\", and that Mr Khashoggi had left \"after a few minutes or one hour\". Analysis by BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins Britain has apparently told the Saudis they need to show Mr Khashoggi is alive, and the best way to do that would be for him to appear on television. If that doesn't happen soon, it's clear that Britain and its allies are likely to conclude that Saudi Arabia has crossed an unacceptable line. In the wake of the Salisbury attack, and the international punishment meted out to Russia, it would then be increasingly difficult for Western governments to avoid action against the Saudi kingdom, however close their military and economic ties. Crown Prince Mohammed's brother and the Saudi ambassador to the US, Khaled, has insisted all the reports about his disappearance or death \"are completely false and baseless\". \"Jamal has many friends in Saudi Arabia, and I am one of them,\" he said in a statement, saying the two had kept in touch while he was living abroad \"despite differences\". Jamal Khashoggi went to the consulate last Tuesday to obtain a document certifying he had divorced his ex-wife, so that he could remarry his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz. She said Mr Khashoggi had been required to surrender his mobile phone, which is standard practice in some diplomatic missions. He told her to call an adviser to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan if he did not return. She eventually called the police. Turkish officials say Mr Khashoggi was killed on the premises and his body was then removed. \"We believe that the murder was premeditated and the body was subsequently moved out of the consulate,\" an unnamed source told Reuters. A source quoted by The Washington Post said the journalist was killed by a 15-member Saudi team sent \"specifically for the murder\". The head of the Turkish-Arab Media Association, Turan Kislakci, told the New York Times that Turkish police officers providing security for the consulate had checked their security cameras, which did not show the journalist leaving on foot. Turkey reportedly says it is scouring road cameras for a black van believed to have carried Mr Khashoggi's body from the consulate, while the Washington Post released CCTV footage of the journalist entering the building on Monday. Saudi Arabia says the allegations are baseless. It has allowed journalists into the consulate to show Mr Khashoggi is not there, reportedly even opening cupboards. A high-profile critic of the crown prince, the 59 year old has more than 1.6 million Twitter followers and has written for the Washington Post opinion section. A former editor of the al-Watan newspaper and a short-lived Saudi TV news channel, Mr Khashoggi was for years seen as close to the Saudi royal family. He served as an adviser to senior Saudi officials. But after several of his friends were arrested, his column was cancelled by the al-Hayat newspaper and he was allegedly warned to stop tweeting, Mr Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia for the US. There he wrote opinion pieces for the Washington Post and continued to appear on Arab and Western TV channels.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2169, "answer_start": 1469, "text": "US President Donald Trump has said he is concerned about Mr Khashoggi, while US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on Saudi Arabia to \"support a thorough investigation\" of his disappearance and \"to be transparent about the results\". UN experts have also demanded a \"prompt independent and international investigation\" into his disappearance. UK foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt meanwhile tweeted that he had spoken to the Saudi ambassador and that the UK \"will treat the incident seriously\" if reports are accurate. Last week, Crown Prince Mohammed told Bloomberg News that his government was \"very keen to know what happened to him\", and that Mr Khashoggi had left \"after a few minutes or one hour\"." } ], "id": "9649_0", "question": "What's been the reaction to the disappearance?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2763, "answer_start": 2170, "text": "Analysis by BBC diplomatic correspondent James Robbins Britain has apparently told the Saudis they need to show Mr Khashoggi is alive, and the best way to do that would be for him to appear on television. If that doesn't happen soon, it's clear that Britain and its allies are likely to conclude that Saudi Arabia has crossed an unacceptable line. In the wake of the Salisbury attack, and the international punishment meted out to Russia, it would then be increasingly difficult for Western governments to avoid action against the Saudi kingdom, however close their military and economic ties." } ], "id": "9649_1", "question": "An unacceptable line?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5196, "answer_start": 4536, "text": "A high-profile critic of the crown prince, the 59 year old has more than 1.6 million Twitter followers and has written for the Washington Post opinion section. A former editor of the al-Watan newspaper and a short-lived Saudi TV news channel, Mr Khashoggi was for years seen as close to the Saudi royal family. He served as an adviser to senior Saudi officials. But after several of his friends were arrested, his column was cancelled by the al-Hayat newspaper and he was allegedly warned to stop tweeting, Mr Khashoggi left Saudi Arabia for the US. There he wrote opinion pieces for the Washington Post and continued to appear on Arab and Western TV channels." } ], "id": "9649_2", "question": "Who is Jamal Khashoggi?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Prime Minister Theresa May has won a vote of confidence in her leadership of the Conservative Party by 200 to 117. After securing 63% of the total vote, she is now immune from a leadership challenge for a year. Speaking in Downing Street, she vowed to deliver the Brexit \"people voted for\" but said she had listened to the concerns of MPs who voted against her. Her supporters urged the party to move on but critics said losing the support of a third of MPs was \"devastating\". The prime minister won the confidence vote with a majority of 83, with 63% of Conservative MPs backing her and 37% voting against her. The secret ballot was triggered by 48 of her MPs angry at her Brexit policy, which they say betrays the 2016 referendum result. The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said the level of opposition was \"not at all comfortable\" for the prime minister and a \"real blow\" to her authority. Speaking shortly after the result was announced, Mrs May said she would be fighting for changes to her Brexit deal at an EU summit on Thursday. \"I am pleased to have received the backing of my colleagues in tonight's ballot,\" she said. \"Whilst I am grateful for that support, a significant number of colleagues did cast a vote against me and I have listened to what they said.\" She spoke of a \"renewed mission - delivering the Brexit people voted for, bringing the country back together and building a country that really works for everyone\". Jacob Rees-Mogg, who led calls for the confidence vote, said losing the support of a third of her MPs was a \"terrible result for the prime minister\" and called on her to resign. Brexit-backing Tory MP Mark Francois told the BBC it was \"devastating\" that more than half of backbenchers not serving in the government had abandoned the prime minister. \"In the cold light of day when people reflect on that number - 117 - it's a massive number, far more than anyone was predicting. I think that will be very sobering for the prime minister. I think she needs to think very carefully about what she does now.\" Transport Secretary Chris Grayling conceded there were \"lessons\" for the prime minister and the party in the result but former cabinet minister Damian Green said it was a \"decisive\" victory for the prime minister, which should allow her to \"move on and get on with the job in hand\". Conservative grandee Nicholas Soames urged Brexiteers to \"throw their weight\" behind the PM as she sought to address the \"grave concerns\" many MPs had about aspects of the EU deal. The result was greeted by cheers and applause from Tory MPs as it was announced by backbench Tory chairman Sir Graham Brady. The prime minister still faces a battle to get the Brexit deal she agreed with the EU through the UK Parliament, with all opposition parties and, clearly, dozens of her own MPs against it. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the vote had \"changed nothing\". \"Theresa May has lost her majority in Parliament, her government is in chaos and she's unable to deliver a Brexit deal that works for the country.\" Labour has said it will table a no-confidence motion that all MPs - not just Conservatives - will be able to vote in when they felt they had a chance of winning it, and forcing a general election. The SNP's Stephen Gethins urged Labour to \"step up to the plate\" and call a vote of no confidence in Mrs May, accusing the government of \"playing games with people's lives\". DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said his party, which helps keep Mrs May in power, was still concerned about the Irish backstop plan, which most MPs were against. \"I don't think this vote really changes anything very much in terms of the arithmetic,\" he told BBC News. But he said the DUP would not support a no-confidence motion in Parliament at this stage. Mrs May earlier vowed to fight on to deliver her Brexit deal, which she argues is the only option for leaving the EU in an orderly way on 29 March. But in a last-minute pitch to her MPs before the vote she promised to stand down as leader before the next scheduled election in 2022. While \"in her heart\" she wanted to fight another election as leader, she realised her party did not want her to. However, she resisted calls to name a firm date for her departure. If she had lost the confidence vote Mrs May would have been forced to stand down as Conservative Party leader, and then as prime minister. But she is now expected to travel to a summit in Brussels on Thursday to continue trying to persuade EU leaders to change the deal - they have previously said it cannot be renegotiated. The outcome of the vote was welcomed by Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who said avoiding a no-deal exit from the EU was their \"shared goal\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2809, "answer_start": 1427, "text": "Jacob Rees-Mogg, who led calls for the confidence vote, said losing the support of a third of her MPs was a \"terrible result for the prime minister\" and called on her to resign. Brexit-backing Tory MP Mark Francois told the BBC it was \"devastating\" that more than half of backbenchers not serving in the government had abandoned the prime minister. \"In the cold light of day when people reflect on that number - 117 - it's a massive number, far more than anyone was predicting. I think that will be very sobering for the prime minister. I think she needs to think very carefully about what she does now.\" Transport Secretary Chris Grayling conceded there were \"lessons\" for the prime minister and the party in the result but former cabinet minister Damian Green said it was a \"decisive\" victory for the prime minister, which should allow her to \"move on and get on with the job in hand\". Conservative grandee Nicholas Soames urged Brexiteers to \"throw their weight\" behind the PM as she sought to address the \"grave concerns\" many MPs had about aspects of the EU deal. The result was greeted by cheers and applause from Tory MPs as it was announced by backbench Tory chairman Sir Graham Brady. The prime minister still faces a battle to get the Brexit deal she agreed with the EU through the UK Parliament, with all opposition parties and, clearly, dozens of her own MPs against it." } ], "id": "9650_0", "question": "How have Conservative MPs reacted?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3750, "answer_start": 2810, "text": "Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the vote had \"changed nothing\". \"Theresa May has lost her majority in Parliament, her government is in chaos and she's unable to deliver a Brexit deal that works for the country.\" Labour has said it will table a no-confidence motion that all MPs - not just Conservatives - will be able to vote in when they felt they had a chance of winning it, and forcing a general election. The SNP's Stephen Gethins urged Labour to \"step up to the plate\" and call a vote of no confidence in Mrs May, accusing the government of \"playing games with people's lives\". DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said his party, which helps keep Mrs May in power, was still concerned about the Irish backstop plan, which most MPs were against. \"I don't think this vote really changes anything very much in terms of the arithmetic,\" he told BBC News. But he said the DUP would not support a no-confidence motion in Parliament at this stage." } ], "id": "9650_1", "question": "What are the opposition saying?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Mountaineer Denis Urubko has quit a dangerous bid to make the first solo winter ascent of K2, the world's second-highest mountain, a spokesman for his Polish expedition says. Mr Urubko decided on Sunday to set out alone after a row with the expedition. He is said to have wanted to make the ascent before the arrival of better weather conditions in March. Amid concern over his safety, the expedition spokesman said Mr Urubko was now heading down the peak to a base. Michal Leksinski told the BBC that he expected Mr Urubko to reach base camp by Tuesday morning at the latest. The Russian-Polish mountaineer is likely to have spent a night at 7,200m (23,600ft) and decided to turn back after experiencing the severe weather conditions, Mr Leksinski added. He said other climbers on the mountain had seen Mr Urubko descending and reported it to base camp. It is thought he wanted to reach the top of the mountain this month so his effort would definitely count as a winter climb. Mr Urubko reportedly left for the summit without a radio, after refusing to discuss his plans. \"He was trying to persuade the team to push for the summit in February,\" a porter with the group told AFP news agency. \"He has had a heated debate with the team leader and left for the summit without saying a word.\" Professional mountaineers expressed dismay at the climber's decision. \"A solo attempt of K2 in winter is completely suicidal,\" said Pakistani climber Mirza Ali Baig. Alan Arnette, a US climber who did make it to the summit of K2, told the BBC: \"It's a huge risk. You have to cross a traverse underneath a 30-storey ice serac, a hanging serac of a wall of ice that let loose in 2008 and killed 11 climbers that year.\" Karim Shah, a mountaineering friend of Mr Urubko, agreed the move was \"very risky\". \"He is known as the 'Himalayan expert' among the mountaineering community. But his decision is not correct and does not suit someone of his stature,\" he said. He is said to be a highly capable mountaineer who has conquered all of the world's 14 peaks over 8,000m. Mr Urubko made headlines just last month by saving a stricken French climber, Elisabeth Revol. He and three other team members were flown by helicopter from K2 to the 8,126m Nanga Parbat in Pakistan - nicknamed Killer Mountain - where they performed an audacious night-time rescue. K2 stands at 8,611m and is the only peak above 8,000m never climbed in winter. It has a higher fatality-to-summit rate than Everest, and is known as the Savage Mountain due to its fiendish conditions. Avalanches are an ever-present risk, and in winter temperatures can fall to -50C (-58F), accompanied by winds of up to 200km/h (124mph). On 1 August 2008, 11 climbers from international expeditions were killed or simply vanished on K2 - in what was one of the deadliest days in mountaineering history. Why China is censoring Winnie the Pooh again The snooker queen on top of the world Lift peeing video ignites fury in China", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1289, "answer_start": 979, "text": "Mr Urubko reportedly left for the summit without a radio, after refusing to discuss his plans. \"He was trying to persuade the team to push for the summit in February,\" a porter with the group told AFP news agency. \"He has had a heated debate with the team leader and left for the summit without saying a word.\"" } ], "id": "9651_0", "question": "Why did they fall out?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1949, "answer_start": 1290, "text": "Professional mountaineers expressed dismay at the climber's decision. \"A solo attempt of K2 in winter is completely suicidal,\" said Pakistani climber Mirza Ali Baig. Alan Arnette, a US climber who did make it to the summit of K2, told the BBC: \"It's a huge risk. You have to cross a traverse underneath a 30-storey ice serac, a hanging serac of a wall of ice that let loose in 2008 and killed 11 climbers that year.\" Karim Shah, a mountaineering friend of Mr Urubko, agreed the move was \"very risky\". \"He is known as the 'Himalayan expert' among the mountaineering community. But his decision is not correct and does not suit someone of his stature,\" he said." } ], "id": "9651_1", "question": "How dangerous would a solo bid be?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2839, "answer_start": 1950, "text": "He is said to be a highly capable mountaineer who has conquered all of the world's 14 peaks over 8,000m. Mr Urubko made headlines just last month by saving a stricken French climber, Elisabeth Revol. He and three other team members were flown by helicopter from K2 to the 8,126m Nanga Parbat in Pakistan - nicknamed Killer Mountain - where they performed an audacious night-time rescue. K2 stands at 8,611m and is the only peak above 8,000m never climbed in winter. It has a higher fatality-to-summit rate than Everest, and is known as the Savage Mountain due to its fiendish conditions. Avalanches are an ever-present risk, and in winter temperatures can fall to -50C (-58F), accompanied by winds of up to 200km/h (124mph). On 1 August 2008, 11 climbers from international expeditions were killed or simply vanished on K2 - in what was one of the deadliest days in mountaineering history." } ], "id": "9651_2", "question": "How good is Denis Urubko?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Three men have been given life sentences in connection with one of Pakistan's most notorious \"honour killing\" cases. Named as Omar Khan, Sabeer and Saheer, they are related to three women killed after being filmed singing and clapping at a wedding in 2011. Their bodies were never found. Two men they were with are still in hiding. The fates of another two women are unknown. The killings sparked a blood feud which left another four dead. Five other men were acquitted by the court in Besham, in north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The exact details of what took place are not entirely clear. A video emerged in 2011 which appeared to show a group of women - named as Bazeegha, Sereen Jan, Begum Jan and Amina - at a wedding, singing and clapping. A fifth woman - Shaheen, who was under 18 - is also thought to have been present. It also showed a man dancing - although they were never in the same shot together. A second man is said to have been filming. It was enough, in the remote northern Kohistan district where matters of family honour are settled in blood, to warrant at least three of the women's deaths. According to local custom, male family members of a woman suspected of an out-of-wedlock liaison - even of a seemingly innocuous nature - should first kill the woman, and then go after the man. The family of the man would not oppose this action, correspondents say. It meant everyone in the video - which was seen as \"breaching the honour\" of the women's family - was in danger. The wider world learned of the video in 2012 when Afzal Kohistani - brother of the two men involved - broke the code of silence to allege the women had been murdered, in order to save his siblings' lives. His campaign for justice prompted the Supreme Court to order an investigation into the killings. Investigators trekked for two days to the remote village and were initially presented with three women the locals claimed were those missing. The claims were later dismissed as false. It took until 2018 for a judge to finally order a court case into three deaths. Bazigha's father Sabeer, Seren Jan's father Saheer and Begum Jan's brother Omar Khan have now been given life sentences. However, it is unclear what charges they were found guilty of and further details are still awaited. But Afzal Kohistani did not live to see the sentencing. His decision to speak out led to three of his other brothers being killed in 2013, while his house was firebombed and destroyed. Six men were convicted of those killings but later acquitted. Then, in March 2019, Afzal Kohistani was shot dead in the north-western city of Abbottabad. His death led activists to question why he hadn't been given adequate protection when he was a known target. His brothers remain in hiding. It is the killing of a member of a family who is perceived to have brought dishonour upon relatives. Pressure group Human Rights Watch says the most common reasons are that the victim: - refused to enter into an arranged marriage - was the victim of a sexual assault or rape - had sexual relations outside marriage, even if only alleged But killings can be carried out for more trivial reasons, like dressing in a way deemed inappropriate or displaying behaviour seen as disobedient.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1500, "answer_start": 540, "text": "The exact details of what took place are not entirely clear. A video emerged in 2011 which appeared to show a group of women - named as Bazeegha, Sereen Jan, Begum Jan and Amina - at a wedding, singing and clapping. A fifth woman - Shaheen, who was under 18 - is also thought to have been present. It also showed a man dancing - although they were never in the same shot together. A second man is said to have been filming. It was enough, in the remote northern Kohistan district where matters of family honour are settled in blood, to warrant at least three of the women's deaths. According to local custom, male family members of a woman suspected of an out-of-wedlock liaison - even of a seemingly innocuous nature - should first kill the woman, and then go after the man. The family of the man would not oppose this action, correspondents say. It meant everyone in the video - which was seen as \"breaching the honour\" of the women's family - was in danger." } ], "id": "9652_0", "question": "Why were they killed?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2767, "answer_start": 1501, "text": "The wider world learned of the video in 2012 when Afzal Kohistani - brother of the two men involved - broke the code of silence to allege the women had been murdered, in order to save his siblings' lives. His campaign for justice prompted the Supreme Court to order an investigation into the killings. Investigators trekked for two days to the remote village and were initially presented with three women the locals claimed were those missing. The claims were later dismissed as false. It took until 2018 for a judge to finally order a court case into three deaths. Bazigha's father Sabeer, Seren Jan's father Saheer and Begum Jan's brother Omar Khan have now been given life sentences. However, it is unclear what charges they were found guilty of and further details are still awaited. But Afzal Kohistani did not live to see the sentencing. His decision to speak out led to three of his other brothers being killed in 2013, while his house was firebombed and destroyed. Six men were convicted of those killings but later acquitted. Then, in March 2019, Afzal Kohistani was shot dead in the north-western city of Abbottabad. His death led activists to question why he hadn't been given adequate protection when he was a known target. His brothers remain in hiding." } ], "id": "9652_1", "question": "How did it come to light?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3251, "answer_start": 2768, "text": "It is the killing of a member of a family who is perceived to have brought dishonour upon relatives. Pressure group Human Rights Watch says the most common reasons are that the victim: - refused to enter into an arranged marriage - was the victim of a sexual assault or rape - had sexual relations outside marriage, even if only alleged But killings can be carried out for more trivial reasons, like dressing in a way deemed inappropriate or displaying behaviour seen as disobedient." } ], "id": "9652_2", "question": "What is an 'honour killing'?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A German company has apologised after posting an image of a chocolate-covered marshmallow sweet in a bridal dress on the day of the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Super Dickmann's post of a Schokokuss (chocolate kiss) included the caption: \"What are you looking at? Wouldn't you also want to be Meghan today?\" Some social media users said the now-deleted image was \"racist\". A spokesperson for the company called the post \"stupid and embarrassing\". After users denounced the post on the company's Facebook page, Super Dickmann's wrote: \"A big pardon! The world of Super Dickmann's is colourful and diverse and far from racist thoughts.\" The post has been deleted but images of it have circulated on social media. The image of the Schokokuss, a well-known German sweet, appeared inside a cathedral with the words \"a foam in white\", a reference to its creamy interior, a pun on the phrase \"a vision in white\". Spokesman Bernd Roessler said the firm had not put enough thought into the post. Links between the sweet and racism are not new as it used to have a far more offensive name in Germany and elsewhere, roughly translated as black person's kiss. German public broadcaster ZDF has also come in for criticism for its coverage of the royal wedding, with people on social media saying some of the comments during its programming were \"racist\". The controversial remarks included describing Ms Markle as \"exotic\" several times, saying that the Queen was \"turning a blind eye to Meghan\" and that the gospel singers of the Kingdom Choir \"sang beautifully black\". ZDF rejected the claims saying it was appropriate to address Ms Markle's origins, newspaper Der Spiegel reports. By Jenny Hill, BBC Berlin correspondent Last weekend Berlin's annual carnival of culture drummed and danced its way through crowded city streets. People dressed in the national costumes of countries like Colombia, Ghana, Albania, Japan and Senegal paraded together in the May sunshine. This is how Germany likes to present itself: multicultural and open to people of all ethnicities. But last year, after spending just a week here, a team of UN inspectors accused the country of \"institutional racism\", claiming that people of African descent experienced discrimination on a daily basis. Regular outbursts of xenophobia from the far-right AfD are well reported - usually to widespread disgust. But the party's openly racist election campaign saw them enter the Bundestag for the first time last year. And a recent investigation found that people with Arabic or Turkish surnames were likely to be rejected by landlords in favour of those with obviously German names. Perhaps Germany is no worse than many other former colonial powers in its racism - conscious or otherwise. But, given the country's past, it is surprising and, for many, a source of great shame.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2845, "answer_start": 1685, "text": "By Jenny Hill, BBC Berlin correspondent Last weekend Berlin's annual carnival of culture drummed and danced its way through crowded city streets. People dressed in the national costumes of countries like Colombia, Ghana, Albania, Japan and Senegal paraded together in the May sunshine. This is how Germany likes to present itself: multicultural and open to people of all ethnicities. But last year, after spending just a week here, a team of UN inspectors accused the country of \"institutional racism\", claiming that people of African descent experienced discrimination on a daily basis. Regular outbursts of xenophobia from the far-right AfD are well reported - usually to widespread disgust. But the party's openly racist election campaign saw them enter the Bundestag for the first time last year. And a recent investigation found that people with Arabic or Turkish surnames were likely to be rejected by landlords in favour of those with obviously German names. Perhaps Germany is no worse than many other former colonial powers in its racism - conscious or otherwise. But, given the country's past, it is surprising and, for many, a source of great shame." } ], "id": "9653_0", "question": "Signs of 'institutional racism'?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A Maltese businessman has been arrested as part of the investigation into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia two years ago. Yorgen Fenech was detained by armed officers after his yacht was intercepted and searched. It comes a day after PM Joseph Muscat said he would consider a pardon for the alleged middleman in the case. Caruana Galizia, an anti-corruption blogger, was killed by a car bomb near her home in October 2017. Malta's handling of the case has drawn international criticism. On Wednesday, several hundred people protested outside parliament in Valetta demanding the resignation of the prime minister. Demonstrators trapped one minister in his car, banging on the roof as police officers struggled to move them back. Mr Muscat referred to Mr Fenech as \"a person of interest\" in the case when addressing local media. A government source later confirmed to the BBC that Mr Fenech was arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation. \"The fact that the country's institutions were given the resources to carry out this operation - a major operation, to ensure no-one fled the country or tried to flee the country - shows the government's resolve and mine,\" the prime minister said. \"We are leaving no stone unturned.\" Witnesses quoted by the Times of Malta said Mr Fenech's luxury yacht was intercepted by an armed patrol boat as it left the port of Portomaso, north of Valletta, early on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Mr Muscat said the alleged money launderer suspected of being the middleman would first have to give evidence in court before a pardon could be issued. \"I gave a mandate to the attorney general to negotiate with the person's lawyers to take an unprecedented step,\" the prime minister was quoted as saying. \"If the person collaborates and the information provided is sufficient to prosecute the mastermind of this crime, they will receive a presidential pardon.\" Mr Fenech was head of the Tumas Group and a director of energy generating company Electrogas, but had recently resigned from both positions, according to documents made public on Wednesday. He was also identified by Malta's Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) as being the owner of a Dubai-registered company called 17 Black. This was later confirmed to the BBC. In June the Council of Europe named 17 Black in a resolution outlining \"fundamental weaknesses\" that had allowed major scandals to go unchecked in Malta. Its report said 17 Black had been expected to make large monthly payments to secret Panama companies owned by senior Maltese officials and had also received large sums of money from an Azerbaijani national. The German industrial group Siemens, which is a shareholder in Electrogas, said in a statement on Wednesday that after corruption allegations against Mr Fenech \"became known some time ago\" it confronted him about the reports. \"Due to the public doubts in Mr Fenech's integrity, Siemens urged that he be dismissed from his membership on the Board of Directors,\" Siemens said. As well as the suspected middleman - who has not been named - three other suspects are in custody over the journalist's murder. Three men - brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio and their friend Vincent Muscat, all in their 50s - have been charged with triggering the car bomb which killed Caruana Galizia near her home in October 2017. They were arrested in December 2017 and pleaded not guilty in pre-trial proceedings. Vincent Muscat is not related to the prime minister. She was an investigative reporter who, in her 30-year career, had worked for the local Sunday Times and Malta Independent newspapers. But by the time she was killed she was best known for her anti-corruption blog Running Commentary, which she had been compiling since 2008. After a piece on the Panama Papers leak and its implications in Malta, the news site Politico described her as \"a one-woman WikiLeaks, crusading against untransparency and corruption in Malta, an island nation famous for both\". She was regularly threatened or hit with defamation claims from the powerful figures she exposed. She was also on the receiving end of intimidation and threats to her life. Before her death, Caruana Galizia was considering leaving Malta out of concern for her safety. However, she refused to be put under permanent police protection as she said it would make it impossible for her to do her job. She published her final blog post just half an hour before she was killed. \"There are crooks everywhere you look now,\" she wrote. \"The situation is desperate.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3009, "answer_start": 1903, "text": "Mr Fenech was head of the Tumas Group and a director of energy generating company Electrogas, but had recently resigned from both positions, according to documents made public on Wednesday. He was also identified by Malta's Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) as being the owner of a Dubai-registered company called 17 Black. This was later confirmed to the BBC. In June the Council of Europe named 17 Black in a resolution outlining \"fundamental weaknesses\" that had allowed major scandals to go unchecked in Malta. Its report said 17 Black had been expected to make large monthly payments to secret Panama companies owned by senior Maltese officials and had also received large sums of money from an Azerbaijani national. The German industrial group Siemens, which is a shareholder in Electrogas, said in a statement on Wednesday that after corruption allegations against Mr Fenech \"became known some time ago\" it confronted him about the reports. \"Due to the public doubts in Mr Fenech's integrity, Siemens urged that he be dismissed from his membership on the Board of Directors,\" Siemens said." } ], "id": "9654_0", "question": "Who is Yorgen Fenech?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3483, "answer_start": 3010, "text": "As well as the suspected middleman - who has not been named - three other suspects are in custody over the journalist's murder. Three men - brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio and their friend Vincent Muscat, all in their 50s - have been charged with triggering the car bomb which killed Caruana Galizia near her home in October 2017. They were arrested in December 2017 and pleaded not guilty in pre-trial proceedings. Vincent Muscat is not related to the prime minister." } ], "id": "9654_1", "question": "Who else has been arrested?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4541, "answer_start": 3484, "text": "She was an investigative reporter who, in her 30-year career, had worked for the local Sunday Times and Malta Independent newspapers. But by the time she was killed she was best known for her anti-corruption blog Running Commentary, which she had been compiling since 2008. After a piece on the Panama Papers leak and its implications in Malta, the news site Politico described her as \"a one-woman WikiLeaks, crusading against untransparency and corruption in Malta, an island nation famous for both\". She was regularly threatened or hit with defamation claims from the powerful figures she exposed. She was also on the receiving end of intimidation and threats to her life. Before her death, Caruana Galizia was considering leaving Malta out of concern for her safety. However, she refused to be put under permanent police protection as she said it would make it impossible for her to do her job. She published her final blog post just half an hour before she was killed. \"There are crooks everywhere you look now,\" she wrote. \"The situation is desperate.\"" } ], "id": "9654_2", "question": "Who was Daphne Caruana Galizia?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The US electoral college is expected to certify Donald Trump as president on Monday, despite a last-minute effort to thwart the Republican. The institution's 538 electors will vote at state capitols nationwide. A handful of Democratic electors have been organising a longshot bid to persuade their Republican counterparts to cast ballots against Mr Trump. The process is usually a formality, but takes place this year amid claims Russian hackers tried to sway the vote. With more than 30 states reporting as of 15:00 EST (20:00 GMT), Mr Trump had 219 of the 270 electoral votes needed compared with Hillary Clinton's 120 votes. David Bright, a Democratic elector in Maine, attempted to cast his ballot for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders but was ruled out of order and switched his vote to Mrs Clinton in a second round of voting. As electors continued to cast their votes, protesters gathered for demonstrations in Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas and other states. It was set up by the country's founding fathers as a compromise between allowing Congress and the people to elect the president. Technically, Americans cast votes on election day for electors, not the candidates themselves. The electors are mostly elected officials or party functionaries whose names are not on the ballot. They are generally unknown to the public apart from one or two exceptions such as former President Bill Clinton, who is a New York elector this year. Anyone can become an elector, except for those who serve in the federal government, such as members of Congress. Each state selects its own, either through state party conventions or being chosen by the party's central committee. There are 538 electors in all, one for each member of Congress. A candidate needs to take at least 270 electoral votes - half of the total plus one - to win the White House. Mr Trump won 306 electors from 30 states. More on the electoral college Under federal law, electors must gather on 19 December, with each elector casting two votes - one for president and one for vice-president. Their so-called Certificates of Vote must be transmitted by 28 December to Congress and the National Archives in Washington. On 6 January, US Vice-President Joe Biden will preside as Congress officially tallies the electoral votes. Once the votes are counted, the results are final, and Mr Trump would be all set for his noon inauguration on 20 January. In November's presidential election, Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by a margin of nearly three million, but only gained 232 electors because she lost crucial swing states. This has fuelled renewed calls for the electoral college to be scrapped, with critics arguing it is undemocratic and unfair. Furthermore, US intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia hacked the emails of the Democratic National Committee - leaking embarrassing messages about Mrs Clinton's paid speeches to Wall Street and party infighting - in an attempt to put its thumb on the electoral scales for Mr Trump. Ten electors - nine Democrats and one Republican - asked unsuccessfully for an intelligence briefing about Moscow's alleged role. On Sunday, Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta upped the ante by suggesting the Trump team could even have colluded with Russia on the cyber-attack, which the Republican's camp denies. Millions of Americans who consider Mr Trump unfit to occupy the Oval Office have signed an online petition calling for Republican electors not to vote as directed by their state's popular ballot. Some have posted electors copies of founding father Alexander Hamilton's writings in his Federalist Papers, which state that the meeting of the electoral college \"affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications\". A handful of Democratic electors are so desperate to stop Mr Trump that they have even offered to vote against Hillary Clinton and unite with the other electors behind a consensus Republican candidate. Nothing in the US constitution or in federal law requires electors to vote one way or another. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia bind their electors by law, though so-called \"faithless electors\" who defy the popular vote generally just face a fine. History shows it is extremely unusual for an elector to defy the expressed will of his or her state's voters. It is highly unlikely the electoral college will take the unprecedented step of changing the election's outcome. Only one Republican elector, Chris Suprun of Texas, has come forward to say he will not cast his electoral vote for Mr Trump. But 38 Republican electors would have to defect to deny Mr Trump. Even that would probably only delay the inevitable. If no candidate reaches 270 in the electoral college, the House of Representatives must vote on the next president, and the Republican-controlled chamber would most likely choose Mr Trump anyway.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2431, "answer_start": 1938, "text": "Under federal law, electors must gather on 19 December, with each elector casting two votes - one for president and one for vice-president. Their so-called Certificates of Vote must be transmitted by 28 December to Congress and the National Archives in Washington. On 6 January, US Vice-President Joe Biden will preside as Congress officially tallies the electoral votes. Once the votes are counted, the results are final, and Mr Trump would be all set for his noon inauguration on 20 January." } ], "id": "9655_0", "question": "What are the next steps?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4098, "answer_start": 3368, "text": "Millions of Americans who consider Mr Trump unfit to occupy the Oval Office have signed an online petition calling for Republican electors not to vote as directed by their state's popular ballot. Some have posted electors copies of founding father Alexander Hamilton's writings in his Federalist Papers, which state that the meeting of the electoral college \"affords a moral certainty, that the office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications\". A handful of Democratic electors are so desperate to stop Mr Trump that they have even offered to vote against Hillary Clinton and unite with the other electors behind a consensus Republican candidate." } ], "id": "9655_1", "question": "Who is trying to thwart Trump?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4471, "answer_start": 4099, "text": "Nothing in the US constitution or in federal law requires electors to vote one way or another. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia bind their electors by law, though so-called \"faithless electors\" who defy the popular vote generally just face a fine. History shows it is extremely unusual for an elector to defy the expressed will of his or her state's voters." } ], "id": "9655_2", "question": "Are Trump's electors bound to vote for him?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5024, "answer_start": 4472, "text": "It is highly unlikely the electoral college will take the unprecedented step of changing the election's outcome. Only one Republican elector, Chris Suprun of Texas, has come forward to say he will not cast his electoral vote for Mr Trump. But 38 Republican electors would have to defect to deny Mr Trump. Even that would probably only delay the inevitable. If no candidate reaches 270 in the electoral college, the House of Representatives must vote on the next president, and the Republican-controlled chamber would most likely choose Mr Trump anyway." } ], "id": "9655_3", "question": "Can the electors stop Trump?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled that the European Union (EU) failed to comply with requests to end subsidies for Airbus. The US Trade Representative (USTR) said the ruling in the dispute opens the way for placing tariffs on EU goods. The USTR argued that European countries had given $22bn in state aid to Airbus to help launch its A380 and A350 jets, causing losses to US rival Boeing. The European Commission said most of the disputed support ended in 2011. It said it had \"only a few\" remaining things to do to be compliant and pledged \"swift action\" on those fronts. Tuesday's ruling in favour of the US, which brought the case on behalf of plane-maker Boeing, brings an end to a dispute which began in 2004 over $22bn (PS16.3bn) in subsidised European financing for Airbus. The WTO initially found in favour of the US in 2011. The US subsequently complained that the EU and certain member countries were not in compliance with the decision, prompting further wrangling between the two sides. On Tuesday, the WTO dismissed an appeal by Airbus, saying the European plane maker had failed to fix the harm done to US rival Boeing. Boeing chairman and chief executive Dennis Muilenburg said: \"Today's final ruling sends a clear message: disregard for the rules and illegal subsidies are not tolerated.\" The EU and Airbus argued that the WTO had rejected many of Boeing's initial claims in the suit, limiting the damage. Airbus is also waiting for the outcome of a similar WTO case challenging US government support for Boeing. Airbus chief executive Tom Enders said: \"Of course, today's report is really only half the story - the other half coming out later this year will rule strongly on Boeing's subsidies and we'll see then where the balance lies.\" The decision authorises the US to retaliate against Europe with sanctions, the amount of which would be determined in another WTO decision. Boeing said it is expecting the \"largest-ever WTO authorisation of retaliatory tariffs\" - which would mean billions of dollars. The retaliation can apply to a range of goods and could come as early as 2019, analysts said. It is rare for a dispute to reach this point. And in the past, the counter-claims over US subsidies for Boeing have kept tensions in check, averting tariffs. But on Tuesday, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer threatened further action. \"Unless the EU finally takes action to stop breaking the rules and harming US interests, the United States will have to move forward with countermeasures on EU products,\" he said. The Trump administration may decide to use the decision as leverage to advance other goals, said Chad P. Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. The White House is currently negotiating with the EU over steel and aluminium tariffs. The US has also expressed frustration over tariffs placed on US goods such as automobiles. \"This has the ability to get complicated,\" Mr Bown said. The leverage would be short-term, depending on the outcome of the case against the US, he added. The WTO panel has issued a ruling, and both sides have claimed victory. To anyone who has followed the ins and outs of this A380-sized trade dispute over the past 14 years, that will not come as any surprise. Boeing and the US are trumpeting their view that it shows \"disregard for the rules and illegal subsidies is not tolerated\". Meanwhile Airbus is portraying the decision as a \"significant legal success\" because many of Boeing's original complaints have been dismissed along the way. And still grinding through the WTO machinery is a separate complaint the EU has filed against Boeing over allegedly illegal subsidies from Washington State, the US Department of Defense and NASA. The reality is that developing large aircraft requires huge amounts of money - and the best source of that, one way or another, is governments. It isn't only happening in Europe either. Russia and China, for example, are both funding major civil aircraft programmes. In fact, this dispute looks increasingly like a relic of the days when Boeing and Airbus enjoyed a cosy duopoly, and could afford the distraction of years of complex litigation.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1765, "answer_start": 584, "text": "Tuesday's ruling in favour of the US, which brought the case on behalf of plane-maker Boeing, brings an end to a dispute which began in 2004 over $22bn (PS16.3bn) in subsidised European financing for Airbus. The WTO initially found in favour of the US in 2011. The US subsequently complained that the EU and certain member countries were not in compliance with the decision, prompting further wrangling between the two sides. On Tuesday, the WTO dismissed an appeal by Airbus, saying the European plane maker had failed to fix the harm done to US rival Boeing. Boeing chairman and chief executive Dennis Muilenburg said: \"Today's final ruling sends a clear message: disregard for the rules and illegal subsidies are not tolerated.\" The EU and Airbus argued that the WTO had rejected many of Boeing's initial claims in the suit, limiting the damage. Airbus is also waiting for the outcome of a similar WTO case challenging US government support for Boeing. Airbus chief executive Tom Enders said: \"Of course, today's report is really only half the story - the other half coming out later this year will rule strongly on Boeing's subsidies and we'll see then where the balance lies.\"" } ], "id": "9656_0", "question": "What is the history of the dispute?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2127, "answer_start": 1766, "text": "The decision authorises the US to retaliate against Europe with sanctions, the amount of which would be determined in another WTO decision. Boeing said it is expecting the \"largest-ever WTO authorisation of retaliatory tariffs\" - which would mean billions of dollars. The retaliation can apply to a range of goods and could come as early as 2019, analysts said." } ], "id": "9656_1", "question": "What does the ruling mean?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3078, "answer_start": 2128, "text": "It is rare for a dispute to reach this point. And in the past, the counter-claims over US subsidies for Boeing have kept tensions in check, averting tariffs. But on Tuesday, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer threatened further action. \"Unless the EU finally takes action to stop breaking the rules and harming US interests, the United States will have to move forward with countermeasures on EU products,\" he said. The Trump administration may decide to use the decision as leverage to advance other goals, said Chad P. Bown, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. The White House is currently negotiating with the EU over steel and aluminium tariffs. The US has also expressed frustration over tariffs placed on US goods such as automobiles. \"This has the ability to get complicated,\" Mr Bown said. The leverage would be short-term, depending on the outcome of the case against the US, he added." } ], "id": "9656_2", "question": "What will this do for US-EU relations?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "South Africa has temporarily closed its diplomatic missions in Nigeria following reprisal attacks by Nigerians triggered by xenophobic violence in South Africa. Between Sunday and Wednesday, mobs looted and destroyed shops, many of them foreign-owned, in South Africa's commercial hub, Johannesburg. Nigeria's government has been outspoken in its condemnation of the violence. Police say the unrest has subsided and more than 420 arrests have been made. South Africa's Foreign Minister, Naledi Pandor, called the violence an embarrassment for her country. \"Our government regrets all violence against foreign-owned stores or Africans from other countries who are resident in South Africa,\" she was quoted as saying by national broadcaster SABC. She ordered the closure of the country's high commission in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, and its mission in Lagos, following threats made to the diplomatic staff. Videos and images that have been shared on social media purporting to show Nigerians being attacked and killed have inflamed tensions. On Tuesday and Wednesday, South African-owned businesses were targeted by protesters in several Nigerian cities, and the looters said the attacks were reprisals for the killing of Nigerians in South Africa. South African telecoms giant MTN closed its shops as a precaution. In response to the violence in Johannesburg, two of Nigeria's top musicians, Burna Boy And Tiwa Savage, announced they were boycotting South Africa. At least 10 people have been killed in the trouble in South Africa, including two foreign nationals, the South African government says, but none of the victims have been identified as Nigerian. On Wednesday, Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama told journalists: \"There are a lot of stories going around of Nigerians being killed, jumping off buildings and being burnt. This is not the case.\" While the government believes Nigerian businesses have been targeted in South Africa, he added, it has no evidence that Nigerians have died. Mr Onyeama also urged people to stop attacking South African businesses in Nigeria, saying that President Muhammadu Buhari was \"particularly distraught at the acts of vandalism\". Despite disputing the accounts of Nigerians dying in South Africa, the Nigerian government has been forceful in its condemnation of events there. On Wednesday, it announced it was boycotting the World Economic Forum on Africa that is currently taking place in Cape Town in protest at the violence. \"The government believes that we have to take the moral high ground on this matter,\" Mr Onyeama said. The president has also sent an envoy to South Africa to \"express Nigeria's displeasure over the treatment of her citizens\". Nigerians often criticise the authorities for being slow to respond to domestic crises and the government is keen to be seen to be taking action over attacks in South Africa, said the BBC's Nigeria correspondent, Mayeni Jones. On Thursday, demonstrators in the Democratic Republic of Congo's second city, Lubumbashi, broke the windows of South Africa's consulate, AFP news agency reports. There was also a small demonstration outside the South African embassy in the capital, Kinshasa. Air Tanzania, the country's national carrier, has suspended flights to Johannesburg because of the violence, Transport Minister Isack Kamwelwe said. Madagascar's football federation has announced that it will not be sending a team to play South Africa in a friendly on Saturday because of security concerns. The fixture against Madagascar was announced after Zambia pulled out of the match earlier this week over the xenophobic violence. On Wednesday, students in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, forced the closure of several South African-owned shopping malls. A group also marched on the South African high commission in the city and defaced the sign outside the compound. \"We are tired of being beaten every day. We're all Africa. Why must we be afraid to go to South Africa?... We want the ambassador to address us,\" one protester told Reuters news agency. On Tuesday, the African Union (AU) issued a statement condemning the \"despicable acts\" of violence in South Africa \"in the strongest terms\". The attacks on foreign-owned shops began after South African lorry drivers started a nationwide strike to protest against the employment of foreign drivers. They blocked roads and torched foreign-driven vehicles mainly in the coastal KwaZulu-Natal province. It comes at a time of high unemployment and some South Africans blame foreigners for taking their jobs. The unemployment rate in South Africa is nearly 28%, the highest since the labour force survey was introduced 11 years ago. The government minister responsible for small business development told BBC Newsday the rioters \"feel there are other Africans coming into the country and they feel these Africans are taking our jobs\". Lindiwe Zulu said the problems were caused by the movement of people across Africa. \"We are facing a challenge that is beyond South Africa as a country. This is an African problem,\" she said. Some foreigners are also accused of being involved in pushing illegal drugs. A taxi driver was allegedly shot dead in Pretoria last week when he confronted foreign nationals thought to be selling drugs to young people, reports South Africa's News 24.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2185, "answer_start": 908, "text": "Videos and images that have been shared on social media purporting to show Nigerians being attacked and killed have inflamed tensions. On Tuesday and Wednesday, South African-owned businesses were targeted by protesters in several Nigerian cities, and the looters said the attacks were reprisals for the killing of Nigerians in South Africa. South African telecoms giant MTN closed its shops as a precaution. In response to the violence in Johannesburg, two of Nigeria's top musicians, Burna Boy And Tiwa Savage, announced they were boycotting South Africa. At least 10 people have been killed in the trouble in South Africa, including two foreign nationals, the South African government says, but none of the victims have been identified as Nigerian. On Wednesday, Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama told journalists: \"There are a lot of stories going around of Nigerians being killed, jumping off buildings and being burnt. This is not the case.\" While the government believes Nigerian businesses have been targeted in South Africa, he added, it has no evidence that Nigerians have died. Mr Onyeama also urged people to stop attacking South African businesses in Nigeria, saying that President Muhammadu Buhari was \"particularly distraught at the acts of vandalism\"." } ], "id": "9657_0", "question": "Have any Nigerians been killed?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2936, "answer_start": 2186, "text": "Despite disputing the accounts of Nigerians dying in South Africa, the Nigerian government has been forceful in its condemnation of events there. On Wednesday, it announced it was boycotting the World Economic Forum on Africa that is currently taking place in Cape Town in protest at the violence. \"The government believes that we have to take the moral high ground on this matter,\" Mr Onyeama said. The president has also sent an envoy to South Africa to \"express Nigeria's displeasure over the treatment of her citizens\". Nigerians often criticise the authorities for being slow to respond to domestic crises and the government is keen to be seen to be taking action over attacks in South Africa, said the BBC's Nigeria correspondent, Mayeni Jones." } ], "id": "9657_1", "question": "Why has the Nigerian government been so outspoken?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4194, "answer_start": 2937, "text": "On Thursday, demonstrators in the Democratic Republic of Congo's second city, Lubumbashi, broke the windows of South Africa's consulate, AFP news agency reports. There was also a small demonstration outside the South African embassy in the capital, Kinshasa. Air Tanzania, the country's national carrier, has suspended flights to Johannesburg because of the violence, Transport Minister Isack Kamwelwe said. Madagascar's football federation has announced that it will not be sending a team to play South Africa in a friendly on Saturday because of security concerns. The fixture against Madagascar was announced after Zambia pulled out of the match earlier this week over the xenophobic violence. On Wednesday, students in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, forced the closure of several South African-owned shopping malls. A group also marched on the South African high commission in the city and defaced the sign outside the compound. \"We are tired of being beaten every day. We're all Africa. Why must we be afraid to go to South Africa?... We want the ambassador to address us,\" one protester told Reuters news agency. On Tuesday, the African Union (AU) issued a statement condemning the \"despicable acts\" of violence in South Africa \"in the strongest terms\"." } ], "id": "9657_2", "question": "What about reaction elsewhere in Africa?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5325, "answer_start": 4195, "text": "The attacks on foreign-owned shops began after South African lorry drivers started a nationwide strike to protest against the employment of foreign drivers. They blocked roads and torched foreign-driven vehicles mainly in the coastal KwaZulu-Natal province. It comes at a time of high unemployment and some South Africans blame foreigners for taking their jobs. The unemployment rate in South Africa is nearly 28%, the highest since the labour force survey was introduced 11 years ago. The government minister responsible for small business development told BBC Newsday the rioters \"feel there are other Africans coming into the country and they feel these Africans are taking our jobs\". Lindiwe Zulu said the problems were caused by the movement of people across Africa. \"We are facing a challenge that is beyond South Africa as a country. This is an African problem,\" she said. Some foreigners are also accused of being involved in pushing illegal drugs. A taxi driver was allegedly shot dead in Pretoria last week when he confronted foreign nationals thought to be selling drugs to young people, reports South Africa's News 24." } ], "id": "9657_3", "question": "What sparked the looting in South Africa?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Police are \"chasing down suspects\" in search of whoever is responsible for Friday's rush hour Tube bombing in south-west London. The UK terror threat has been raised to critical - the highest level - meaning an attack may be imminent. Security Minister Ben Wallace told the BBC a \"manhunt\" was under way for the \"bomber or bombers\" responsible. Police are checking CCTV as part of their investigation into the explosion at Parsons Green, which injured 30. The Islamic State group has said it was behind the bomb, which detonated at 08:20 BST. Parsons Green Tube station reopened in the early hours of Saturday. It is understood the device had a timer, but the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner said the bomb appeared not to have gone off properly. Had it worked as intended, it would have killed everyone around it and maimed everyone in the train carriage for life, he said. The Metropolitan Police's Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said it was \"very routine\" for the Islamic State group to claim the attack, whether in contact with those involved or not, and he asked the public to remain \"vigilant\" and to \"not be alarmed\". Tory MP Mr Wallace told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the bomb was similar to the one used in the terror attack on Manchester in May. \"There is potentially a very dangerous individual or individuals out there and we need to track them down,\" he said. BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said: \"The working assumption at Scotland Yard and MI5 must be that there is not just one person behind this, but at least one, and that there are others that assisted or encouraged the person to plant this device.\" Announcing the change in the UK threat level on Friday night, Prime Minister Theresa May said the military would be providing support to police and would replace officers on guard duty at national infrastructure sites not accessible to the public. It is part of the first phase of Operation Temperer, activated for the first time on 23 May following the Manchester attack. Mrs May said: \"This is a proportionate and sensible step which will provide extra reassurance and protection while the investigation progresses.\" By BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner This is the fourth time the UK national terror threat level has been raised to \"critical\" since the system was made public in 2006. The last time was in May this year following the Manchester Arena bombing, when it was wrongly thought that the bomb-maker was still at large and could strike again. In the case of Parsons Green it is perhaps surprising that it took the government so long - over 12 hours - to raise the threat level to critical, under advice from the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, when it was obvious the perpetrator had neither died nor been caught. Each time the level has gone to critical, it has only stayed at this highest level of alertness for three to four days - this is partly as it involves an unsustainably high tempo for the police, intelligence and security services. Extra patrols are mounted on the streets of London, covert surveillance is stepped up and troops are deployed to free up police officers to focus on the main effort: catching the bomber before he can plant another device. But the very fact that yesterday's attack took place with no warning shows this system is only a broad guide to the threat and simply reflects the latest assessment. Passengers described the bomb, which was in a supermarket carrier bag, as a \"fireball\". Anna Gorniak, who was in the same Tube carriage as the explosion, said: \"I could see a fireball filling the carriage and coming our way. At that moment, I started to run. \"In my mind I was praying, I probably thought for a second, 'That's it, my life is over.'\" Patients were taken to four London hospitals, including one with a specialist burns unit. Police have urged anyone who took pictures or videos at the scene to upload them to ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk. Security minister Mr Wallace said more needed to be done by internet companies to tackle the spread of information online which inspires attacks - including manuals of how to build bombs. \"We have to find a way to build pressure on [them] to get them to invest some of their vast profits into the technologies to make sure we take down content very quickly or don't even let it surface,\" he said. By Dominic Casciani, home affairs correspondent A word of caution about \"imminence\". The terror threat level was previously raised to critical in May after Manchester. Then it was lowered again days later after it became clear to intelligence assessors in the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre that an attack wasn't imminent. Then we had two more incidents - Borough Market/London Bridge and Finsbury Park. What does this tell us? Intelligence is usually fragmentary. Analysts sometimes only have glimpses or impressions of what they think is going on. It's an imperfect world.. Were you at Parsons Green station? Did you witness the events? If it's safe to share your experiences then please email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk 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 yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Or Upload your pictures/video here - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Send an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international) - Please read our terms & conditions", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4924, "answer_start": 4348, "text": "By Dominic Casciani, home affairs correspondent A word of caution about \"imminence\". The terror threat level was previously raised to critical in May after Manchester. Then it was lowered again days later after it became clear to intelligence assessors in the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre that an attack wasn't imminent. Then we had two more incidents - Borough Market/London Bridge and Finsbury Park. What does this tell us? Intelligence is usually fragmentary. Analysts sometimes only have glimpses or impressions of what they think is going on. It's an imperfect world.." } ], "id": "9658_0", "question": "What does terror threat level mean?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Italy has been ordered to pay EUR18,400 (PS16,000) to US citizen Amanda Knox, who spent years in prison for a murder of which she was later acquitted. Ms Knox's long-running legal battle was closely followed by global media during years of retrials and appeals. She took Italy to court over her initial treatment by Italian police, alleging her rights had been violated. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said Ms Knox had not had proper access to a lawyer and interpreter. But the court rejected Ms Knox's claim that she was subjected to degrading treatment and slapped by police. Ms Knox has been fully acquitted of the murder charge, and this case related to her last outstanding conviction for \"malicious accusation\" - she had briefly, under questioning, accused another innocent person of the murder. In a statement after the ruling, Ms Knox said the court was \"acknowledging the reality of false confessions\". \"I was interrogated for 53 hours over five days, without a lawyer, in a language I understood maybe as well as a 10-year-old,\" she said. \"I was in shock, and I volunteered to help the Perugian police in any way I could. But they weren't interested in my help. They were determined to break me.\" In a statement, the ECHR said she was interviewed \"without legal assistance, at a time when there was a criminal charge against her\" without any exceptional circumstances to justify it. \"Ms Knox had been particularly vulnerable, being a foreign young woman, 20 at the time, not having been in Italy for very long and not being fluent in Italian,\" it said. The police interpreter had gone beyond their role \"to build up a personal and emotional relationship with Ms Knox, seeing herself as a mediator and taking on a motherly attitude which was not called for,\" the ECHR said. That \"compromised the fairness of the proceedings as a whole\", it said. British woman Meredith Kercher, 21, was murdered in Perugia in 2007, while studying on an exchange from the University of Leeds. Her body was discovered by police in November that year. Her throat had been cut, and there were signs of sexual violence. Police arrested Amanda Knox, who was her housemate, and Ms Knox's boyfriend, Italian Raffaele Sollecito, five days after Ms Kercher's death. The crux of Ms Knox's case at the ECHR is that she was mistreated during that initial phase of police questioning. Some two weeks later, another man, Rudy Guede, was arrested. A year later, in 2008, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the murder of Ms Kercher But prosecutors did not drop charges against Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito, who were accused of holding the victim down - and prosecutors alleged that Ms Knox delivered the deadly blow with a knife. They were both also found guilty of murder in 2009, sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison. After more than three years behind bars, both were acquitted of the murder. But in 2014 the convictions were reinstated, though Ms Knox was back in the United States and refused to travel to Italy. US media largely portrayed her as an innocent victim of Italy's court system. In 2015, Italian courts acquitted Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito in the final verdict of the case. In 2016, Ms Knox was given permission by the European Court of Human Rights to put her case against Italy. Despite her acquittal for murder, she was still convicted of making a \"malicious accusation\" by telling police, in her initial questioning, that she believed a local bar owner had committed the murder. That person had an alibi, and was released without charge. Ms Knox had retracted that statement within hours of making it, but was charged with the offence. Part of her complaint to the ECHR was that her interpreter encouraged her \"to imagine hypothetical scenarios\", and she claimed she was slapped on the head twice during questioning. She also said she was \"was subjected to extreme psychological pressure and forced to speak at a point where she was incapable of showing discernment or willpower\". The ECHR agreed that she had not had proper access to a lawyer or interpreter, and that Italian authorities had not properly investigated her claims of ill treatment. But it did not uphold her complaint that she was not clearly made aware of the charges against her. Neither did it find evidence of inhuman or degrading treatment. Italy was ordered to pay EUR10,400 (PS9,050) in damages and EUR8,000 (PS6,960) in costs.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4411, "answer_start": 3181, "text": "In 2016, Ms Knox was given permission by the European Court of Human Rights to put her case against Italy. Despite her acquittal for murder, she was still convicted of making a \"malicious accusation\" by telling police, in her initial questioning, that she believed a local bar owner had committed the murder. That person had an alibi, and was released without charge. Ms Knox had retracted that statement within hours of making it, but was charged with the offence. Part of her complaint to the ECHR was that her interpreter encouraged her \"to imagine hypothetical scenarios\", and she claimed she was slapped on the head twice during questioning. She also said she was \"was subjected to extreme psychological pressure and forced to speak at a point where she was incapable of showing discernment or willpower\". The ECHR agreed that she had not had proper access to a lawyer or interpreter, and that Italian authorities had not properly investigated her claims of ill treatment. But it did not uphold her complaint that she was not clearly made aware of the charges against her. Neither did it find evidence of inhuman or degrading treatment. Italy was ordered to pay EUR10,400 (PS9,050) in damages and EUR8,000 (PS6,960) in costs." } ], "id": "9659_0", "question": "What was this latest case about?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Thousands of students in India and Pakistan exchanged letters as part of a peace initiative until they had to stop because of increasing tension between the two countries. BBC Marathi's Prajakta Dhulap reports on the friendships that were forged across the border. Fourteen-year-old Hrishikesh Dubey says his biggest treasure is four handwritten letters from Pakistan. They are from his friend Samiullah who lives in the city of Lahore. In 2016 the Anuyog School in the eastern Indian business capital of Mumbai - where Hrishikesh studies - enrolled in a programme that allowed its students to be pen pals with students from Lahore Grammar School in Pakistan. The letters were addressed to the respective schools and the teachers matched students who then continued to write to each other. Between 2016 and 2017, 212 school children from both countries exchanged some 1,000 letters, according to the programme's organiser, a non-profit named Routes 2 Roots. This wasn't the first time they had done this - the organisation started the cross-border pen pal programme in 2010. Since then more than 50,000 kids from Mumbai, Delhi, and Dehradun have become pen pals with kids in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, says founder Rakesh Gupta. \"If we respect each other's culture, peaceful coexistence will not be an issue,\" says Mr Gupta. \"We need to remove hatred from children's minds and teach them to respect another nation.\" India and Pakistan have been at odds since 1947 when India won its independence and Pakistan was created. The partition, as it is known, sparked horrific violence on both sides that killed at least one million people while millions more fled their homes. Since then they have fought three wars, two of which have been over Kashmir, which remains a thorny issue. Mr Gupta says encouraging friendship between people from both countries is exactly what is necessary for improving ties between the neighbours. Around October 2016, Hrishikesh wrote his first letter as part of the pen pal programme. He had a lot of questions because he didn't know much about Pakistan. He wanted to know if hockey, India's national sport, was also the national sport of Pakistan. He asked if vada pav, a popular Indian potato sandwich, was available there. Within a few weeks, Hrishikesh got a response from Samiullah. who was also 14 years old. As their correspondence continued, their friendship bloomed - they wrote about themselves, told each other about their families and friends, the food they ate, the games they played and the hobbies they loved. The letters, Hrishikesh says, helped them learn about each other's countries. Hrishikesh sent Samiullah photos of the Gateway of India and other famous spots in Mumbai. And he says his \"dear friend\" told him about the Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque. He even introduced Hrishikesh to the poems of the iconic Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. \"It was not easy for kids to write letters, but teachers helped them,\" says Manisha Ghevde, a teacher at Anuyog School. \"They were excited to write the letters and ask their questions. Then they would eagerly wait for a reply.\" The letters, all written in English, were full of information, descriptive details and questions. \"I like to eat biryani [a rice dish popular in India and Pakistan], I like to eat ice cream and I don't like pulses,\" a young Pakistani boy named Hamza wrote to his friend. \"I love baking and cooking and helping my mother,\" wrote a girl, Aneeqa. Another described the colour of her hair, which she said matched the colour of her eyes. An Indian girl sent photos and a description of popular street food, from dosa or rice pancakes to jalebi - swirly and sticky crisps covered in melted sugar. Through the letters, the children got glimpses of their neighbouring country that went beyond what they read in history textbooks. In 2017, Hrishikesh's school decided to take some of the students to Pakistan. But teachers at the Anuyog School found that many parents were reluctant to send their children to Pakistan on a visit - some said they had safety concerns while others said they didn't want their kids to go to a Muslim country. \"We need to change our perspective. So we need to try to create a positive image before a child starts thinking negatively. We spoke to the parents and two of them agreed to travel to Lahore. We teachers were also going to accompany them,\" says Satish Chindarkar, a trustee at the school. Hrishikesh's visa was approved and his ticket to Lahore was booked. Samiullah asked him what he would bring for him from Mumbai. Hrishikesh's father's suggested a tailored suit from the local and beloved Abbas Tailor shop. But he never got to give Samiullah his gift. \"We were told to cancel the trip because there was tension on the border,\" Mr Chindarkar recalls. But he is hopeful that one day he'll be able to take his students to Pakistan. \"For the past seven years, we have been taking kids from India to Pakistan and bringing kids from Pakistan to visit India,\" says Mr Gupta. \"Every time both governments and the authorities have been supportive. But in 2017, the home ministry asked us to send back the Pakistani kids so they had to leave the tour in between.\" Mr Gupta has also discontinued the pen pal programme. \"After a lot of efforts we had created this chain of friendship between India and Pakistan. It won't be easy to create this again,\" he says regretfully. But some students have managed to stay in touch. Shailaja Kumar was 13 years old in 2012 when she started writing letters to Asma in Pakistan as part of the same pen pal programme. She visited Lahore and Islamabad in 2013. Her grandparents had left their home in Pakistan and migrated to India in the violent aftermath of partition. But her family had been proud that she was the first to return to Pakistan on a visit. Since then she has kept in touch with her friends in Pakistan, largely because of Facebook. \"I especially think of them on 14 August because it's their independence day,\" she says. India celebrates 15 August as independence day. Hrishikesh is not in touch with Samiullah but he hopes to visit Pakistan someday. \"I don't know if Samiullah will recognise me. But still I would like to meet him. He is my friend.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3121, "answer_start": 1420, "text": "India and Pakistan have been at odds since 1947 when India won its independence and Pakistan was created. The partition, as it is known, sparked horrific violence on both sides that killed at least one million people while millions more fled their homes. Since then they have fought three wars, two of which have been over Kashmir, which remains a thorny issue. Mr Gupta says encouraging friendship between people from both countries is exactly what is necessary for improving ties between the neighbours. Around October 2016, Hrishikesh wrote his first letter as part of the pen pal programme. He had a lot of questions because he didn't know much about Pakistan. He wanted to know if hockey, India's national sport, was also the national sport of Pakistan. He asked if vada pav, a popular Indian potato sandwich, was available there. Within a few weeks, Hrishikesh got a response from Samiullah. who was also 14 years old. As their correspondence continued, their friendship bloomed - they wrote about themselves, told each other about their families and friends, the food they ate, the games they played and the hobbies they loved. The letters, Hrishikesh says, helped them learn about each other's countries. Hrishikesh sent Samiullah photos of the Gateway of India and other famous spots in Mumbai. And he says his \"dear friend\" told him about the Lahore Fort and the Badshahi Mosque. He even introduced Hrishikesh to the poems of the iconic Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. \"It was not easy for kids to write letters, but teachers helped them,\" says Manisha Ghevde, a teacher at Anuyog School. \"They were excited to write the letters and ask their questions. Then they would eagerly wait for a reply.\"" } ], "id": "9660_0", "question": "Do you play hockey too?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Indian Prime Minster Narendra Modi's high-profile visit to the US includes an evening in New York, where he will be honoured for a flagship government scheme. But the celebrity event has turned controversial. It all began with a tweet. A federal minister announced on 2 September that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation would recognise Mr Modi for his government's efforts to end open defecation. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, as it is known, or Clean India Mission, seeks to improve sanitation across the country by building tens of millions of toilets for the poor. But the seemingly innocuous award has sparked scathing opinion pieces, the disapproval of at least three Nobel laureates, a petition by more than 100,000 people, and even rejection by celebrities - British Asian actors Jameela Jamil and Riz Ahmed were due to attend but dropped out of the event, although neither has explained why. The award for Mr Modi has raised eyebrows because to date recipients of the Gates Foundation's \"Goalkeeper\" award have largely been grassroots political and community activists. Hundreds of millions of Indians defecate in the open because they have no access to toilets or even running water. It has been a persistent problem, polluting soil and water, causing diseases and putting women and girls at risk as they go out alone in the night to relieve themselves. So Mr Modi's ambitious promise in 2014 that he would end this practice caught the attention of India and the world. And that goal lies at the heart of the Clean India Mission, arguably Mr Modi's most beloved campaign. He and his Bharatiya Janata Party-led government have touted it as a success - and in the run-up to this year's election, Mr Modi claimed that thanks to the programme, 90% of Indians now have access to a toilet, up from 40% before he came to office. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said in a statement to the BBC that it was honouring Mr Modi for the \"progress India is making in improving sanitation, as part of its drive toward achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals\". Well, it depends on how you evaluate it. While it's true that the number of toilets has increased significantly, a BBC investigation found that many of them are not working or aren't being used for various reasons, from lack of running water to poor maintenance to deeply ingrained cultural habits. Recent research found that people in some parts of northern India preferred to defecate in the open because they found it more \"comfortable\" or thought it to be \"part of a wholesome, healthy virtuous life\". Another common problem is that the government offers subsidies for the poor to build a toilet in their home. But since the subsidy is paid out in instalments over more than a year, many poor households wait for months for the construction to be complete. \"Many beneficiaries have started construction but not completed it,\" says Siraz Hirani from the Mahila Housing Sewa Trust, a non-profit group that also works to improve sanitation. As a senior programme manager, Mr Hirani has worked closely with rural and urban governments to implement the Clean India scheme. His other big worry is that the subsidy does not account for the cost of laying a sewer, which has often meant that people in rural areas end up building soak pits for drainage. This, he fears, will eventually lead to ground water and soil pollution in coastal areas where the water table is higher. Mr Hirani says open defecation has \"significantly reduced\", but the \"biggest challenge is how do we sustain this?\" He adds that the government data relies heavily on the existence of infrastructure - such as the toilet itself - rather than actual use or behavioural change to measure success. He says the Clean India mission is a \"great idea\" that put the spotlight on open defecation - and for that Mr Modi deserves the award. But he fears that such recognition might be seen as a victory. \"It's alright to prove yourself, but you must improve while proving yourself.\" While they have pointed to the scheme's patchy record, their bigger criticism is about Mr Modi himself, a one-time pariah banned from entering the US for years for his alleged complicity in 2002 sectarian violence in his home state of Gujarat. The prime minister is a polarising figure in India, adored by many but also often blamed for divisive rhetoric and violence against minorities. And critics cite his security lockdown in Indian-administered Kashmir, which has been in place since 5 August when the government stripped the region of its special status. Thousands of political leaders, activists, businessmen and protesters have been detained, communications largely remain cut off and there have been allegations of abuse and excessive use of force by security forces. \"The timing of the award - Kashmir is an issue that haunts us, not just Kashmiris,\" Shiv Visvanathan, a social and political commentator, told the BBC. \"There is a deep need for trauma clinics [in Kashmir]. Will the Gates foundation establish these in the name of rights? Would the [Modi] regime allow it?\" Dr Visvanathan adds that it's also hard to ignore the fact that \"philanthropists like Bill Gates add legitimacy and gloss\" to Mr Modi's government. \"Why be naive about it? It ensures the [Gates] foundation has a smoother time in India.\" Mr Modi has not responded to the criticism, but he tweeted, thanking the foundation for the award. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation never made an official announcement that Mr Modi would receive the 2019 Goalkeeper award - and the awards website says the names of this year's winners will be released at the event. But as the criticism gathered steam, it acknowledged that Mr Modi was indeed one of the recipients. Mr Modi is not the first politician to receive the award - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the former president of Liberia, was honoured in 2017. Defending its decision to honour him, the foundation said in its statement to the BBC that \"sanitation has not received significant attention\" and \"a lot of governments are not willing to talk about it, in part because there are not easy solutions\". \"Before the Swachh Bharat mission, over 500 million people in India did not have access to safe sanitation, and now, the majority do. There is still a long way to go, but the impacts of access to sanitation in India are already being realized. The Swachh Bharat Mission can serve as a model for other countries around the world that urgently need to improve access to sanitation for the world's poorest.\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2067, "answer_start": 1077, "text": "Hundreds of millions of Indians defecate in the open because they have no access to toilets or even running water. It has been a persistent problem, polluting soil and water, causing diseases and putting women and girls at risk as they go out alone in the night to relieve themselves. So Mr Modi's ambitious promise in 2014 that he would end this practice caught the attention of India and the world. And that goal lies at the heart of the Clean India Mission, arguably Mr Modi's most beloved campaign. He and his Bharatiya Janata Party-led government have touted it as a success - and in the run-up to this year's election, Mr Modi claimed that thanks to the programme, 90% of Indians now have access to a toilet, up from 40% before he came to office. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said in a statement to the BBC that it was honouring Mr Modi for the \"progress India is making in improving sanitation, as part of its drive toward achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals\"." } ], "id": "9661_0", "question": "Why is Mr Modi getting an award?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4009, "answer_start": 2068, "text": "Well, it depends on how you evaluate it. While it's true that the number of toilets has increased significantly, a BBC investigation found that many of them are not working or aren't being used for various reasons, from lack of running water to poor maintenance to deeply ingrained cultural habits. Recent research found that people in some parts of northern India preferred to defecate in the open because they found it more \"comfortable\" or thought it to be \"part of a wholesome, healthy virtuous life\". Another common problem is that the government offers subsidies for the poor to build a toilet in their home. But since the subsidy is paid out in instalments over more than a year, many poor households wait for months for the construction to be complete. \"Many beneficiaries have started construction but not completed it,\" says Siraz Hirani from the Mahila Housing Sewa Trust, a non-profit group that also works to improve sanitation. As a senior programme manager, Mr Hirani has worked closely with rural and urban governments to implement the Clean India scheme. His other big worry is that the subsidy does not account for the cost of laying a sewer, which has often meant that people in rural areas end up building soak pits for drainage. This, he fears, will eventually lead to ground water and soil pollution in coastal areas where the water table is higher. Mr Hirani says open defecation has \"significantly reduced\", but the \"biggest challenge is how do we sustain this?\" He adds that the government data relies heavily on the existence of infrastructure - such as the toilet itself - rather than actual use or behavioural change to measure success. He says the Clean India mission is a \"great idea\" that put the spotlight on open defecation - and for that Mr Modi deserves the award. But he fears that such recognition might be seen as a victory. \"It's alright to prove yourself, but you must improve while proving yourself.\"" } ], "id": "9661_1", "question": "How successful has the scheme been?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Israel's parliament has passed a controversial law retroactively legalising almost 4,000 settler homes built on privately-owned Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. Under the legislation, the Palestinian landowners will be given financial compensation or alternative land. The Palestinian president called the law \"an aggression against our people\". Israel's attorney-general has said it is unconstitutional and that he will not defend it in the Supreme Court. The legislation's passage comes amid an escalation in settlement activity since the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president. Emboldened by a new administration it sees as a more sympathetic, Israel's government has advanced plans for thousands of new settler homes. More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem - land the Palestinians claim for a future state. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. There are also 97 settler outposts - built without official authorisation from the Israeli government - across the West Bank, according to the Israeli anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now. However, the largest, Amona, was evacuated by police last week after the Supreme Court ordered that it be dismantled because it was built on private Palestinian land. The so-called \"Regularisation Bill\" was passed by 60 votes to 52 in the 120-member Knesset. It says settlement construction in the West Bank that was carried out in good faith, without knowledge that the land was privately owned, can be recognised by the government if settlers show they received some kind of state support in establishing themselves at the site. It allows the government to expropriate land for its own use if the Palestinian owners are unknown. If the owners are known, they will be compensated with money or an alternative plot. Peace Now says this will allow for the retroactive legalisation of 3,921 homes in 72 settlements and 55 outposts built on approximately 818 hectares (2,020 acres) of private Palestinian land. The outposts could become official settlements and would most likely be expanded, the watchdog adds. Administrative proceedings against homes at 16 outposts will be immediately frozen for 12 months, pending a decision on whether to expropriate the land. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was on a visit to the UK, missed the vote, but a minister from his Likud party said the law was a demonstration of \"the connection between the Jewish people and its land\". \"This whole land is ours. All of it,\" Ofir Akuni said. Opposition leader Yitzhak Herzog denounced the measure as \"an acute danger to Israel\" that could lead to prosecution at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague. Palestinian officials said the law was an attempt to legalise land theft. President Mahmoud Abbas described it as \"an aggression against our people that we will be opposing in international organisations\". \"What we want is peace... but what Israel does is to work toward one state based on apartheid,\" he told reporters in Paris after talks with French President Francois Hollande, who called on Israel's government to \"reconsider this law\". UN Special Co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov warned the law would \"have far reaching legal consequences for Israel and greatly diminish the prospects for Arab-Israeli peace\". The immediate response of the White House was to refer to a statement it issued last week, which said that while the construction of new settlements \"might not be helpful\", it did not regard settlements as an impediment to peace. Officials later said the Trump administration would \"withhold comment on the legislation until the relevant [Israeli] court ruling\". Peace Now says the law is almost certain to face a Supreme Court challenge. Legal experts argue that the legislation is unconstitutional because it violates land ownership provisions in the Basic Laws of Israel. Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit warned Mr Netanyahu before the vote that he was not prepared to defend it in court. \"The bill allows the expropriation of private property contrary to Israeli law, and in a manner that is consistent with Israel's obligations under international law,\" he warned in November. Peace Now says the law is also undemocratic, because the Palestinians who will be affected do not have the right to vote in the Israeli parliamentary elections. It adds that the Knesset (Israeli parliament) does not have legal authority to legislate in the West Bank, which is under Israeli military rule.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1361, "answer_start": 739, "text": "More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem - land the Palestinians claim for a future state. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. There are also 97 settler outposts - built without official authorisation from the Israeli government - across the West Bank, according to the Israeli anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now. However, the largest, Amona, was evacuated by police last week after the Supreme Court ordered that it be dismantled because it was built on private Palestinian land." } ], "id": "9662_0", "question": "What are settlements?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1910, "answer_start": 1362, "text": "The so-called \"Regularisation Bill\" was passed by 60 votes to 52 in the 120-member Knesset. It says settlement construction in the West Bank that was carried out in good faith, without knowledge that the land was privately owned, can be recognised by the government if settlers show they received some kind of state support in establishing themselves at the site. It allows the government to expropriate land for its own use if the Palestinian owners are unknown. If the owners are known, they will be compensated with money or an alternative plot." } ], "id": "9662_1", "question": "What does the new law say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2356, "answer_start": 1911, "text": "Peace Now says this will allow for the retroactive legalisation of 3,921 homes in 72 settlements and 55 outposts built on approximately 818 hectares (2,020 acres) of private Palestinian land. The outposts could become official settlements and would most likely be expanded, the watchdog adds. Administrative proceedings against homes at 16 outposts will be immediately frozen for 12 months, pending a decision on whether to expropriate the land." } ], "id": "9662_2", "question": "What could the impact be?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3806, "answer_start": 2357, "text": "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was on a visit to the UK, missed the vote, but a minister from his Likud party said the law was a demonstration of \"the connection between the Jewish people and its land\". \"This whole land is ours. All of it,\" Ofir Akuni said. Opposition leader Yitzhak Herzog denounced the measure as \"an acute danger to Israel\" that could lead to prosecution at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague. Palestinian officials said the law was an attempt to legalise land theft. President Mahmoud Abbas described it as \"an aggression against our people that we will be opposing in international organisations\". \"What we want is peace... but what Israel does is to work toward one state based on apartheid,\" he told reporters in Paris after talks with French President Francois Hollande, who called on Israel's government to \"reconsider this law\". UN Special Co-ordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov warned the law would \"have far reaching legal consequences for Israel and greatly diminish the prospects for Arab-Israeli peace\". The immediate response of the White House was to refer to a statement it issued last week, which said that while the construction of new settlements \"might not be helpful\", it did not regard settlements as an impediment to peace. Officials later said the Trump administration would \"withhold comment on the legislation until the relevant [Israeli] court ruling\"." } ], "id": "9662_3", "question": "What has been the reaction?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4634, "answer_start": 3807, "text": "Peace Now says the law is almost certain to face a Supreme Court challenge. Legal experts argue that the legislation is unconstitutional because it violates land ownership provisions in the Basic Laws of Israel. Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit warned Mr Netanyahu before the vote that he was not prepared to defend it in court. \"The bill allows the expropriation of private property contrary to Israeli law, and in a manner that is consistent with Israel's obligations under international law,\" he warned in November. Peace Now says the law is also undemocratic, because the Palestinians who will be affected do not have the right to vote in the Israeli parliamentary elections. It adds that the Knesset (Israeli parliament) does not have legal authority to legislate in the West Bank, which is under Israeli military rule." } ], "id": "9662_4", "question": "Could the law be struck down?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The party of French President-elect Emmanuel Macron has selected a diverse list of 428 candidates for parliamentary elections next month. Only 24 of those chosen are outgoing MPs from the current parliament. Some 52% come from civil society and exactly half are women, the secretary-general of La Republique En Marche (Republic on the Move) said. Richard Ferrand said the choices marked \"the definitive return of citizens to the heart of our political life\". Mr Macron still needs to select more than 100 candidates for the 577-seat parliament and the party says its door is open to politicians from other parties to join. The movement received more than 19,000 applications, Mr Ferrand said at a news conference, with 1,700 telephone interviews conducted with candidates. The average age of the list is 46 \"compared to 60 years for the average of outgoing MPs\", he said. The youngest candidate is 24 years old, while the oldest is 72. Around 10 candidates are unemployed, double that are retired and a handful are students. All of the outgoing MPs chosen to run come from the Socialist Party of departing President Francois Hollande. Mr Ferrand confirmed that Mr Macron's ex-cabinet colleague Manuel Valls - the former prime minister who has now burned his boats with his Socialists - had not been selected. He said that he did \"not meet the criteria\" because he had already served three parliamentary terms. But the party will not be running a candidate against him in his constituency in Essonne, south of Paris. France had been waiting to see if the party list would live up to Mr Macron's pledge to clean up France's public life. Many of the candidates are unknown to the public and there are few well-known personalities on the list. Among the diverse candidates is Cedric Villani, a famous mathematician with a penchant for flamboyant bow-ties and spider brooches. He won the Fields Medal - seen as one of the highest honours in mathematics - in 2010. Francois Hollande's communications advisor Gaspard Gantzer, former judge Eric Halphen and former bullfighter Marie Sara are also on the list. Although no MPs of the Republican party are candidates, at least two former allies of Alain Juppe - who lost the centre-right party's presidential primary - have been selected. It has escaped no-one's attention that there are nearly 150 names still missing. Why this lack of clarity? Why the delay? Why is Mr Macron's party unable to do what it said it would do and give the country the full roster of names? The answer is that it is engaged in some very old-style political calculation. Emmanuel Macron knows that his weak point is his connection with the outgoing regime. He is a socialist at heart, as he has often said, and made his name serving a Socialist Party president. If his party goes into the election fielding too many ex-Socialist MPs, it will be a sitting target for a vengeful Republican Party, eager to get its own majority and force the new president into a \"cohabitation\" (where the government is of a different colour from the president). So the party wants a few more days to tempt over Republican Party defectors. Only in the middle of next week will it draw up its definitive list. Read more from Hugh Some of the names previously announced include: - Jean-Michel Fauvergue, a police commander who led the elite RAID unit's response to several jihadist attacks including the Bataclan massacre in Paris - Laetitia Avia, a Paris barrister involved in solving corporate disputes and active in projects in sub-Saharan Africa - Farmer Jean-Baptiste Moreau, who heads a co-operative - Head teacher Mireille Robert, also involved in campaigns to tackle unemployment - Alexandre Aidara, public servant who founded Citizen Regeneration think tank, ex-adviser to justice ministry French media are already reporting errors on the list - including one candidate with a criminal record (the party said no-one with a criminal record would be eligible). Several people on the list have also denied they are candidates. Mr Macron was only elected on Sunday and the two-round parliamentary vote takes place on 11 and 18 June. But with only one month to go, every political party is now focusing on the race for the National Assembly. His recently rebranded party is only 13 months old and Mr Macron needs to show he will have not just a mandate but the power in parliament to push through his programme. Nearly 20,000 people applied and a few thousand only added their names in the past few days following the election. We know the Macron team set out five conditions: - Renewal for France (half will come from outside politics) - Gender equality (half will be women) - Clean criminal record - as part of commitment to clean up politics - Cross-section of political views - so there may be defectors from other parties - Sign up to the Macron reform programme as well as joining the party itself - While candidates can be members of other parties, they cannot run for them (apart from centrist party MoDem)", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2277, "answer_start": 1635, "text": "Many of the candidates are unknown to the public and there are few well-known personalities on the list. Among the diverse candidates is Cedric Villani, a famous mathematician with a penchant for flamboyant bow-ties and spider brooches. He won the Fields Medal - seen as one of the highest honours in mathematics - in 2010. Francois Hollande's communications advisor Gaspard Gantzer, former judge Eric Halphen and former bullfighter Marie Sara are also on the list. Although no MPs of the Republican party are candidates, at least two former allies of Alain Juppe - who lost the centre-right party's presidential primary - have been selected." } ], "id": "9663_0", "question": "Who are they?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4411, "answer_start": 4029, "text": "Mr Macron was only elected on Sunday and the two-round parliamentary vote takes place on 11 and 18 June. But with only one month to go, every political party is now focusing on the race for the National Assembly. His recently rebranded party is only 13 months old and Mr Macron needs to show he will have not just a mandate but the power in parliament to push through his programme." } ], "id": "9663_1", "question": "Why are the candidates being unveiled now?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5014, "answer_start": 4412, "text": "Nearly 20,000 people applied and a few thousand only added their names in the past few days following the election. We know the Macron team set out five conditions: - Renewal for France (half will come from outside politics) - Gender equality (half will be women) - Clean criminal record - as part of commitment to clean up politics - Cross-section of political views - so there may be defectors from other parties - Sign up to the Macron reform programme as well as joining the party itself - While candidates can be members of other parties, they cannot run for them (apart from centrist party MoDem)" } ], "id": "9663_2", "question": "How are the candidates chosen?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Lots of people will have unwrapped drones for Christmas, and a fair few will probably end up crashing them. So how can drones be flown safely? BBC reporter and nervous technophobe Caroline Lowbridge explains how she reluctantly learned to fly one. When my manager first told me he thought it would be a good idea for me to learn to fly a drone, I was perturbed. \"Let's get a drone!\" \"I, er... what?\" \"A drone! Let's get one. We can send it up to... I don't know. Loads of stories!\" \"You want ME to fly it?\" \"Yeah! Imagine the possibilities.\" \"You know I failed my driving test nine times?\" \"Oh.\" If I seemed reluctant, I was. I'd never \"remote controlled\" anything in my life. Even my limbs - which I directly control - have a tendency to bump into things. What's more, I struggle with relatively simple gadgets. I've still got a CD Walkman because I can't face putting music on to an iPod. Surely it would be irresponsible to give me something as complex, and potentially dangerous, as a drone? I started looking into the rules. The government recently proposed forcing drone users to take a safety test, but at the moment, any consumer in the UK can buy a drone, get it out of the box and fly it around without any kind of permission. However, I quickly discovered that anyone using a drone for work needs to do a tough course about aviation law and safety, pass the drone equivalent of a driving test, then get permission from the CAA. Phew, I thought. It looks like I've escaped this whole drone thing. Surely my manager wouldn't put me through several months of mental torture? Unfortunately, he was not deterred. I started calling approved \"drone schools\" from a list on the CAA website, but the first one I tried was a bit sniffy. \"Do you have any practical flying background?\" \"Er... no.\" \"Do you have any background in photography or filming?\" \"Not really.\" \"Did they just pull your name out of a hat?\" I became increasingly apprehensive but eventually, one organisation - Rusta - reassured me a bit. They didn't seem too worried about my lack of experience. The trainer even told me his eight-year-old daughter flies a drone around. \"A lot of these systems are so easy to fly it's unbelievable,\" he said. Maybe for your average person, I thought. What about a clumsy, anxious Luddite who's paranoid about slicing someone's ear off? Sion Roberts, our trainer and a former RAF pilot, kept talking about \"props\". \"The pitch of the props affects how much lift they generate,\" he told us. \"It's vital that you check your props both pre-flight and post-flight.\" I looked around nervously. I thought I'd been keeping up, but I'd obviously missed something. About two-and-a-half hours later I finally realised that \"props\" was short for \"propellers\". The huge propeller he was using to point at the projector screen should have been a clue. As you can probably tell, I was a little bit out of my depth. Drone training - or more accurately, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle training - is largely aimed at commercial photographers and film makers. You spend two days studying theory in a classroom before sitting an exam. Later, you return to complete the practical flying test. I felt a bit out of place because I was the only woman on the course - apparently 98% of people who do this course are men. Also, my classmates each had some kind of enormously impressive technical background. One was a serving military pilot. Another had actually built a drone himself. By comparison, my proudest such achievement was partly assembling an Ikea wardrobe (I still haven't put the doors on). It wasn't long before things got even more intense. Within just a few hours, we were tackling subjects such as meteorology, cloud classifications and \"vortex ring state\" (don't ask). I felt like a Nasa cadet. So, why is it so demanding? You can buy a half-decent drone for PS80 in Argos, and presumably a lot of people have. Does it need to be so gruelling and expensive (this course would normally set you back PS1,000) to learn how to fly one safely? Well, a drone has the potential to cause injury and endanger other aircraft. Pilots and others in the aviation industry are concerned about drones colliding with aircraft. In the UK alone, 64 near misses were reported from January to November 2016. Drone propellers can cut and injure people. Pop star Enrique Iglesias was injured when he grabbed a drone during a concert while a toddler in Worcestershire lost an eye after a drone propeller sliced it in half. Of course, a drone can also fall out of the sky, like the one that smashed into the ground next to skier Marcel Hirscher in 2015. Therefore, if you're going to be using a drone regularly for work you have to go through this robust training. Unfortunately it involves learning how to decode 59-digit aviation weather forecasts such as this: EGNX 140504Z 1406/1506 30009KT 9999 FEW040 PROB30 TEMPO 1500/1506 8000 I had a lot of studying to do. \"Uh-oh,\" I said as the drone drifted off in the direction of a dual-carriageway. I'd turned the GPS off. I'd been told to do it, and I knew what was going to happen. But it was still a bit of a shock - much like riding a bike without stabilisers for the first time. This was my first attempt at drone flight. Sion, who was watching a few metres away, had taken pity on me and agreed to give me some pointers. He was wearing aviator sunglasses, like a proper pilot should, while I squinted at the bright morning sky. Against all odds, I'd actually passed the theory test - but I can't stress enough how difficult it had been. I spent two days studying in the classroom and two entire evenings revising, and by the morning of the exam I felt so worried my eye started twitching. That was a couple of months ago. In the meantime, I'd spent hours and hours filling in seemingly endless BBC paperwork. Every possible risk had to be assessed and minimised. My boss even bought a surplus ammunition tin for storing the drone batteries, just in case they exploded. In hindsight, that was probably overkill. - Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones, are aircraft operated remotely without the pilot being aboard - Small drones fitted with cameras, including those sold commercially to hobbyists, are increasingly being used by broadcasters, filmmakers and photographers - Some drones have fixed wings, like an aeroplane, but the most popular types have multiple rotors - Most small drones are powered by batteries and operated using gamepad-style remote controllers - Consumer drones range in price hugely, starting at about PS40 for one with a camera, with more advanced models costing more than PS1,000 So when it was finally time for my first flight, I'd forgotten a lot of what I'd learned on the course. But with Sion's guidance I went through the 20-point checklist, which included testing the gyroscope, accelerometer and compass. I also made sure the aircraft was connected to at least six GPS satellites and fixed my maximum altitude at 400ft - the limit set by the CAA. I'd previously come across some \"drones for women\" advice that was so sexist and patronising it was funny. Along with a photo of women in skimpy vest tops it warned that \"not all quadcopters are user-friendly to novices, especially ladies\". However, controlling the drone was a lot easier than I expected. I pushed up on the stick and it rose smoothly into the air. I released the stick and it hovered in place. I tried flying it left and right and the aircraft followed. It was very responsive and steady - almost like a computer game. Then Sion asked me to turn the GPS off. This is something that crops up on your final test, and he wanted me to experience it. That's when it got tricky. Even though there wasn't much wind, the drone was immediately pushed towards the busy road. Admittedly, the road in question was quite a long way away - well within safe limits - and the drone only drifted about 10 metres, but it was enough for me to imagine causing a massive, catastrophic pile-up. I didn't have the courage to fly without GPS for long. After no more than a few seconds I switched it back on and the drone quickly stabilised. That's the dilemma with drones. Features such as GPS mean a relatively inexperienced person can fly them much more easily than, say, a radio-controlled helicopter. But the GPS signal can fail, or there could be some other kind of malfunction, causing an inexperienced pilot to lose control. If you want to see what can happen, type \"drone fly away\" into YouTube and you'll find countless videos of them flying off and crashing for no apparent reason. Before taking the test I needed to record at least two hours of practice in my flight log, so my boss set me the task of filming a Rocky-style training montage. Despite my apprehension my confidence quickly grew, and I actually started to enjoy whizzing the drone around my local park. Within a few weeks I even felt brave enough to fly around a dog assault course I spotted in the park, weaving the drone in between trees and up and down a ramp. On one visit my cameraman, Chris, and I took along a paper target which we thought would be cool to land the drone on. Very quickly, it started going wrong. Each time I tried to set down on the paper target, the downwash from the drone blew it away, even when we tried weighing the target down with stones. Before long, the drone's batteries started running out. With the drone just above our heads, I once again tried to manoeuvre it over the target. It responded strangely, pulling in the wrong direction. Then suddenly, it shot off towards Chris. Fortunately it headed for his legs, rather than his face, giving him time to follow our emergency procedure of \"run in the opposite direction\". Needless to say, I felt very guilty about almost injuring my colleague. So, what happened? Well, I'm not certain, but my best guess is that because the drone's battery was low, it had been trying to land itself. I went back to Sion for advice, and he thought this could have caused the mishap. \"Your battery hit its critical level so the flight control computer sent it on its 'failsafe' or 'get you home' route. It may have tried to climb to its safety altitude hence why it seemed a bit out of control,\" he said. It was the closest I'd come to disaster and, if anyone from the CAA is reading this, I'd like to point out that I've learned my lesson and will never do anything reckless again. Soon afterwards, I took the flying test and - although I was extremely nervous - I passed with no major problems. I even got two commendations for my risk assessment and emergency procedures. Then there was even more paperwork - this time my application to the CAA, which included writing a 45-page Operations Manuals setting out how I intend to operate my drone safely. My \"drone licence\" - technically called a Permission - arrived back about a month later. It means I can now use a drone for work, and unlike hobbyists, I can fly in congested areas - although I still need to make sure I don't fly near buildings or random members of the public who aren't \"under my control\". I discovered that consumer drones are designed to be user friendly so that anyone can control them, even me. I could probably have followed the instructions out of the box and worked it out for myself. However, the risk of something going seriously wrong would have been a lot higher because I wouldn't have gone through all the safety checks. I feel extremely fortunate to have had an expert like Sion helping me, but realistically, most consumers are unlikely to take an in-depth course like the one I did. So, what can the average person do to fly more safely? Following the CAA's Drone Code - which sets out the basic safety rules - would be a start, and hopefully awareness of this will spread as drones grow in popularity. Some retailers have started offering free flight lessons when people buy drones, which can only be a good thing. If people can't get a free lesson - and don't want to pay about PS100 for one - perhaps they could find a more experienced friend to help them. And this might sound obvious, but don't do anything blatantly reckless like flying near an airport, or, erm, flying with a low battery. - Always keep your drone in sight - Fly no higher than 400ft - Fly no further than 500 metres away - Don't fly near airports or other aircraft - Keep at least 50 metres away from people, unless they are under your control - Keep at least 50 metres away from vehicles, vessels, buildings or structures that are not under your control - Don't fly over or within 150m of a congested area or large gathering of people - Get permission from the landowner of wherever you take off and land", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4621, "answer_start": 4107, "text": "Pilots and others in the aviation industry are concerned about drones colliding with aircraft. In the UK alone, 64 near misses were reported from January to November 2016. Drone propellers can cut and injure people. Pop star Enrique Iglesias was injured when he grabbed a drone during a concert while a toddler in Worcestershire lost an eye after a drone propeller sliced it in half. Of course, a drone can also fall out of the sky, like the one that smashed into the ground next to skier Marcel Hirscher in 2015." } ], "id": "9664_0", "question": "What could go wrong?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 12244, "answer_start": 11123, "text": "I discovered that consumer drones are designed to be user friendly so that anyone can control them, even me. I could probably have followed the instructions out of the box and worked it out for myself. However, the risk of something going seriously wrong would have been a lot higher because I wouldn't have gone through all the safety checks. I feel extremely fortunate to have had an expert like Sion helping me, but realistically, most consumers are unlikely to take an in-depth course like the one I did. So, what can the average person do to fly more safely? Following the CAA's Drone Code - which sets out the basic safety rules - would be a start, and hopefully awareness of this will spread as drones grow in popularity. Some retailers have started offering free flight lessons when people buy drones, which can only be a good thing. If people can't get a free lesson - and don't want to pay about PS100 for one - perhaps they could find a more experienced friend to help them. And this might sound obvious, but don't do anything blatantly reckless like flying near an airport, or, erm, flying with a low battery." } ], "id": "9664_1", "question": "So, how easy is it to fly a drone?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The opening episode of A Very English Scandal - documenting the rise and fall of politician Jeremy Thorpe - has received broad praise from critics. The BBC mini-series stars Hugh Grant in \"revelatory\" form as the Liberal Party leader, with Ben Whishaw as his ex-lover Norman Scott. Viewers joked that the Paddington co-stars turn as lovers meant the family films had taken an \"unexpected turn\". Here is a round-up of reaction to the \"funny\" yet \"chilling\" debut episode. Ahead of broadcast of the Russell T Davies adaptation, much had been made of the decision to cast Grant - previously typecast as a romcom actor - in the role of Thorpe. The Guardian suggests the gamble has paid off with Grant \"never less than wholly convincing and compelling\" and \"clearly having the time of his actorly life,\" writes Lucy Mangan. \"Everything (bar the stutter) that made him a romcom star is still there, but now there is everything else too,\" she says. \"He handles the comic scenes and moments, which are sprinkled liberally throughout, with the deftness you'd expect, but never loses sight of the underlying nervousness, fear and venality underlying the politician's moves,\" Mangan continues. Grant is aided by Davies' dialogue, adapted from John Preston's novel of the same name, says Digital Spy - capturing the \"tragedy and farce\" of the scandal prior to the partial legalisation of homosexuality in 1967. A gay affair, a bungled plot and a dead dog on Exmoor were the ingredients of what came to be dubbed \"the trial of the century\". Thorpe - leader of the Liberal Party - became the first British politician to be tried for conspiracy and incitement to murder - charged over an assassination plot against his secret lover Norman Scott. However, it was a Great Dane called Rinka that ended up being shot on Exmoor in October 1975, by a man whom Scott believed had been sent to kill him. A police investigation into the Exmoor incident led to Thorpe and three associates being charged. Thorpe was acquitted but his career never recovered. He died in 2014, aged 85, after a long battle with Parkinson's. Read the full story. The Telegraph is similarly effusive calling Hugh Grant \"both charming and bone-chilling in this brilliant take on the Thorpe affair\". The paper's Jasper Rees argues Grant's portrayal embodies \"everything that is perfectly loathsome about some Establishment figures: entitlement and charm masking the ruthless guile of a predator.\" The depiction of Thorpe's double-life is enabled with \"spiffing joie de vivre\" through Alex Jenning's performance as fellow MP Peter Bessell - the confidant turned witness in Thorpe's eventual trial for conspiracy to murder Scott. And while The Times' review notes the real-life Scott, now 78, reportedly \"hates\" the way Whishaw portrays him as a \"mincing weakling,\" The Independent sees Whishaw's take as the puppy-eyed model to be \"pitifully believable\". However, critical response to Whishaw's performance on social media quickly became dwarfed by comparisons to his role in Paddington. The 37-year-old voiced the much-loved bear in the 2014 reboot and last year's sequel, in which Grant, 57, played villain Phoenix Buchanan. As it debuted on Sunday night, viewers admitted it was hard hearing Paddington's voice, particularly during some of the more intimate scenes between the pair. \"I can't watch Paddington being seduced by Phoenix Buchanan. I just can't,\" said one person on Twitter. \"Can't help but watch #averyenglishscandal and think it's just Paddington 2 that's taken a very dark turn...\" tweeted another. One viewer joked: \"Blimey, Paddington 3 is a real departure from the last one.\" Amusement aside, the positive response led viewers and critics to tip the show as an early Bafta contender. Some said Grant had been born to play Thorpe and many called for awards for both actors: One impressed viewer tweeted: \"Next years NTAs and BAFTA's should just be given to the entire cast and crew of #AVeryEnglishScandal now.\" Another posted: \"Hey BAFTA, clear the decks - #AVeryEnglishScandal is ON FIRE.....\" A Very English Scandal continues Sunday at 21:00 BST on BBC One. Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2116, "answer_start": 1399, "text": "A gay affair, a bungled plot and a dead dog on Exmoor were the ingredients of what came to be dubbed \"the trial of the century\". Thorpe - leader of the Liberal Party - became the first British politician to be tried for conspiracy and incitement to murder - charged over an assassination plot against his secret lover Norman Scott. However, it was a Great Dane called Rinka that ended up being shot on Exmoor in October 1975, by a man whom Scott believed had been sent to kill him. A police investigation into the Exmoor incident led to Thorpe and three associates being charged. Thorpe was acquitted but his career never recovered. He died in 2014, aged 85, after a long battle with Parkinson's. Read the full story." } ], "id": "9665_0", "question": "What was the Thorpe scandal?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4130, "answer_start": 3647, "text": "Amusement aside, the positive response led viewers and critics to tip the show as an early Bafta contender. Some said Grant had been born to play Thorpe and many called for awards for both actors: One impressed viewer tweeted: \"Next years NTAs and BAFTA's should just be given to the entire cast and crew of #AVeryEnglishScandal now.\" Another posted: \"Hey BAFTA, clear the decks - #AVeryEnglishScandal is ON FIRE.....\" A Very English Scandal continues Sunday at 21:00 BST on BBC One." } ], "id": "9665_1", "question": "Award success?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a UN call to end settlement activity on occupied land is \"shameful\". He stressed that Israel would not abide by Friday's vote at the 15-member UN Security Council. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesman said the resolution was a \"big blow to Israeli policy\". The resolution was passed after the US refused to veto it, breaking with long-standing American practice. Washington has traditionally sheltered Israel from condemnatory resolutions. The Egyptian-drafted resolution had been withdrawn after Israel asked US President-elect Donald Trump to intervene, but it was proposed again by Malaysia, New Zealand, Senegal and Venezuela.. The resolution, approved by 14 votes to zero, with only the US abstaining, demands that Israel immediately \"cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem\". It says Jewish settlements are a \"flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace\". The issue is one of the most contentious between Israel and the Palestinians. About 500,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this. Blame and bitterness keeping peace at bay A statement issued by Mr Netanyahu's office said: \"Israel rejects this shameful anti-Israel resolution at the UN and will not abide by its terms. \"At a time when the Security Council does nothing to stop the slaughter of half-a-million people in Syria, it disgracefully gangs up on the one true democracy in the Middle East, Israel, and calls the Western Wall 'occupied territory'. \"The Obama administration not only failed to protect Israel against this gang-up at the UN, it colluded with it behind the scenes\". Mr Netanyahu is looking forward to working with Mr Trump, the statement added. Israel also announced its ambassadors to New Zealand and Senegal had been ordered to return for consultations and that it was cutting all aid programmes to Senegal. Israel has no diplomatic ties with Malaysia and Venezuela. A spokesman for Mr Abbas said: \"The Security Council resolution is a big blow to Israeli policy, a unanimous international condemnation of settlements and a strong support for the two-state solution.\" The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour said: \"The Council's action, while long overdue, is timely, necessary and important.\" The US envoy to the UN, Samantha Power, said the resolution reflected the \"facts on the ground\" that settlement growth had been accelerating. \"The settlement problem has gotten so much worse that it is threatening the two-state solution,\" she said. Criticising Mr Netanyahu, she said: \"One cannot simultaneously champion expanding settlements and champion a two-state solution that would end the conflict.\" However, she said the US had not voted in favour of the resolution because it was \"too narrowly focused\" on settlements. She added that even if all settlements were dismantled, both sides would still have to acknowledge \"uncomfortable truths\" and make \"difficult choices\" to reach peace. Meanwhile, Mr Trump, who will be inaugurated on 20 January, tweeted after the vote: \"As to the UN, things will be different after Jan. 20th.\" On Thursday, Mr Trump had urged the council to reject the motion. \"Peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians will only come through direct negotiations between the parties, and not through the imposition of terms by the United Nations,\" he said. The resolution reflects an international consensus that the growth of Israeli settlement-building has come to threaten the viability of a Palestinian state in any future peace deal. It is a view strongly shared by the Obama administration, and for that reason the US reversed its policy of vetoing any UN Security Council criticism of Israel. It is a decision that was taken after months of debate within the administration about whether and how President Obama might be able to define his position on a two-state solution before leaving office. But his successor Donald Trump has made clear he intends to strongly support Israeli government positions, even making a highly unorthodox intervention before the vote by publicly urging Mr Obama to veto the resolution.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2575, "answer_start": 2237, "text": "A spokesman for Mr Abbas said: \"The Security Council resolution is a big blow to Israeli policy, a unanimous international condemnation of settlements and a strong support for the two-state solution.\" The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour said: \"The Council's action, while long overdue, is timely, necessary and important.\"" } ], "id": "9666_0", "question": "What did the Palestinians say?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey caught Washington by complete surprise. No-one - in Congress, in conservative circles, even in the FBI itself - seemingly had an inkling of what was in store. As politicians and pundits survey the fallout, here are a few of the big questions they are likely to contemplate. The abruptness and timing of Mr Comey's dismissal, to put it mildly, is highly suspicious. Just over a week ago, the FBI director talked about his agency's investigation into Russian meddling in the US presidential election - and possible Russian ties to the Trump campaign - before a Senate committee. He was scheduled to appear before Congress again to discuss \"worldwide threats\" on Thursday. Mr Trump has been tweeting almost non-stop about how the allegations are a \"hoax\" and the investigations are a \"taxpayer funded charade\". Now the man overseeing that investigation has been shown the door - by Mr Trump himself. While the White House has said that the move is based on concerns over how Mr Comey handled last year's investigation into Hillary Clinton's email server, not many people - particularly Democrats - are buying that line. They may recall last year, just a few days before election day, how Mr Trump praised Mr Comey for his handling of the email inquiry. \"It took guts for Director Comey to make the move that he made in light of the kind of opposition he had where they're trying to protect her from criminal prosecution,\" Mr Trump said at a campaign rally. \"It took a lot of guts.\" Mr Trump, it seems, has soured on the FBI director - and, according to the New York Times, had been seeking a reason to fire him for more than a week. If the dismissal was because of the email investigation, why act now? How the Trump White House answers that question will go a long way toward determining whether the cover-up allegations die down over time. Reaction to Comey's shock exit Shortly before Chuck Schumer held his hastily called press conference to say that the Comey firing necessitated an independent investigation into Mr Trump's Russia ties, the White House began circulating an old quote from the Democratic Senate minority leader criticising the FBI director for his handling of the Clinton investigation. \"I do not have confidence in him any longer,\" Mr Schumer said last November. Plenty of the same Democrats who are now howling over Mr Comey's dismissal have had similarly harsh words - which are sure to be pointed to by Mr Trump's supporters. In his letter laying out the case for Mr Comey's dismissal, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said that the FBI director's \"serious mistakes\" in the Clinton case were \"one of the few issue that unites people of diverse perspectives\". Indeed Mr Comey did break with precedent in his July 2016 news conference announcing that the FBI would not recommend charges against Mrs Clinton despite her being \"extremely careless\" with classified material. He did so again in sending a letter updating Congress on politically charged developments of the investigation just over a week from election day. Over the course of 2016, Mr Comey managed to anger Democrats with his initial handling of the Clinton investigation, Republicans with his subsequent resolution of the case and then Democrats again for his election eve actions. How Comey defended his actions Then there's the matter of how he has conducted the Trump-Russia investigation so far - keeping it from the public during the election season, much to Democrats' consternation, and now angering the Trump team with its open-ended nature. Make enough enemies in Washington, and your career lifespan can shrink to that of a mayfly. A generous view would say that Mr Comey navigated treacherous waters as best he could in an era where political disputes are increasingly criminalised. Another take is that he sank in a ship that he himself had riddled with holes. Mr Schumer has called for an independent investigation into Russian interference in the US presidential election and any connections to the Trump campaign. And as the hours go by, it's increasingly difficult to find a Democrat who hasn't issued a sternly worded statement with similar sentiment. For such an inquiry to get off the ground, however, the calls will have to come from Republicans as well as Democrats. So far, however, the big guns in the Republican Party have stayed silent. Chuck Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Mr Comey had lost the public's trust. Senator Lindsey Graham, who earlier on Tuesday had suggested Mr Trump's Russia business ties should be investigated, said a \"fresh start\" will serve the nation well. Republican questions Trump business deals Others have been a bit sharper. Senator Richard Burr, chair on the intelligence committee investigating Russia election meddling, said he was \"troubled\" by the move, while Senator John McCain called for an independent congressional investigation. Only longtime Trump critic Justin Amash, a congressman from Michigan, has said he's contemplating legislation authorising an independent commission to look into the matter. Special prosecutors and independent inquiries are likely the last thing the Trump White House wants at this point. In the past, such free-ranging probes have expanded and enveloped administrations, ranging from George W Bush (over revelations of the identity of a clandestine CIA operative whose husband was critical of the Iraq War) to Bill Clinton (in which a real estate investigation morphed into the Monica Lewinsky impeachment case). The president may not have a choice, of course - but only if Republicans break ranks in a manner they have shown no interest in doing as of yet. While it's not the biggest question hanging over the Comey firing, it may come to be one of the more interesting ones. Back in early March, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he was recusing himself from involvement in the FBI investigation into possible Russia-Trump ties. His move came after questions about why he had neglected to tell his confirmation committee he had met Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak while serving as an adviser to the Trump campaign. Now the attorney general, on the advice of his deputy, has issued a letter to President Trump recommending the dismissal of the head of the FBI. According to the New York Times, Mr Sessions had been asked by the president more than a week ago to establish grounds for sacking Mr Comey. Of course, there's nothing binding about such a promise of recusal. Any price Mr Sessions would pay, if this is indeed constitutes a violation, would be political. To that end, Democrats - including Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York - will do their best to make the Trump administration feel the squeeze. \"AG Sessions lied under oath about meetings with Kislyak,\" she tweeted. \"One way to exert control after recusal is by getting rid of FBI director. Chilling.\" Of all the questions this will likely be the most consequential. The identity of the person Mr Trump picks as the next FBI director will go a long way toward framing the perceptions of Mr Comey's dismissal. If he chooses someone of a questionable background - a loyal subordinate or political acolyte - then the answer to that first cover-up question will tilt toward \"Yes\". Names of outspoken campaign surrogates like former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie fall into this category. If Mr Trump opts for a career law enforcement or judicial official - someone known and respected in Washington circles - or a Democrat, it will go a long way towards quelling the current political uproar. When President Bill Clinton fired FBI Director William Sessions early in his presidency, for instance, he chose Louis Freeh - a Republican-appointed federal judge - as his replacement. Mr Clinton had carefully planned out the move, knowing that sacking an FBI director mid-term - even one mired in an ethics controversy, as Sessions was - would be controversial. He already had settled on Mr Freeh as his choice before announcing the firing, and quickly moved to line up support for his confirmation. Time will tell, but at this point there is little indication that the Trump White House has engaged in such levels of planning.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5715, "answer_start": 3914, "text": "Mr Schumer has called for an independent investigation into Russian interference in the US presidential election and any connections to the Trump campaign. And as the hours go by, it's increasingly difficult to find a Democrat who hasn't issued a sternly worded statement with similar sentiment. For such an inquiry to get off the ground, however, the calls will have to come from Republicans as well as Democrats. So far, however, the big guns in the Republican Party have stayed silent. Chuck Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Mr Comey had lost the public's trust. Senator Lindsey Graham, who earlier on Tuesday had suggested Mr Trump's Russia business ties should be investigated, said a \"fresh start\" will serve the nation well. Republican questions Trump business deals Others have been a bit sharper. Senator Richard Burr, chair on the intelligence committee investigating Russia election meddling, said he was \"troubled\" by the move, while Senator John McCain called for an independent congressional investigation. Only longtime Trump critic Justin Amash, a congressman from Michigan, has said he's contemplating legislation authorising an independent commission to look into the matter. Special prosecutors and independent inquiries are likely the last thing the Trump White House wants at this point. In the past, such free-ranging probes have expanded and enveloped administrations, ranging from George W Bush (over revelations of the identity of a clandestine CIA operative whose husband was critical of the Iraq War) to Bill Clinton (in which a real estate investigation morphed into the Monica Lewinsky impeachment case). The president may not have a choice, of course - but only if Republicans break ranks in a manner they have shown no interest in doing as of yet." } ], "id": "9667_0", "question": "Will there be a special investigation?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6937, "answer_start": 5716, "text": "While it's not the biggest question hanging over the Comey firing, it may come to be one of the more interesting ones. Back in early March, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he was recusing himself from involvement in the FBI investigation into possible Russia-Trump ties. His move came after questions about why he had neglected to tell his confirmation committee he had met Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak while serving as an adviser to the Trump campaign. Now the attorney general, on the advice of his deputy, has issued a letter to President Trump recommending the dismissal of the head of the FBI. According to the New York Times, Mr Sessions had been asked by the president more than a week ago to establish grounds for sacking Mr Comey. Of course, there's nothing binding about such a promise of recusal. Any price Mr Sessions would pay, if this is indeed constitutes a violation, would be political. To that end, Democrats - including Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York - will do their best to make the Trump administration feel the squeeze. \"AG Sessions lied under oath about meetings with Kislyak,\" she tweeted. \"One way to exert control after recusal is by getting rid of FBI director. Chilling.\"" } ], "id": "9667_1", "question": "Didn't Jeff Sessions promise to step back from the Russia investigation?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 8290, "answer_start": 6938, "text": "Of all the questions this will likely be the most consequential. The identity of the person Mr Trump picks as the next FBI director will go a long way toward framing the perceptions of Mr Comey's dismissal. If he chooses someone of a questionable background - a loyal subordinate or political acolyte - then the answer to that first cover-up question will tilt toward \"Yes\". Names of outspoken campaign surrogates like former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie fall into this category. If Mr Trump opts for a career law enforcement or judicial official - someone known and respected in Washington circles - or a Democrat, it will go a long way towards quelling the current political uproar. When President Bill Clinton fired FBI Director William Sessions early in his presidency, for instance, he chose Louis Freeh - a Republican-appointed federal judge - as his replacement. Mr Clinton had carefully planned out the move, knowing that sacking an FBI director mid-term - even one mired in an ethics controversy, as Sessions was - would be controversial. He already had settled on Mr Freeh as his choice before announcing the firing, and quickly moved to line up support for his confirmation. Time will tell, but at this point there is little indication that the Trump White House has engaged in such levels of planning." } ], "id": "9667_2", "question": "Who replaces Comey?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Pro-government forces in Yemen, backed by Saudi Arabia, have begun attacking a key port held by rebel fighters. The coastal city of Hudaydah is where most of the aid arrives for people in Yemen's rebel-held areas. Agencies have warned of a humanitarian catastrophe. About eight million people are at risk of starvation in the war-torn country. Pro-government strikes began after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels ignored a deadline to withdraw by midnight (21:00 GMT on Tuesday). It is the first time the Saudi-led coalition of mostly Gulf states has tried to capture such a well-defended major city in Yemen. The UN Security Council is expected to meet to discuss the situation on Thursday, following a request from the UK. The conflict in Yemen has raged since late 2014, when the Houthis and allied forces seized north-western parts of the country, including the capital Sanaa, and eventually forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee abroad. Alarmed by the rise of a group they saw as an Iranian proxy, Saudi Arabia and eight other Sunni Arab states launched a military campaign in March 2015 to restore Mr Hadi's government. The Saudi-led coalition has accused the rebels of using Hudaydah to smuggle in Iranian weapons. Both Iran and the rebels deny this. The coalition says victory could break the stalemate in the war and force the Houthis to the negotiating table. But the port is a lifeline for the majority of Yemen's population and the UN had been trying to get parties to the conflict to reach a deal that would avert an attack. An estimated 600,000 people live in the area. Robert Mardini, regional head for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said the attack was \"likely to exacerbate an already catastrophic humanitarian situation\". On Friday, UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Yemen Lise Grande warned: \"In a prolonged worst case, we fear that as many as 250,000 people may lose everything - even their lives.\" Read more on why the battle for Hudaydah matters. On Tuesday, the exiled government said its forces and allied Saudi-led troops launched their assault after \"exhausting all peaceful and political means\". Coalition warplanes and warships later began bombarding Houthi positions. An alliance of Yemeni forces supporting the internationally recognised government is leading the ground assault. The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya network reported \"intense and concentrated\" strikes near the port. \"The liberation of Hudaydah port is a turning point in our struggle to recapture Yemen from the militias that hijacked it to serve foreign agendas,\" the exiled government said. The rebels have said they will \"confront the coalition of aggression on all fronts\". By BBC correspondent Nawal Al-Maghafi For the last three years the Saudi-led coalition hasn't made any major advances. But in the last few weeks, the rebel side has lost a lot of fighters and commanders. The coalition sees a window of opportunity and is desperate to gain ground. It has argued repeatedly that a Hudaydah offensive can be mounted quickly and effectively, leaving the port functioning at a higher capacity. But if the battle is prolonged, it will leave millions of Yemenis without food, fuel and other vital supplies. In reality, families in Hudaydah are already starving and desperately relying on humanitarian aid. Reporting from the city last year, I saw children who were severely undeveloped, their ribs protruding. They were living off a peanut-based paste provided by aid agencies. The hospitals were desperately trying to do what they could but were overwhelmed by cases of malnutrition and cholera. Now this battle threatens to push these people off the brink. Meanwhile, the possibility of the warring sides returning to the negotiating table seems even more remote. About 10,000 people - two-thirds of them civilians - have been killed in the fighting since March 2015, according to the UN. The vast majority of the casualties have been the result of coalition air strikes. The UN's figures do not include those who have died of disease and malnutrition. The conflict and a partial blockade by the coalition have also left 22 million people in need of humanitarian aid. It has created the world's largest food emergency and led to a cholera outbreak that is thought to have killed 2,290 people. In a tweet, the UN's envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, called on both sides to end the fighting and find a negotiated settlement.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1994, "answer_start": 1131, "text": "The Saudi-led coalition has accused the rebels of using Hudaydah to smuggle in Iranian weapons. Both Iran and the rebels deny this. The coalition says victory could break the stalemate in the war and force the Houthis to the negotiating table. But the port is a lifeline for the majority of Yemen's population and the UN had been trying to get parties to the conflict to reach a deal that would avert an attack. An estimated 600,000 people live in the area. Robert Mardini, regional head for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said the attack was \"likely to exacerbate an already catastrophic humanitarian situation\". On Friday, UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Yemen Lise Grande warned: \"In a prolonged worst case, we fear that as many as 250,000 people may lose everything - even their lives.\" Read more on why the battle for Hudaydah matters." } ], "id": "9668_0", "question": "Why does Hudaydah matter?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2691, "answer_start": 1995, "text": "On Tuesday, the exiled government said its forces and allied Saudi-led troops launched their assault after \"exhausting all peaceful and political means\". Coalition warplanes and warships later began bombarding Houthi positions. An alliance of Yemeni forces supporting the internationally recognised government is leading the ground assault. The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya network reported \"intense and concentrated\" strikes near the port. \"The liberation of Hudaydah port is a turning point in our struggle to recapture Yemen from the militias that hijacked it to serve foreign agendas,\" the exiled government said. The rebels have said they will \"confront the coalition of aggression on all fronts\"." } ], "id": "9668_1", "question": "How have operations unfolded?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4442, "answer_start": 3784, "text": "About 10,000 people - two-thirds of them civilians - have been killed in the fighting since March 2015, according to the UN. The vast majority of the casualties have been the result of coalition air strikes. The UN's figures do not include those who have died of disease and malnutrition. The conflict and a partial blockade by the coalition have also left 22 million people in need of humanitarian aid. It has created the world's largest food emergency and led to a cholera outbreak that is thought to have killed 2,290 people. In a tweet, the UN's envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, called on both sides to end the fighting and find a negotiated settlement." } ], "id": "9668_2", "question": "How serious is the humanitarian crisis?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "It takes time to win the trust of hackers who hang out online. For the last six weeks I have kept strange company. I have mixed with ewhores, quizzed hardened hackers, asked account hijackers how their day is going, tried to get malware makers to talk about their trade and debated ethics with people who steal cash using remote access viruses. All these people are on web discussion forums I joined as part of a special project taking a closer look at cyber crime. I registered on a few sites known for their interest in hacking but spent most of my time on Hack Forums. Its three million registered members make it one of the biggest places in the world for chatter about hacking - in all its forms. It is an exhilarating place to visit. It has separate boards dedicated to all kinds of hacking activity, many of which I had heard of and some that I had not. It is also a surprisingly complex community. For every message asking \"How do I hack Facebook?\" there are as many debating esoteric ways to interrogate a website and find chinks in its armour to get at what lies within. \"The site at first glance seems like a bunch of monkeys trying to figure out algebra,\" wrote Armada, one of the site's regular members whom I spoke to. The big problem I faced joining the site is that I am a nobody. Sites such as Hack Forums and many others operate on a reputation economy. Long-standing members who have proved their worth to the community and who have lots of \"vouches\" from others have the best reputation and highest access. By contrast newbies, like me, get almost none. I'd have to contribute 25 good quality posts before I could send any personal messages. This would make it hard to contact people directly - my preferred method. I could, and did, post directly to discussion groups but the risk is that as a journalist I'm a tempting target for anyone keen to make their name by catching me out. Especially as some HF residents specialise in social engineering attacks that help them take control of other people's social media accounts. So, I went around these blocks and dropped messages to the off-board accounts that long-standing members advertised. Many use HF as a place to offer their own guides and services that are available elsewhere. I got in touch via Skype names, Jabber instant message accounts, email addresses and through website contact forms. Most often I got no response. Or no further reply after one exchange during which I told them I worked for the BBC. A few people thought I was a cop posing as a journalist looking to trick people into opening up. One asked me to prove who I said I was by taking a picture with some photo ID. I took the snap but just as I was about to send it some of the folks I contacted, including Armada, had checked me out and reassured themselves that I was who I said I was. \"We have members on an almost universal scale with skill sets ranging from being able to turn a computer on, to critical vulnerability exploitation,\" wrote Armada. \"Certainly, not all members are great hackers, and not all are completely inept either, but it varies from person to person,\" wrote True Demon in response to my questions. \"The one great thing about HF is that it is a safe place to discuss the fine art of hacking, or whatever else catches your interest.\" True Demon added that he was only giving his own opinion rather than speaking for the wider hacker community. The other main reason for wanting to spend time there is to get to grips with the sub-culture of teenagers who are dabbling with cyber crime. It is not just me who is curious about members of this rapidly growing group who are often given the name \"script kiddies\" - this is not a term of endearment. The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) is also interested in them because of the growing numbers of young men it is dealing with who have been caught because they used the types of tools found on HF or employ the techniques that can be learned there. \"I can think of 10-15 arrests in the last 6 months in which all the people have been under the age of 18,\" said Richard Jones, head of the NCA's Prevent programme that tries to stop young people tumbling into a life of cyber crime. Last week, the UK's South East Regional Organised Crime Unit arrested a 16-year-old from the East Midlands who is believed to be part of the Crackas With Attitude hacking group that targeted CIA director John Brennan, among others. Earlier operations have netted fledgling hackers as young as 12. \"We are seeing more people getting into cyber crime in the UK,\" said Mr Jones \"It is getting more accessible as well - the internet makes it very easy for young people to learn about it.\" Many of the low level hacks they use are gateways to ever more nefarious activity, he told the BBC. The \"script kiddy\" state of mind is one that is regularly debated on HF. On one lengthy message thread, a member called Disparity kicked off the discussion about morals by calling people who use remote access tools \"worthless, ethic-lacking scum\". As their name implies, remote access programs give their creators access to a victims' PC. Some use this access to spy, steal or profit. Instead, said Disparity, such people would be better off learning more and practising more \"acceptable morals\". In response, ClawzTech wrote of his victims: \"If they're dumb enough to get infected, then they need to be punished.\" True Demon said he was also concerned about the decisions some younger members take. \"I still worry about the ethical decisions that some HF users choose,\" he said. \"The majority of HF users, myself included, actively discourage others from performing illegal activity with the knowledge they gain there.\" He added that the \"scare tactics\" of the NCA and others can be counter-productive. \"They should be encouraging kids to learn this stuff, but to do so in an ethical and structured format.\" he said \"They would have a lot more people working with their cyber-division, if they did. \"Government and law enforcement have a tendency to paint hackers as a whole in a bad light, ostracising the subculture as malicious, dangerous, and evil,\" he said. \"Don't you think it would be better to foster and instruct those kinds of kids to use their skills for good, rather than treating them like they are some kind of criminal?\"", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3414, "answer_start": 1233, "text": "The big problem I faced joining the site is that I am a nobody. Sites such as Hack Forums and many others operate on a reputation economy. Long-standing members who have proved their worth to the community and who have lots of \"vouches\" from others have the best reputation and highest access. By contrast newbies, like me, get almost none. I'd have to contribute 25 good quality posts before I could send any personal messages. This would make it hard to contact people directly - my preferred method. I could, and did, post directly to discussion groups but the risk is that as a journalist I'm a tempting target for anyone keen to make their name by catching me out. Especially as some HF residents specialise in social engineering attacks that help them take control of other people's social media accounts. So, I went around these blocks and dropped messages to the off-board accounts that long-standing members advertised. Many use HF as a place to offer their own guides and services that are available elsewhere. I got in touch via Skype names, Jabber instant message accounts, email addresses and through website contact forms. Most often I got no response. Or no further reply after one exchange during which I told them I worked for the BBC. A few people thought I was a cop posing as a journalist looking to trick people into opening up. One asked me to prove who I said I was by taking a picture with some photo ID. I took the snap but just as I was about to send it some of the folks I contacted, including Armada, had checked me out and reassured themselves that I was who I said I was. \"We have members on an almost universal scale with skill sets ranging from being able to turn a computer on, to critical vulnerability exploitation,\" wrote Armada. \"Certainly, not all members are great hackers, and not all are completely inept either, but it varies from person to person,\" wrote True Demon in response to my questions. \"The one great thing about HF is that it is a safe place to discuss the fine art of hacking, or whatever else catches your interest.\" True Demon added that he was only giving his own opinion rather than speaking for the wider hacker community." } ], "id": "9669_0", "question": "Who are you?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Tensions are high in Indian-administered Kashmir amid speculation that a law which grants the state's residents unique privileges including property rights could be revoked. Top leaders have been put under house arrest, public meetings have been banned and reports say mobile networks and the internet have been restricted. Article 35A, as it is known, has always been a source of contention between the Muslim-majority valley and the right-wing Hindu BJP party that now governs India. The party has long vowed to revoke the law, which many see as a core aspect of the special status the Indian constitution gives Kashmir. This provision, known as Article 370, allows the state its own constitution, a separate flag and independence over all matters except foreign affairs, defence and communications. Article 35A of the constitution allows the legislature of Indian-administered Kashmir to define the state's \"permanent residents\" and what distinguishes them. It applies to all of Indian-administered Kashmir, including Jammu and Ladakh. All identified residents are issued a permanent resident certificate, which entitles them to special benefits related to employment, scholarships and other privileges. But the biggest advantage for permanent residents is that only they have the right to own and, therefore, buy, property in the state. All those who were living in the state as of 14 May 1954, when the law came into effect; and those who have lived in the state for 10 years anytime since, are counted as permanent residents. The state legislature can also alter the definition of a permanent resident or other aspects of the law by a two-thirds majority. The Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, first passed the law in 1927 to stop the influx of people from the northern state of Punjab into the state. Reports say he did this on the urging of powerful Kashmiri Hindus. The law still exists in parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. In India, the law in its current form was introduced in 1954. It's part of Article 370, the constitutional provision that grants Kashmir special status within India. When the Jammu and Kashmir constitution was adopted in 1956, it ratified the then two-year-old permanent resident law. It protects the state's distinct demographic character. Since Indian-administered Kashmir is the only Muslim-majority state in India, many Kashmiris suspect Hindu nationalist groups of encouraging Hindus to migrate to the state. This doesn't sit well with Kashmiris given their tumultuous relationship with India - there has been an armed revolt in the region against Indian rule since 1989. India blames Pakistan for fuelling the unrest, a charge Islamabad denies. Both countries claim Kashmir in its entirety but only control parts of it. Since India's partition and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars and a limited conflict over the territory. They say abolishing the law would dishonour the Indian government's promise to protect Kashmir's special status. They also fear that it would open up the state for outsiders to settle, eventually changing its demographics. Former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted that removing the law would have \"grave consequences\" for Jammu and Ladakh. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has warned that it would destroy India's fragile relationship with the state. Senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari contributed to this story in 2017. He was killed in Srinagar on 14 June 2018.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1340, "answer_start": 802, "text": "Article 35A of the constitution allows the legislature of Indian-administered Kashmir to define the state's \"permanent residents\" and what distinguishes them. It applies to all of Indian-administered Kashmir, including Jammu and Ladakh. All identified residents are issued a permanent resident certificate, which entitles them to special benefits related to employment, scholarships and other privileges. But the biggest advantage for permanent residents is that only they have the right to own and, therefore, buy, property in the state." } ], "id": "9670_0", "question": "What does Article 35A say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1661, "answer_start": 1341, "text": "All those who were living in the state as of 14 May 1954, when the law came into effect; and those who have lived in the state for 10 years anytime since, are counted as permanent residents. The state legislature can also alter the definition of a permanent resident or other aspects of the law by a two-thirds majority." } ], "id": "9670_1", "question": "Who does it cover?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2222, "answer_start": 1662, "text": "The Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, first passed the law in 1927 to stop the influx of people from the northern state of Punjab into the state. Reports say he did this on the urging of powerful Kashmiri Hindus. The law still exists in parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. In India, the law in its current form was introduced in 1954. It's part of Article 370, the constitutional provision that grants Kashmir special status within India. When the Jammu and Kashmir constitution was adopted in 1956, it ratified the then two-year-old permanent resident law." } ], "id": "9670_2", "question": "How did it come about?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2919, "answer_start": 2223, "text": "It protects the state's distinct demographic character. Since Indian-administered Kashmir is the only Muslim-majority state in India, many Kashmiris suspect Hindu nationalist groups of encouraging Hindus to migrate to the state. This doesn't sit well with Kashmiris given their tumultuous relationship with India - there has been an armed revolt in the region against Indian rule since 1989. India blames Pakistan for fuelling the unrest, a charge Islamabad denies. Both countries claim Kashmir in its entirety but only control parts of it. Since India's partition and the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars and a limited conflict over the territory." } ], "id": "9670_3", "question": "What is its significance?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3482, "answer_start": 2920, "text": "They say abolishing the law would dishonour the Indian government's promise to protect Kashmir's special status. They also fear that it would open up the state for outsiders to settle, eventually changing its demographics. Former chief minister Omar Abdullah tweeted that removing the law would have \"grave consequences\" for Jammu and Ladakh. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has warned that it would destroy India's fragile relationship with the state. Senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari contributed to this story in 2017. He was killed in Srinagar on 14 June 2018." } ], "id": "9670_4", "question": "What do those who defend the law say?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Former US Vice-President Joe Biden is under fire from fellow 2020 Democratic presidential candidates for his stance on abortion. Elizabeth Warren and Beto O'Rourke are the latest contenders to attack Mr Biden for supporting a law that bars federal abortion funding. Other Democratic hopefuls fired off thinly veiled criticisms of him. Mr Biden is currently front-runner in the race for his party's nomination in next year's presidential election. He has long voiced support for the Hyde Amendment - a law passed in 1976, right on the heels of the Roe v Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalised abortion across the US. His campaign told NBC News this week he was still in favour of the amendment, triggering a backlash from liberal Democrats. In 1976, Henry Hyde, an Illinois Republican congressman, wrote an amendment to a federal funding bill that stated: \"None of the funds contained in this Act shall be used to perform abortions except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the foetus were carried to term.\" The amendment meant that the vast majority of women receiving federal assistance through the low-income healthcare programme Medicaid would be blocked from using that money for abortion services, which can often cost several hundred dollars. In 1994, under Democratic President Bill Clinton, the Hyde Amendment was updated to include exceptions in cases of rape or incest. On Wednesday, both Mr O'Rourke, a former Texas congressman, and Ms Warren, a Massachusetts senator, directly criticised Mr Biden's stance. Speaking to MSNBC during a televised town hall event, Ms Warren said she felt Mr Biden was wrong to support the amendment because \"it's just discrimination\". She said the law disproportionately impacts poorer women. Mr O'Rourke told CBS News that Mr Biden's viewpoint was \"absolutely wrong\". \"Perhaps he doesn't understand,\" he said, \"who the Hyde Amendment hurts the most, lower income communities, communities of colour.\" Mr Biden is a practising Roman Catholic who has previously said he personally opposes abortion, but does not think he should impose his religious beliefs on others. The debate over repealing the Hyde Amendment is one of those instances where the political drama outweighs any real-world implications. The Hyde Amendment has been on the books in the US for more than 40 years. The prohibition on taxpayer-funded abortions is unlikely to disappear anytime soon, whether or not a Democratic presidential candidate supports it. What repeal advocacy demonstrates to some Democrats, however, is an entirely different issue. Joe Biden, for much of his early career, opposed legalised abortion. And while he's shifted on that issue, his continued backing of the Hyde Amendment is a vestige of his very long political trail. Now that abortion rights have been put at risk by state-level legislation and face an uncertain future in the US Supreme Court, Mr Biden's views open him to attack from competitors seeking to tarnishing his front-runner status. The criticisms could damage the former vice-president among the activist base of the Democratic Party. The former vice-president, however, has claimed a lead in opinion surveys based on the backing of politically and socially moderate Democrats, who may - like Mr Biden - have complicated views on abortion. Their continued support is worth more to Mr Biden than any endorsements from abortion-rights groups. The four female senators running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination - Ms Warren, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar - have co-sponsored a measure to revoke the Hyde Amendment. They fired off criticisms of the law this week on Twitter, without directly naming Mr Biden. Others among the field of 24 candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination - including Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker and Jay Inslee - have expressed support this week for repealing the law.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1398, "answer_start": 742, "text": "In 1976, Henry Hyde, an Illinois Republican congressman, wrote an amendment to a federal funding bill that stated: \"None of the funds contained in this Act shall be used to perform abortions except where the life of the mother would be endangered if the foetus were carried to term.\" The amendment meant that the vast majority of women receiving federal assistance through the low-income healthcare programme Medicaid would be blocked from using that money for abortion services, which can often cost several hundred dollars. In 1994, under Democratic President Bill Clinton, the Hyde Amendment was updated to include exceptions in cases of rape or incest." } ], "id": "9671_0", "question": "What is the Hyde Amendment?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2126, "answer_start": 1399, "text": "On Wednesday, both Mr O'Rourke, a former Texas congressman, and Ms Warren, a Massachusetts senator, directly criticised Mr Biden's stance. Speaking to MSNBC during a televised town hall event, Ms Warren said she felt Mr Biden was wrong to support the amendment because \"it's just discrimination\". She said the law disproportionately impacts poorer women. Mr O'Rourke told CBS News that Mr Biden's viewpoint was \"absolutely wrong\". \"Perhaps he doesn't understand,\" he said, \"who the Hyde Amendment hurts the most, lower income communities, communities of colour.\" Mr Biden is a practising Roman Catholic who has previously said he personally opposes abortion, but does not think he should impose his religious beliefs on others." } ], "id": "9671_1", "question": "What did O'Rourke and Warren say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3901, "answer_start": 3415, "text": "The four female senators running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination - Ms Warren, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar - have co-sponsored a measure to revoke the Hyde Amendment. They fired off criticisms of the law this week on Twitter, without directly naming Mr Biden. Others among the field of 24 candidates for the 2020 Democratic nomination - including Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker and Jay Inslee - have expressed support this week for repealing the law." } ], "id": "9671_2", "question": "What about the other 2020 candidates?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "It took seven days for the war that no-one seemed to want to become the war that no-one seems to know how to stop. As the first week of July ended there was a sense that the political temperature was rising sharply here but no sign of a sustained confrontation between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli public had mourned three teenagers kidnapped and murdered as they hitchhiked home from school across the West Bank and Palestinians had grieved for a boy abducted and killed in a grisly act of reprisal as he waited for early prayers at a local mosque. There was rioting in Arab East Jerusalem and some of the towns of northern Israel with Palestinian populations but it subsided relatively quickly and the rocket fire from Gaza was a background rumble - nothing that Israel's sophisticated Iron Dome anti-missile system couldn't handle. Israeli air raids at that point were carefully calibrated - training grounds and launching sites in Gaza were attacked. The target list was enough to persuade the Israeli public that Hamas was being punished for the rocket fire but not enough to push the militant group to step up its attacks. There were even hints that a truce might be possible with both Israel and Hamas using the cautious but optimistic formula that calm from the other side would be met with calm. Within hours, though, it seemed hostilities began to intensify - and a week later Israeli military sources say they've hit more than a thousand targets in Gaza and that militant groups there have fired more than 500 rockets at Israel. More importantly, the death toll in Gaza has risen to 100 with more than 600 people injured including many civilians. That possible ceasefire came to nothing not just because of what's happened in the last few weeks, but because broader shifts in the political landscape of the Middle East have created huge pressures on Hamas. The link between the kidnapping of the three Israeli teenagers and the sudden escalation of hostilities with Gaza is straightforward enough. Israel blamed Hamas for the abductions and flooded the West Bank with soldiers who rounded up hundreds of Hamas activists. Palestinians saw the arrests as a collective punishment rather than a genuine search for evidence. The only tool Hamas had at its disposal to respond to the round-up was rocket fire from Gaza - and those arrests were reason enough for that bombardment to intensify. The broader changes in the Middle East help to explain why a weakened Hamas might see a strategic value in escalating its conflict with Israel. The organisation has been badly damaged by the twists and turns of the Arab Spring, leaving it with few allies and very little money. In the past it had the backing of Iran and Syria. But Hamas is an offshoot of the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood and when it sided with Sunni-led rebels opposed to the Alawite Bashar al-Assad and his Shia backers in Tehran, Iran responded by turning off the financial taps. Iran used to donate as much as $20m a month - enough to run the government in Gaza. That didn't matter as long as Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood was running Egypt. He strongly identified with Hamas and while he closed some tunnels which ran under the Gaza-Egypt border during his time in the presidential palace, others remained open. Those tunnels brought in weapons of course, but they were used to smuggle in consumer goods too, which Hamas was able to tax. The new Egyptian government of Abdul Fattah al-Sisi considers the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organisation and sees Hamas as being cut from the same cloth. Many more smuggling tunnels have been closed down, and with them another source of revenue. In desperation Hamas came to a sort of political reconciliation with its bitter rival Fatah which in its guise as the Palestinian Authority runs the West Bank under Israeli occupation. So far, though, that link has brought Hamas nothing in the way of concrete benefits and huge differences remain between the rival Palestinian groups. The renewed rocket fire of course won't solve any of those problems immediately. But Hamas's military leaders might be calculating that the sight of Palestinian civilians suffering under terrifying aerial bombardment will force the Palestinian Authority to show much greater solidarity and prompt Arab governments to show more support. Hamas might reason that there were few advantages in keeping the peace whereas once hostilities have started it can demand concessions for agreeing to end them. For its part, Israel is desperate to stop the rocket fire and to damage Hamas. To the outside world the Gaza rockets may seem ineffective - partly because many are homemade and partly because they're hopelessly overmatched by Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile defence system. But Israeli civilians judge the rockets by the intent behind them and not by their military effectiveness. They are grimly familiar with the ritual of running for shelter with their children when they hear a 15-second warning. They expect their government to put a stop to it. The problem is that there's no easy way of doing that. Even if you believe in the myth of the accuracy of modern weapons systems you have to accept that air raids are going to kill innocent people. Israel might argue that it's trying to avoid civilian casualties while Hamas is trying to cause them. But television pictures of civilian dead in Gaza - especially children - will help shape perceptions of Israel round the world. Israeli sources say militant groups in Gaza probably have 10,000 rockets and they admit they don't know where some of the long range ones are hidden. Finding and destroying them from the air might take a very long time indeed. Civilian casualties would mount, and so would international criticism. And sending in ground troops doesn't feel like an attractive option either. First you have to decide what scale of operation you're going to launch - a series of pinpoint commando raids on known weapons dumps? Or a large-scale re-occupation of the whole territory with all the dangers and responsibilities that would bring? There would be more civilian casualties, making it a tough sell to international opinion. And there would be Israeli military casualties too - potentially making it a tough sell at home. Israel's government has set the bar for itself very high by talking about putting a stop to the rocket fire for good and not simply settling for a truce of a few weeks or months. That might be very difficult to achieve. Lots of the rockets in Gaza are workshop weapons. What if Israel staged a huge operation, left declaring it a success and then found home-made rockets raining down a week or a month later? So Israel has to push on with the campaign without a clear exit strategy in place. Benjamin Netanyahu's image in the rest of the world might be that of the uncompromising right-winger but his political instinct is probably to triangulate between the conflicting views of the hawks and doves around him. Short of that elusive permanent stop to the rocket fire it's hard to see what looks like a win from his point of view. At the moment it seems there's not much behind-the-scenes manoeuvring to secure a ceasefire. Egypt and Qatar are the likeliest mediators. Egypt has contacts with both sides and brokering a solution would raise its diplomatic standing in the Middle East. On the other hand it may be relaxed about seeing Hamas' military potential degraded for a while longer yet. So it's not difficult to unravel the huge strategic changes and small acts of hatred that conspired to trigger this latest round of hostilities. But it's very difficult to see what combination of circumstances will eventually bring them to an end.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5779, "answer_start": 4005, "text": "The renewed rocket fire of course won't solve any of those problems immediately. But Hamas's military leaders might be calculating that the sight of Palestinian civilians suffering under terrifying aerial bombardment will force the Palestinian Authority to show much greater solidarity and prompt Arab governments to show more support. Hamas might reason that there were few advantages in keeping the peace whereas once hostilities have started it can demand concessions for agreeing to end them. For its part, Israel is desperate to stop the rocket fire and to damage Hamas. To the outside world the Gaza rockets may seem ineffective - partly because many are homemade and partly because they're hopelessly overmatched by Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile defence system. But Israeli civilians judge the rockets by the intent behind them and not by their military effectiveness. They are grimly familiar with the ritual of running for shelter with their children when they hear a 15-second warning. They expect their government to put a stop to it. The problem is that there's no easy way of doing that. Even if you believe in the myth of the accuracy of modern weapons systems you have to accept that air raids are going to kill innocent people. Israel might argue that it's trying to avoid civilian casualties while Hamas is trying to cause them. But television pictures of civilian dead in Gaza - especially children - will help shape perceptions of Israel round the world. Israeli sources say militant groups in Gaza probably have 10,000 rockets and they admit they don't know where some of the long range ones are hidden. Finding and destroying them from the air might take a very long time indeed. Civilian casualties would mount, and so would international criticism." } ], "id": "9672_0", "question": "Truce demands?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump says he may cancel a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin following a maritime clash between Russia and Ukraine. Mr Trump told the Washington Post he was waiting for a \"full report\" after Russian ships fired on and seized three Ukrainian boats on Sunday. Ukraine described it as an \"act of aggression\" but Russia said the ships had illegally entered its waters. Martial law has been imposed in parts of Ukraine, in an unprecedented move. Meanwhile, the US has urged European states to do more to support Ukraine. State department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Washington wanted to see tougher enforcement of sanctions against Russia. Mr Trump and Mr Putin are due to meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires later this week. However, Mr Trump told the Washington Post that the report coming from his national security team would be \"very determinative\". \"Maybe I won't have the meeting [with Mr Putin]. Maybe I won't even have the meeting. I don't like that aggression. I don't want that aggression at all,\" he said. The two men are scheduled to discuss security, arms control, and issues in Ukraine and the Middle East when the summit convenes on Friday and Saturday, national security adviser John Bolton told reporters. Russian coastguard ships opened fire on Sunday as the two Ukrainian gunboats and a tug sailed through the Kerch Strait off the coast of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. Twenty-four Ukrainians were detained and at least three were wounded in the incident. A Crimean court later ordered that 12 of the Ukrainians be detained for 60 days. The court is expected to issue rulings for the remaining servicemen on Wednesday. The FSB security service has since released videos of some of the men making statements. One of them, Volodymyr Lisovyi, said he was aware of the \"provocative nature\" of the Ukrainian action. Another, Andriy Drach, said he had been on a gunboat with an order to sail from Odessa to Mariupol. \"We were warned by the border service of the Russian Federation that we were violating Russian law. They had repeatedly asked us to leave the territorial waters of the Russian Federation,\" he said. Ukraine's navy commander, Ihor Voronchenko, told Ukrainian TV that the men had given false statements under duress. \"I know those sailors from Nikopol. They have always been honest professionals in their jobs, and what they say now is not true,\" he said. The head of Ukraine's SBU security service, Vasyl Hrytsak, confirmed Russian reports that members of the service were on board the boats, but added that it was a \"routine counter-intelligence mission\" of a type that the Russian navy carried out regularly. On Tuesday, President Petro Poroshenko said there was a threat of \"full-scale war\" with Russia. \"The number of [Russian] tanks at bases located along our border has grown three times,\" he said. On Monday night, Ukraine's parliament backed President Poroshenko's decision to impose martial law for a 30-day period from 28 November in 10 border regions. Five of the 10 regions border Russia while two are adjacent to Moldova's breakaway Trans-Dniester region, where Russian troops are stationed. The other three regions border the Black Sea or Sea of Azov close to Crimea. The move to martial law is unprecedented in Ukraine, and gives military authorities the right to ban protests and strikes. The flare-up is the first outright clash between Ukraine and Russian forces for years, although since 2014 pro-Russian separatists and Russian military \"volunteers\" have been fighting Ukraine's army in two eastern regions - Luhansk and Donetsk. Tensions escalated when Russia opened a bridge this year between Russia and Crimea over the Kerch Strait, which leads into the Sea of Azov. Ukraine has two big ports on the northern shore of the Azov sea, and a 2003 treaty allows both countries free access to its waters. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the seizure of Ukrainian ships is a \"dangerous escalation and a violation of international law\". The UK condemned Russia's \"destabilising behaviour in the region and its ongoing violation of Ukrainian territorial sovereignty\". Taking a call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian 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. Mrs Merkel had \"stressed the need for de-escalation and dialogue,\" her spokesman said.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1274, "answer_start": 671, "text": "Mr Trump and Mr Putin are due to meet on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Buenos Aires later this week. However, Mr Trump told the Washington Post that the report coming from his national security team would be \"very determinative\". \"Maybe I won't have the meeting [with Mr Putin]. Maybe I won't even have the meeting. I don't like that aggression. I don't want that aggression at all,\" he said. The two men are scheduled to discuss security, arms control, and issues in Ukraine and the Middle East when the summit convenes on Friday and Saturday, national security adviser John Bolton told reporters." } ], "id": "9673_0", "question": "What did Donald Trump say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2705, "answer_start": 1275, "text": "Russian coastguard ships opened fire on Sunday as the two Ukrainian gunboats and a tug sailed through the Kerch Strait off the coast of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. Twenty-four Ukrainians were detained and at least three were wounded in the incident. A Crimean court later ordered that 12 of the Ukrainians be detained for 60 days. The court is expected to issue rulings for the remaining servicemen on Wednesday. The FSB security service has since released videos of some of the men making statements. One of them, Volodymyr Lisovyi, said he was aware of the \"provocative nature\" of the Ukrainian action. Another, Andriy Drach, said he had been on a gunboat with an order to sail from Odessa to Mariupol. \"We were warned by the border service of the Russian Federation that we were violating Russian law. They had repeatedly asked us to leave the territorial waters of the Russian Federation,\" he said. Ukraine's navy commander, Ihor Voronchenko, told Ukrainian TV that the men had given false statements under duress. \"I know those sailors from Nikopol. They have always been honest professionals in their jobs, and what they say now is not true,\" he said. The head of Ukraine's SBU security service, Vasyl Hrytsak, confirmed Russian reports that members of the service were on board the boats, but added that it was a \"routine counter-intelligence mission\" of a type that the Russian navy carried out regularly." } ], "id": "9673_1", "question": "How is the crisis playing out?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3916, "answer_start": 2706, "text": "On Tuesday, President Petro Poroshenko said there was a threat of \"full-scale war\" with Russia. \"The number of [Russian] tanks at bases located along our border has grown three times,\" he said. On Monday night, Ukraine's parliament backed President Poroshenko's decision to impose martial law for a 30-day period from 28 November in 10 border regions. Five of the 10 regions border Russia while two are adjacent to Moldova's breakaway Trans-Dniester region, where Russian troops are stationed. The other three regions border the Black Sea or Sea of Azov close to Crimea. The move to martial law is unprecedented in Ukraine, and gives military authorities the right to ban protests and strikes. The flare-up is the first outright clash between Ukraine and Russian forces for years, although since 2014 pro-Russian separatists and Russian military \"volunteers\" have been fighting Ukraine's army in two eastern regions - Luhansk and Donetsk. Tensions escalated when Russia opened a bridge this year between Russia and Crimea over the Kerch Strait, which leads into the Sea of Azov. Ukraine has two big ports on the northern shore of the Azov sea, and a 2003 treaty allows both countries free access to its waters." } ], "id": "9673_2", "question": "How has Ukraine reacted?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4510, "answer_start": 3917, "text": "US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the seizure of Ukrainian ships is a \"dangerous escalation and a violation of international law\". The UK condemned Russia's \"destabilising behaviour in the region and its ongoing violation of Ukrainian territorial sovereignty\". Taking a call from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian 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. Mrs Merkel had \"stressed the need for de-escalation and dialogue,\" her spokesman said." } ], "id": "9673_3", "question": "What other reaction has there been?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "President Donald Trump has hailed a deal reached with Mexico to help stem the flow of migrants to the US after he threatened to impose trade tariffs. Under the deal, in which Mexico agreed to take \"unprecedented steps\", the duties that were due to come into effect on Monday have been suspended. \"Mexico will try very hard, and if they do that, this will be a very successful agreement,\" said Mr Trump. There were fears that the tariffs could hurt US businesses and consumers. Under Mr Trump's proposal, duties would have risen by 5% every month on goods including cars, beer, tequila, fruit and vegetables until they hit 25% in October. The deal was reached at the end of three days of negotiations which saw Washington demand a crackdown on Central American migrants. In a joint declaration released by the US state department, the two countries said Mexico would take \"unprecedented steps\" to curb irregular migration and human trafficking. But it seems the US did not get one of its reported key demands, which would have required Mexico to take in asylum seekers heading for the US and process their claims on its own soil. Under the deal, Mexico agreed to: - Deploy its National Guard throughout the country from Monday, pledging up to 6,000 additional troops along Mexico's southern border with Guatemala - Take \"decisive action\" to tackle human smuggling networks The US agreed to: - Expand its programme of sending asylum seekers back to Mexico while they await reviews of their claims. In return, the US will \"work to accelerate\" the adjudication process Both countries pledged to \"strengthen bilateral co-operation\" over border security, including \"co-ordinated actions\" and information sharing. The declaration added that discussions would continue, and final terms would be accepted and announced within 90 days. Should Mexico's actions \"not have the expected results\", the agreement warned that additional measures could be taken but did not specify what these would be. In one of a series of tweets about the deal, Mr Trump quoted National Border Patrol Council president Brandon Judd as saying: \"That's going to be a huge deal because Mexico will be using their strong Immigration Laws - A game changer. People no longer will be released into the U.S.\" Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard told journalists: \"I think it was a fair balance, because they have more drastic measures and proposals at the start, and we have reached some middle point.\" Speaking at a separate news conference, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said \"we couldn't be more pleased with the agreement\". Mr Trump caught members of his own party unaware when he announced the proposed tariffs last week. By Will Grant, BBC Mexico and Central America correspondent It's still unclear whether it was internal pressure within his party or the measures being offered by Mexico that dissuaded Mr Trump from implementing the plan, or perhaps simply an appreciation of its potential consequences. It became apparent during the talks just how intertwined the two neighbouring economies are, and many argued that a 5% tax on all Mexican goods would hurt US suppliers and customers too. Furthermore, damaging the already fragile Mexican economy could have pushed it into a full recession and created more migrants heading north in search of work. Still, some considered the bilateral meetings were useful, in part to recognise that both nations are facing a steep rise in undocumented immigration. The plan to deploy military personnel to Mexico's southern border may well have helped bring this dispute to an end. However, President Trump has now tied immigration to bilateral trade and could easily do so again in the future should the situation fail to improve. Mexico is currently one of the largest trading partners of the US, just behind China and Canada - two countries also locked in trade disputes with the US. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ran for office vowing to stand up to the US and once said he would not allow Mexico to be Mr Trump's \"whipping boy\". But some Mexican politicians felt he had given too much, too quickly, and they demanded to see details of the deal. Angel Avila Romero, a senior member of the left-wing PRD party, said the agreement was \"not a negotiation, it was a surrender\". \"Mexico should not militarise its southern border. We are not the backyard of Donald Trump,\" he tweeted. Marko Cortes, leader of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), said the sovereignty and dignity of Mexico had been damaged, newspaper El Universal reported. Mr Lopez Obrador said on Twitter that a rally in the border city of Tijuana on Saturday to celebrate Mexican sovereignty would go ahead. On Wednesday, US Customs and Border Protection said migrant detentions had surged in May to the highest level in more than a decade - 132,887 arrests, a 33% increase from April. The detentions were the highest monthly total since Mr Trump took office. Official figures show illegal border crossings had been in decline since 2000. In 2000, 1.6 million people were apprehended trying to cross the border illegally - that number was just under 400,000 in 2018. In 2017, Mr Trump's first year in office, the figures were the lowest they had been since 1971. But the number of arrests has been rising again, especially in recent months. In February, Mr Trump declared an emergency on the US-Mexico border, saying it was necessary in order to tackle what he claimed was a crisis.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2698, "answer_start": 770, "text": "In a joint declaration released by the US state department, the two countries said Mexico would take \"unprecedented steps\" to curb irregular migration and human trafficking. But it seems the US did not get one of its reported key demands, which would have required Mexico to take in asylum seekers heading for the US and process their claims on its own soil. Under the deal, Mexico agreed to: - Deploy its National Guard throughout the country from Monday, pledging up to 6,000 additional troops along Mexico's southern border with Guatemala - Take \"decisive action\" to tackle human smuggling networks The US agreed to: - Expand its programme of sending asylum seekers back to Mexico while they await reviews of their claims. In return, the US will \"work to accelerate\" the adjudication process Both countries pledged to \"strengthen bilateral co-operation\" over border security, including \"co-ordinated actions\" and information sharing. The declaration added that discussions would continue, and final terms would be accepted and announced within 90 days. Should Mexico's actions \"not have the expected results\", the agreement warned that additional measures could be taken but did not specify what these would be. In one of a series of tweets about the deal, Mr Trump quoted National Border Patrol Council president Brandon Judd as saying: \"That's going to be a huge deal because Mexico will be using their strong Immigration Laws - A game changer. People no longer will be released into the U.S.\" Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard told journalists: \"I think it was a fair balance, because they have more drastic measures and proposals at the start, and we have reached some middle point.\" Speaking at a separate news conference, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said \"we couldn't be more pleased with the agreement\". Mr Trump caught members of his own party unaware when he announced the proposed tariffs last week." } ], "id": "9674_0", "question": "What do we know about the deal?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4709, "answer_start": 3750, "text": "Mexico is currently one of the largest trading partners of the US, just behind China and Canada - two countries also locked in trade disputes with the US. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ran for office vowing to stand up to the US and once said he would not allow Mexico to be Mr Trump's \"whipping boy\". But some Mexican politicians felt he had given too much, too quickly, and they demanded to see details of the deal. Angel Avila Romero, a senior member of the left-wing PRD party, said the agreement was \"not a negotiation, it was a surrender\". \"Mexico should not militarise its southern border. We are not the backyard of Donald Trump,\" he tweeted. Marko Cortes, leader of the conservative National Action Party (PAN), said the sovereignty and dignity of Mexico had been damaged, newspaper El Universal reported. Mr Lopez Obrador said on Twitter that a rally in the border city of Tijuana on Saturday to celebrate Mexican sovereignty would go ahead." } ], "id": "9674_1", "question": "What is the reaction in Mexico?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5484, "answer_start": 4710, "text": "On Wednesday, US Customs and Border Protection said migrant detentions had surged in May to the highest level in more than a decade - 132,887 arrests, a 33% increase from April. The detentions were the highest monthly total since Mr Trump took office. Official figures show illegal border crossings had been in decline since 2000. In 2000, 1.6 million people were apprehended trying to cross the border illegally - that number was just under 400,000 in 2018. In 2017, Mr Trump's first year in office, the figures were the lowest they had been since 1971. But the number of arrests has been rising again, especially in recent months. In February, Mr Trump declared an emergency on the US-Mexico border, saying it was necessary in order to tackle what he claimed was a crisis." } ], "id": "9674_2", "question": "What's the situation on the US-Mexico border?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump has accused his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron of being \"nasty\" for saying Nato was \"brain dead\". Mr Trump is in London for a summit marking the Western military alliance's 70th anniversary. The US president said Nato served a great purpose, and Mr Macron's remarks had been \"very insulting\". He also said he could see France \"breaking off\" from Nato, but did not explain why. However, at a joint press conference with Mr Macron later, Mr Trump struck a warmer tone, stressing that the two countries had \"done a lot of good things together as partners\". Mr Macron said he knew his comments about Nato \"shook up\" a lot of people, but added that he stood by them. Nato - the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation - was founded after World War Two to counter the threat of Soviet expansion. The 29 member states pledge to come to the aid of one another should any come under attack. But speaking last month, Mr Macron complained that Nato members were no longer co-operating on key issues. He described the alliance as \"brain dead\", stressing what he saw as a waning commitment from its biggest guarantor - the US. He also criticised the US for not consulting Nato before pulling forces out of northern Syria. The summit, due to get under way later on Tuesday, has already been overshadowed by a bitter row between member states France and Turkey, and a continuing debate over money. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will oppose Nato's plan for the defence of the Baltic region if it does not back Turkey over its fight against Kurdish groups it considers terrorists. Earlier on Tuesday, at a news conference with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, President Trump said Nato \"serves a great purpose\", but was then asked what he thought about Mr Macron's statements. He said he thought the French leader had been \"very disrespectful\" to other alliance members. \"It is a very, very nasty statement. I think they have a very high unemployment rate in France. France is not doing well economically at all,\" he said. \"It is a very tough statement to make when you have such difficulty in France when you look at what is going on. They have had a very rough year. You just can't go around making statements like that about Nato. It is very disrespectful.\" France has an unemployment rate of about 8.5% - its lowest level in 10 years, although higher than the EU average of 6.3%. Mr Trump added: \"Nobody needs Nato more than France... the US benefits the least. It's a very dangerous statement for them to make. \"I'm looking at him [Mr Macron] and I'm saying that he needs protection more than anybody, and I see him breaking off [from Nato]. So I'm a little surprised at that.\" Mr Trump also reiterated his longstanding complaint that many other Nato countries were still not contributing enough financially. Mr Stoltenberg praised Mr Trump's \"leadership on defence spending\", saying it was having a real impact. \"Since 2016, Canada and European allies have added $130bn more to the defence budget, and this number will increase to $400bn by 2024,\" he said. \"This is unprecedented, this is making Nato stronger, and it shows that this alliance is adapting, responding when the world is changing.\" President Trump welcomed the extra spending but singled out Germany as still falling short. According to Nato's latest figures, Germany spends 1.36% of GDP on defence when the Nato guideline is 2%. On a more positive note, he added: \"The world has changed a lot and Nato is changing right now. I've become a bigger fan of Nato because they have become more flexible.\" He later added that he did not want countries to be \"delinquent\" and pay less than their share, adding \"maybe I'll deal with them from a trade standpoint\". Mr Erdogan joined the dispute by suggesting that Mr Macron was the one who was \"brain dead\", and accusing him of having \"a sick and shallow understanding\" of terrorism. Last month, Mr Macron angered Turkey by hosting an official from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), key allies of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. Turkey views a section of the group - the YPG - as terrorists. Ahead of his departure for London, Mr Erdogan said Turkey would not approve a plan to defend Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the event of a Russian attack unless Nato recognised the Kurdish YPG militia as terrorists. \"If our friends at Nato don't recognise as terrorist organisations those we consider terrorist organisations... we will stand against any step that will be taken there,\" he said about the plan. However, Mr Macron told reporters: \"We don't have the same definition of terrorism around the [Nato] table,\" adding that the greatest priority was to fight IS. In October, Turkey launched an operation in Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria to create a \"security zone\" along its border. That military action deepened fractures between Turkey and other Nato members, and took place after President Trump had controversially pulled US forces out of the region. Mr Macron and Mr Erdogan will come face to face in Downing Street on Tuesday in a four-way meeting also including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the host, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Turkey is posing a major and developing problem for Nato, a problem that if not resolved could test the very boundaries of its membership. It is effectively holding hostage a response plan for the rapid reinforcement of the Baltic region - which must be approved by all 29 Nato members - until it gets what it wants in its own region. Turkey wants all other Nato countries to regard Kurdish separatist groups in Turkey as terrorists. This would effectively take Nato into domestic security matters, which most allies see as none of their business. Add to this Turkey's unilateral actions in Syria; President Erdogan's recent row with Emmanuel Macron over the Kurds; and Turkey's purchase of a sophisticated Russian air defence system - an extraordinary step for a key Nato player - and you are well on the way to a full-blown crisis between Ankara and the alliance. - The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation is the world's most powerful defence alliance - It was set up in 1949, after World War Two, amid anxiety over Soviet expansion - It was founded on the principle of collective defence between allies - Originally had 12 members, but now has 29 Read more about Nato", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1609, "answer_start": 692, "text": "Nato - the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation - was founded after World War Two to counter the threat of Soviet expansion. The 29 member states pledge to come to the aid of one another should any come under attack. But speaking last month, Mr Macron complained that Nato members were no longer co-operating on key issues. He described the alliance as \"brain dead\", stressing what he saw as a waning commitment from its biggest guarantor - the US. He also criticised the US for not consulting Nato before pulling forces out of northern Syria. The summit, due to get under way later on Tuesday, has already been overshadowed by a bitter row between member states France and Turkey, and a continuing debate over money. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will oppose Nato's plan for the defence of the Baltic region if it does not back Turkey over its fight against Kurdish groups it considers terrorists." } ], "id": "9675_0", "question": "Why is there a row over Nato?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3762, "answer_start": 1610, "text": "Earlier on Tuesday, at a news conference with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, President Trump said Nato \"serves a great purpose\", but was then asked what he thought about Mr Macron's statements. He said he thought the French leader had been \"very disrespectful\" to other alliance members. \"It is a very, very nasty statement. I think they have a very high unemployment rate in France. France is not doing well economically at all,\" he said. \"It is a very tough statement to make when you have such difficulty in France when you look at what is going on. They have had a very rough year. You just can't go around making statements like that about Nato. It is very disrespectful.\" France has an unemployment rate of about 8.5% - its lowest level in 10 years, although higher than the EU average of 6.3%. Mr Trump added: \"Nobody needs Nato more than France... the US benefits the least. It's a very dangerous statement for them to make. \"I'm looking at him [Mr Macron] and I'm saying that he needs protection more than anybody, and I see him breaking off [from Nato]. So I'm a little surprised at that.\" Mr Trump also reiterated his longstanding complaint that many other Nato countries were still not contributing enough financially. Mr Stoltenberg praised Mr Trump's \"leadership on defence spending\", saying it was having a real impact. \"Since 2016, Canada and European allies have added $130bn more to the defence budget, and this number will increase to $400bn by 2024,\" he said. \"This is unprecedented, this is making Nato stronger, and it shows that this alliance is adapting, responding when the world is changing.\" President Trump welcomed the extra spending but singled out Germany as still falling short. According to Nato's latest figures, Germany spends 1.36% of GDP on defence when the Nato guideline is 2%. On a more positive note, he added: \"The world has changed a lot and Nato is changing right now. I've become a bigger fan of Nato because they have become more flexible.\" He later added that he did not want countries to be \"delinquent\" and pay less than their share, adding \"maybe I'll deal with them from a trade standpoint\"." } ], "id": "9675_1", "question": "What did Trump say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5267, "answer_start": 3763, "text": "Mr Erdogan joined the dispute by suggesting that Mr Macron was the one who was \"brain dead\", and accusing him of having \"a sick and shallow understanding\" of terrorism. Last month, Mr Macron angered Turkey by hosting an official from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), key allies of the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. Turkey views a section of the group - the YPG - as terrorists. Ahead of his departure for London, Mr Erdogan said Turkey would not approve a plan to defend Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the event of a Russian attack unless Nato recognised the Kurdish YPG militia as terrorists. \"If our friends at Nato don't recognise as terrorist organisations those we consider terrorist organisations... we will stand against any step that will be taken there,\" he said about the plan. However, Mr Macron told reporters: \"We don't have the same definition of terrorism around the [Nato] table,\" adding that the greatest priority was to fight IS. In October, Turkey launched an operation in Kurdish-controlled areas of northern Syria to create a \"security zone\" along its border. That military action deepened fractures between Turkey and other Nato members, and took place after President Trump had controversially pulled US forces out of the region. Mr Macron and Mr Erdogan will come face to face in Downing Street on Tuesday in a four-way meeting also including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the host, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson." } ], "id": "9675_2", "question": "Why is Turkey an issue?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "US President Donald Trump's ex-lawyer, Michael Cohen, is said to be \"more than happy\" to speak to the inquiry into alleged collusion with Russia. Cohen pleaded guilty on Tuesday to violating finance laws during the 2016 presidential election by handling hush money for Mr Trump's alleged lovers. Cohen is ready to \"tell everything about Donald Trump that he knows\", his personal lawyer, Lanny Davis, said. Mr Trump has argued that Cohen had made up stories in order to get a deal. The president denies there was any collusion with Russia to get him elected. In an interview with Fox & Friends, the president said he had found out about the payments \"later on\", and that they did not come out of the campaign. In July, Mr Cohen released audio tapes of him and Mr Trump allegedly discussing payments to a former playboy model before the 2016 presidential election. Cohen, who has been Mr Trump's personal lawyer for more than a decade, has pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges, including tax evasion, bank fraud and campaign finance violations. He said he had paid hush money to two women who alleged they had affairs with Mr Trump, at the direction of \"the candidate\" - a clear reference to Mr Trump. Cohen said the payment was made for the \"principal purpose of influencing [the 2016] election\". Cohen has reached a plea deal with prosecutors, which may see his prison sentence reduced from 65 years to five years and three months. Investigators have also demanded Cohen appear in court as part of a separate probe into the Trump Foundation, US media report. On the same day that Cohen pleaded guilty, a jury convicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of bank and tax fraud charges. It was the first criminal trial arising from the justice department probe, led by former FBI chief Robert Mueller. Mr Mueller has been investigating allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, and whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to swing the election in his favour. Russia has denied claims it interfered in the elections. Mr Trump has responded to both the Cohen and Manafort cases with a series of tweets criticising Cohen and praising Manafort. \"Paul Manafort is a good man,\" he told reporters, although he stressed that \"it doesn't involve me\". He also tweeted that Cohen had pleaded \"guilty to two counts of campaign finance violations that are not a crime\", adding: \"President Obama had a big campaign finance violation and it was easily settled!\" He was referring to how Barack Obama's 2008 campaign was fined $375,000 for failing to report some campaign donations within 48 hours - although experts at the time said the violations were relatively minor given the size of the campaign. In his interview with Fox, the president denied the hush money constituted a campaign violation, saying the payments \"didn't come out of the campaign, they came from me, and I tweeted about it\". Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Mr Trump \"did nothing wrong, there are no charges against him\". Both prosecutors and Cohen agree that Cohen violated campaign finance laws. Cohen has admitted to handling payments to two women - thought to be porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal - who said they had affairs with Mr Trump. Undisclosed payments to bury embarrassing stories about a political candidate can be treated as a violation of US campaign finance laws. Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis has asked why the US president should not be prosecuted for the crimes Cohen had confessed to committing on his behalf. There is no confirmation that Cohen will speak to Mr Mueller's Russia inquiry. However, Mr Davis says his client is \"more than happy\" to talk, and has knowledge of whether Donald Trump knew in advance about the computer hacking which undermined his opponent, Hillary Clinton. In summer 2016, embarrassing emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) server were made public. Russian intelligence officers have since been charged in absentia for the hack. Cohen also has knowledge, Mr Davis said, of a meeting at Trump Tower in New York in June 2016 between Trump campaign aides and a Russian delegation which was promising political \"dirt\". Mr Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, went into the meeting in the belief that he would be offered \"official documents and information that would incriminate\" Mrs Clinton. Under US campaign law, it is illegal for a US citizen to solicit foreigners for campaign donations or contributions - although legal experts are divided on whether the offer of information counts as such. President Trump has denied knowing in advance about the meeting. However, according to US media, Cohen has said that Mr Trump had known about the meeting beforehand and that he is willing to state this to the Russian inquiry. By Tara McKelvey, BBC White House reporter People in Washington are talking about impeachment - while in the West Wing staffers show a steely resolve. In an area known as Lower Press, located on the ground level of the West Wing, many people seemed on edge - as if they were waiting for something to happen. In a hallway in an area of the West Wing known as Upper Press, I ran into Bill Shine, the president's communications chief, followed by a small group of men - all in a hurry. He shook my hand and gave me a tight smile. For him, the day was only beginning, and it looked like it was going to be a long one. Mr Trump has admitted reimbursing Cohen for paying one of the women, having earlier denied any knowledge of it. But Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer for Mr Trump, told reporters there had been \"no allegation of any wrongdoing against the president\" in the charges against Cohen. In any case, Mr Trump is unlikely to face criminal charges as long as he remains president, legal experts say. He could potentially be sacked by Congress under the US constitution's provision for impeaching a president over \"high crimes and misdemeanours\". But for that to happen, Mr Trump's opponents in the Democratic Party would have to win control of both houses. Even if they did well in the mid-term elections in November, they would almost certainly need to persuade members of Mr Trump's Republicans to change sides over the issue. No US president has ever been removed from office on the basis of impeachment.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2068, "answer_start": 863, "text": "Cohen, who has been Mr Trump's personal lawyer for more than a decade, has pleaded guilty to eight criminal charges, including tax evasion, bank fraud and campaign finance violations. He said he had paid hush money to two women who alleged they had affairs with Mr Trump, at the direction of \"the candidate\" - a clear reference to Mr Trump. Cohen said the payment was made for the \"principal purpose of influencing [the 2016] election\". Cohen has reached a plea deal with prosecutors, which may see his prison sentence reduced from 65 years to five years and three months. Investigators have also demanded Cohen appear in court as part of a separate probe into the Trump Foundation, US media report. On the same day that Cohen pleaded guilty, a jury convicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of bank and tax fraud charges. It was the first criminal trial arising from the justice department probe, led by former FBI chief Robert Mueller. Mr Mueller has been investigating allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, and whether the Trump campaign conspired with Russia to swing the election in his favour. Russia has denied claims it interfered in the elections." } ], "id": "9676_0", "question": "What is going on?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3055, "answer_start": 2069, "text": "Mr Trump has responded to both the Cohen and Manafort cases with a series of tweets criticising Cohen and praising Manafort. \"Paul Manafort is a good man,\" he told reporters, although he stressed that \"it doesn't involve me\". He also tweeted that Cohen had pleaded \"guilty to two counts of campaign finance violations that are not a crime\", adding: \"President Obama had a big campaign finance violation and it was easily settled!\" He was referring to how Barack Obama's 2008 campaign was fined $375,000 for failing to report some campaign donations within 48 hours - although experts at the time said the violations were relatively minor given the size of the campaign. In his interview with Fox, the president denied the hush money constituted a campaign violation, saying the payments \"didn't come out of the campaign, they came from me, and I tweeted about it\". Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Mr Trump \"did nothing wrong, there are no charges against him\"." } ], "id": "9676_1", "question": "How has Mr Trump responded?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3592, "answer_start": 3056, "text": "Both prosecutors and Cohen agree that Cohen violated campaign finance laws. Cohen has admitted to handling payments to two women - thought to be porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal - who said they had affairs with Mr Trump. Undisclosed payments to bury embarrassing stories about a political candidate can be treated as a violation of US campaign finance laws. Cohen's lawyer Lanny Davis has asked why the US president should not be prosecuted for the crimes Cohen had confessed to committing on his behalf." } ], "id": "9676_2", "question": "Why did Cohen pay hush money, and is it illegal?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4845, "answer_start": 3593, "text": "There is no confirmation that Cohen will speak to Mr Mueller's Russia inquiry. However, Mr Davis says his client is \"more than happy\" to talk, and has knowledge of whether Donald Trump knew in advance about the computer hacking which undermined his opponent, Hillary Clinton. In summer 2016, embarrassing emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) server were made public. Russian intelligence officers have since been charged in absentia for the hack. Cohen also has knowledge, Mr Davis said, of a meeting at Trump Tower in New York in June 2016 between Trump campaign aides and a Russian delegation which was promising political \"dirt\". Mr Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, went into the meeting in the belief that he would be offered \"official documents and information that would incriminate\" Mrs Clinton. Under US campaign law, it is illegal for a US citizen to solicit foreigners for campaign donations or contributions - although legal experts are divided on whether the offer of information counts as such. President Trump has denied knowing in advance about the meeting. However, according to US media, Cohen has said that Mr Trump had known about the meeting beforehand and that he is willing to state this to the Russian inquiry." } ], "id": "9676_3", "question": "What does Cohen know, and will he talk to Mueller?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6348, "answer_start": 5460, "text": "Mr Trump has admitted reimbursing Cohen for paying one of the women, having earlier denied any knowledge of it. But Rudy Giuliani, a lawyer for Mr Trump, told reporters there had been \"no allegation of any wrongdoing against the president\" in the charges against Cohen. In any case, Mr Trump is unlikely to face criminal charges as long as he remains president, legal experts say. He could potentially be sacked by Congress under the US constitution's provision for impeaching a president over \"high crimes and misdemeanours\". But for that to happen, Mr Trump's opponents in the Democratic Party would have to win control of both houses. Even if they did well in the mid-term elections in November, they would almost certainly need to persuade members of Mr Trump's Republicans to change sides over the issue. No US president has ever been removed from office on the basis of impeachment." } ], "id": "9676_4", "question": "Could Trump be tried?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A special court in Colombia has ruled that a former leader of the Farc rebel group should not be extradited to the US where he is facing drug trafficking charges. The court has ordered the release of Jesus Santrich, a former guerrilla fighter who was detained in April 2018. Colombia's attorney-general has stepped down in protest at the ruling. President Ivan Duque said he was confident the decision would be overturned on appeal. Jesus Santrich is the nom de guerre of Seuxis Pausias Hernandez Solarte, a former commander in the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a Marxist rebel group founded in Colombia which engaged in a five-decade-long armed struggle against government forces and right-wing paramilitaries. He joined the rebel group after a student friend of his was killed by Colombian security forces. Jesus Santrich was the name of the killed friend and it was in his honour that the philosophy student adopted it as his pseudonym. Santrich is partially blind, having gradually lost his sight due to a genetic condition. He was a member of the rebel group for 30 years and one of their most hard-line negotiators in the process which led to a peace agreement in 2016. Members of the government negotiating team say he would spend hours discussing every word in the agreement and often make ironic comments. Santrich was indicted last year by a grand jury in the US for conspiracy to export 10 tonnes of cocaine to the United States. The indictment alleges that the cocaine was smuggled into the US roughly between June 2017 and April 2018, after the Farc rebel group signed its peace deal with the Colombian government. During the armed conflict, the Farc derived much of its financing from drug smuggling, extortion and ransom requests. Jesus Santrich was detained in April 2018 after a US court issued an arrest warrant and extradition request. He was jailed before he could take up one of the seats in Congress which under the term of the peace agreement had been guaranteed to the party founded by the Farc rebels. The decision on whether to extradite Jesus Santrich was taken by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a tribunal set up to deal with alleged crimes committed during the five-decade-long armed conflict. The court, known as JEP by its initials in Spanish, was set up to try all participants in the conflict, be they Farc rebels or state actors, and will be in place for 10 years. The JEP has jurisdiction over all crimes allegedly committed during the conflict but not those after the conflict ended, therefore the timing of Santrich's alleged drug trafficking was key to the JEP's decision. The JEP said the US justice department had not answered its request for evidence linking Jesus Santrich to the drug trafficking nor for evidence showing when the alleged crimes had taken place. In a statement [in Spanish], the JEP said that in the absence of evidence showing that he had engaged in drug trafficking after the peace agreement was signed, the court considered it best for Santrich to be judged in Colombia in order to guarantee the rights of the victims of the armed conflict for justice and truth. It said that audio files provided by the US justice department were not enough to suggest Jesus Santrich had engaged in drug trafficking. It ruled that he should be set free immediately. Colombian Attorney-General Nestor Humberto Martinez stepped down saying that \"my conscience and my devotion to the rule of law prevent me\" from freeing Santrich. He argued that the evidence against Jesus Santrich was \"conclusive, unequivocal\" and urged the public \"to press with determination for the restoration of legality in Colombia and the defence of peace\". In a speech following the decision by the JEP, President Duque said he was \"indignant\" that Jesus Santrich would be released. \"This case is not closed,\" he said referring to the appeal Colombian authorities said they would lodge against the decision. Mr Duque is a close ally of the US and has been critical of the elements of the peace deal. He was among those campaigning for a \"no\" vote in a referendum held in 2016 in which Colombians were asked whether they backed the deal. The Farc, the party created by former ex-rebels after they dissolved their guerrilla group, welcomed the court's ruling and its supporters celebrated by waving posters of Jesus Santrich.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1331, "answer_start": 433, "text": "Jesus Santrich is the nom de guerre of Seuxis Pausias Hernandez Solarte, a former commander in the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), a Marxist rebel group founded in Colombia which engaged in a five-decade-long armed struggle against government forces and right-wing paramilitaries. He joined the rebel group after a student friend of his was killed by Colombian security forces. Jesus Santrich was the name of the killed friend and it was in his honour that the philosophy student adopted it as his pseudonym. Santrich is partially blind, having gradually lost his sight due to a genetic condition. He was a member of the rebel group for 30 years and one of their most hard-line negotiators in the process which led to a peace agreement in 2016. Members of the government negotiating team say he would spend hours discussing every word in the agreement and often make ironic comments." } ], "id": "9677_0", "question": "Who is Jesus Santrich?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2043, "answer_start": 1332, "text": "Santrich was indicted last year by a grand jury in the US for conspiracy to export 10 tonnes of cocaine to the United States. The indictment alleges that the cocaine was smuggled into the US roughly between June 2017 and April 2018, after the Farc rebel group signed its peace deal with the Colombian government. During the armed conflict, the Farc derived much of its financing from drug smuggling, extortion and ransom requests. Jesus Santrich was detained in April 2018 after a US court issued an arrest warrant and extradition request. He was jailed before he could take up one of the seats in Congress which under the term of the peace agreement had been guaranteed to the party founded by the Farc rebels." } ], "id": "9677_1", "question": "What are the charges against him?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2632, "answer_start": 2044, "text": "The decision on whether to extradite Jesus Santrich was taken by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a tribunal set up to deal with alleged crimes committed during the five-decade-long armed conflict. The court, known as JEP by its initials in Spanish, was set up to try all participants in the conflict, be they Farc rebels or state actors, and will be in place for 10 years. The JEP has jurisdiction over all crimes allegedly committed during the conflict but not those after the conflict ended, therefore the timing of Santrich's alleged drug trafficking was key to the JEP's decision." } ], "id": "9677_2", "question": "Who made the ruling?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3333, "answer_start": 2633, "text": "The JEP said the US justice department had not answered its request for evidence linking Jesus Santrich to the drug trafficking nor for evidence showing when the alleged crimes had taken place. In a statement [in Spanish], the JEP said that in the absence of evidence showing that he had engaged in drug trafficking after the peace agreement was signed, the court considered it best for Santrich to be judged in Colombia in order to guarantee the rights of the victims of the armed conflict for justice and truth. It said that audio files provided by the US justice department were not enough to suggest Jesus Santrich had engaged in drug trafficking. It ruled that he should be set free immediately." } ], "id": "9677_3", "question": "What did the court say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4364, "answer_start": 3334, "text": "Colombian Attorney-General Nestor Humberto Martinez stepped down saying that \"my conscience and my devotion to the rule of law prevent me\" from freeing Santrich. He argued that the evidence against Jesus Santrich was \"conclusive, unequivocal\" and urged the public \"to press with determination for the restoration of legality in Colombia and the defence of peace\". In a speech following the decision by the JEP, President Duque said he was \"indignant\" that Jesus Santrich would be released. \"This case is not closed,\" he said referring to the appeal Colombian authorities said they would lodge against the decision. Mr Duque is a close ally of the US and has been critical of the elements of the peace deal. He was among those campaigning for a \"no\" vote in a referendum held in 2016 in which Colombians were asked whether they backed the deal. The Farc, the party created by former ex-rebels after they dissolved their guerrilla group, welcomed the court's ruling and its supporters celebrated by waving posters of Jesus Santrich." } ], "id": "9677_4", "question": "What has the reaction been?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Interest rates on credit cards are at their highest for at least 10 years, according to the website Moneyfacts, despite low base rates. The average rate on credit cards, including store cards and so-called \"credit repair\" cards, is 23% a year. Consumers are being warned not to rely on interest-free introductory periods, as eventually they may have to pay the full advertised rate. Among the most expensive cards is HSBC's, which charges 29.9% a year. By contrast Lloyds Bank charges 5.7%, and Tesco 5.9%. Moneyfacts said the 23% average figure was the highest since their records began in 2006. Lenders charge more for credit cards because it is unsecured lending, which makes it more risky for them than a mortgage or car loan. \"While there has been a huge injection of introductory interest-free offers into the market over the last few years, which can help spread the cost of purchases, this has not stopped a surge in credit card interest,\" said Rachel Springall, finance expert at Moneyfacts. \"What's more, further rises may occur in response to any base rate hike, as it gives lenders an excuse to pass on higher interest charges to consumers.\" There has been speculation that the Bank of England could increase base rates as soon as next week. Moneyfacts said consumers could save large amounts of money by switching to another provider. Someone borrowing PS1,000 on a credit card at the average rate of 23% would have to pay PS509 in interest. However, someone using a card that charges just 5.7% would only need to pay PS89. Many people never pay the advertised interest rate, as they rely on interest-free transfers, or introductory offers of 0% interest. However, long interest-free periods have come under scrutiny from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). It is worried by the number of people only paying off the minimum amount each month. Indeed some interest-free periods of up to three-and-a-half years have now been withdrawn, although it is still possible to find offers of up to 32 months. \"This means that those with debts should never assume that they can always hop from one lengthy interest-free deal to another with ease,\" said Ms Springall. However, interest rates on credit cards might not rise immediately after any change in base rates. Lenders could instead shorten interest-free periods, or withdraw particular offers.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1536, "answer_start": 731, "text": "\"While there has been a huge injection of introductory interest-free offers into the market over the last few years, which can help spread the cost of purchases, this has not stopped a surge in credit card interest,\" said Rachel Springall, finance expert at Moneyfacts. \"What's more, further rises may occur in response to any base rate hike, as it gives lenders an excuse to pass on higher interest charges to consumers.\" There has been speculation that the Bank of England could increase base rates as soon as next week. Moneyfacts said consumers could save large amounts of money by switching to another provider. Someone borrowing PS1,000 on a credit card at the average rate of 23% would have to pay PS509 in interest. However, someone using a card that charges just 5.7% would only need to pay PS89." } ], "id": "9678_0", "question": "Rate rise ahead?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The leader of Spain's main opposition Socialist party, Pedro Sanchez, has lost his party's support after 17 senior members resigned. Party representatives hope to force Mr Sanchez out after his failure to form a coalition government. A Socialist lawmaker told AFP news agency that party leadership must now be dissolved and \"passed on to a caretaker administration\". Out of the 35-member executive committee, 19 have quit. Without a majority, an interim leadership must take over the party. Spain has been in a political deadlock for the past nine months. The results of a general election on 20 December 2015 left a hung parliament. The majority Popular Party has faced the challenge of forming a coalition government, but Socialist leader Mr Sanchez has repeatedly blocked their attempts. In attempt to break the stalemate a second election was held on 26 July 2016, but no party won an absolute majority. Well, there are parallels with - and salutary lessons to be taken from - the experience of other left-leaning parties in Europe. In the UK, left-wing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has so far survived a deep ideological split in the Labour party, triggered by his own election as leader last year. He endured a wave of resignations including many of his shadow cabinet in late June, and went on to win another leadership contest. But perhaps more pertinent to Mr Sanchez is the experience of Greece's socialist Pasok party. The party that once dominated Greek politics for three decades then fell dramatically from favour when the debt crisis hit - reviled for accepting hated austerity while in power in 2009. As with Podemos in Spain, the long-established left was challenged by a more radical party, Syriza, which is now in power. Mr Sanchez may fear that if his Socialist party is seen as paving the way for the conservative PP to return to power, he'll be similarly punished by left-leaning voters. It will have big repercussions for a country that has been in political deadlock for nine months. The Socialists are Spain's second largest party, and won 85 seats compared with the PP's 137 in elections in June. With more than half of its 35-member executive resigning, the Socialists could end up rudderless at a crucial time. Parliament has until the end of October to decide whether to back a conservative-led Popular Party minority government. If not, Spain's stalemate will last 12 months and a third general election will take place in December. For a long time, if Belgium is to be taken as an example. A political deadlock there lasted for 541 days. The situation led to demonstrations and pressure from financial markets and ratings agencies. Spain, the eurozone's fourth biggest economy, is still recovering from the 2008-2013 double dip recession, known there as \"la crisis\". Prolonged political deadlock could bring uncertainty to investors and eventually slow the country's recovery - something that Spaniards (and politicians) surely want to avoid. It is thought that the uncertainty in Belgium only came to an end after the ratings agency Standard & Poor downgraded the country's credit rating, making it more expensive for Belgium to borrow money.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1908, "answer_start": 908, "text": "Well, there are parallels with - and salutary lessons to be taken from - the experience of other left-leaning parties in Europe. In the UK, left-wing Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has so far survived a deep ideological split in the Labour party, triggered by his own election as leader last year. He endured a wave of resignations including many of his shadow cabinet in late June, and went on to win another leadership contest. But perhaps more pertinent to Mr Sanchez is the experience of Greece's socialist Pasok party. The party that once dominated Greek politics for three decades then fell dramatically from favour when the debt crisis hit - reviled for accepting hated austerity while in power in 2009. As with Podemos in Spain, the long-established left was challenged by a more radical party, Syriza, which is now in power. Mr Sanchez may fear that if his Socialist party is seen as paving the way for the conservative PP to return to power, he'll be similarly punished by left-leaning voters." } ], "id": "9679_0", "question": "Doesn't this ring a bell?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2462, "answer_start": 1909, "text": "It will have big repercussions for a country that has been in political deadlock for nine months. The Socialists are Spain's second largest party, and won 85 seats compared with the PP's 137 in elections in June. With more than half of its 35-member executive resigning, the Socialists could end up rudderless at a crucial time. Parliament has until the end of October to decide whether to back a conservative-led Popular Party minority government. If not, Spain's stalemate will last 12 months and a third general election will take place in December." } ], "id": "9679_1", "question": "Does it matter?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3174, "answer_start": 2463, "text": "For a long time, if Belgium is to be taken as an example. A political deadlock there lasted for 541 days. The situation led to demonstrations and pressure from financial markets and ratings agencies. Spain, the eurozone's fourth biggest economy, is still recovering from the 2008-2013 double dip recession, known there as \"la crisis\". Prolonged political deadlock could bring uncertainty to investors and eventually slow the country's recovery - something that Spaniards (and politicians) surely want to avoid. It is thought that the uncertainty in Belgium only came to an end after the ratings agency Standard & Poor downgraded the country's credit rating, making it more expensive for Belgium to borrow money." } ], "id": "9679_2", "question": "How long can a country last without an elected government?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Ex-Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort has been found guilty on eight charges of tax fraud, bank fraud and failing to disclose foreign banks accounts. But the jury at his trial in Virginia failed to reach a verdict on 10 other charges and the judge declared a mistrial on those. It was the first criminal trial arising from the justice department probe into alleged Russian election meddling. But none of the charges relate to collusion with Russia in the election. Responding to the charges, President Donald Trump said that Manafort's conviction was part of a \"witch hunt\" following the 2016 presidential election. \"It's a very sad thing that happened,\" Mr Trump told reporters as he arrived at a rally in West Virginia on Tuesday evening, adding that it had \"nothing to do with Russian collusion\". The verdict came in the same hour that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen admitted violating campaign finance laws in relation to hush money paid to Mr Trump's alleged mistresses. Manafort, 69, was a key figure in Mr Trump's inner circle, but the president has since sought to distance himself from his former adviser. The jury came back on the fourth day of deliberations. The judge has given prosecutors until 29 August to decide whether to ask for a fresh trial on the charges the jury was deadlocked on. A lawyer for Manafort, Kevin Downing, said his client was \"disappointed\" with the verdict and was \"evaluating all of his options at this point\". A date for sentencing has yet to be set. Analysis by BBC's North America Editor Jon Sopel It was as though the verdicts had been synchronised by a Hollywood producer. Within two minutes of each other a federal courtroom in New York heard Michael Cohen plead guilty to eight charges concerning fraud and violating campaign finance laws, and in Alexandria in Virginia a federal court found Donald Trump's onetime campaign manager, Paul Manafort, guilty on eight counts of tax and banking fraud. And this all happened as Mr Trump flew to a rally in West Virginia. When he landed the president said he felt \"very sad\" for Mr Manafort. About Michael Cohen he said nothing. And that is instructive. Mr Manafort's crimes predate his association with Mr Trump, and is easy to deal with. But the guilty plea of Mr Cohen is altogether more toxic. In saying he broke campaign law in co-ordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office, he is stating in no uncertain terms that Mr Trump was a co-conspirator. That leaves a stain, but does it leave a scar? This president has shown an unerring ability to shake off scandals that would have sunk many others. Will his audience in West Virginia be appalled at Tuesday's courtroom drama, or enthused by a buoyant economy and a president who they believe is fighting for them? Probably the latter. But independents and traditional Republicans might be less impressed - and that could cause Mr Trump a whole heap of problems come the US midterm elections in November. Prosecutors presented evidence of Manafort's luxurious lifestyle - including photos of a $15,000 (PS11,000) ostrich coat. Judge TS Ellis scolded the prosecution for spending too much time on Mr Manafort's wealth, saying it \"isn't a crime to have a lot of money\". But prosecutors had emphasised Manafort's extravagant spending was only possible because of his bank and tax fraud. He was accused of using 31 foreign bank accounts in three different countries to evade taxes on millions of dollars. The prosecution's star witness was Manafort's former associate and fellow Trump campaign staffer Rick Gates. Gates has admitted embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from Mr Manafort while allegedly helping his boss commit tax crimes. The defence sought to undercut Gates' credibility by citing his \"secret life\", and noting that he had told so many lies he could not keep track of them all. The judge also said he had received death threats related to the Manafort case and was under US Marshal Service protection. He added that he would not release jurors' names due to safety concerns. Mr Manafort worked for Mr Trump's presidential campaign for five months in 2016, and he was in charge when Mr Trump clinched the Republican party nomination. Last October, Mr Manafort was charged by special counsel Robert Mueller, who was appointed by the Department of Justice to investigate alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The Virginia trial was not connected to the US president, but instead dealt with Mr Manafort's political consulting with pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, largely predating his role with the Trump campaign. The Ukrainian government found ledgers pledging more than $12m (PS9.2m) in cash to Manafort for his advisory work with former President Viktor Yanukovych while he was in office, the New York Times reported. It was also alleged that Mr Manafort secretly worked for a Russian billionaire to aid Russian President Vladimir Putin's political goals in other parts of the former USSR. Mr Manafort denied that allegation.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2973, "answer_start": 1493, "text": "Analysis by BBC's North America Editor Jon Sopel It was as though the verdicts had been synchronised by a Hollywood producer. Within two minutes of each other a federal courtroom in New York heard Michael Cohen plead guilty to eight charges concerning fraud and violating campaign finance laws, and in Alexandria in Virginia a federal court found Donald Trump's onetime campaign manager, Paul Manafort, guilty on eight counts of tax and banking fraud. And this all happened as Mr Trump flew to a rally in West Virginia. When he landed the president said he felt \"very sad\" for Mr Manafort. About Michael Cohen he said nothing. And that is instructive. Mr Manafort's crimes predate his association with Mr Trump, and is easy to deal with. But the guilty plea of Mr Cohen is altogether more toxic. In saying he broke campaign law in co-ordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal office, he is stating in no uncertain terms that Mr Trump was a co-conspirator. That leaves a stain, but does it leave a scar? This president has shown an unerring ability to shake off scandals that would have sunk many others. Will his audience in West Virginia be appalled at Tuesday's courtroom drama, or enthused by a buoyant economy and a president who they believe is fighting for them? Probably the latter. But independents and traditional Republicans might be less impressed - and that could cause Mr Trump a whole heap of problems come the US midterm elections in November." } ], "id": "9680_0", "question": "Will it leave a scar, or just a stain?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4064, "answer_start": 2974, "text": "Prosecutors presented evidence of Manafort's luxurious lifestyle - including photos of a $15,000 (PS11,000) ostrich coat. Judge TS Ellis scolded the prosecution for spending too much time on Mr Manafort's wealth, saying it \"isn't a crime to have a lot of money\". But prosecutors had emphasised Manafort's extravagant spending was only possible because of his bank and tax fraud. He was accused of using 31 foreign bank accounts in three different countries to evade taxes on millions of dollars. The prosecution's star witness was Manafort's former associate and fellow Trump campaign staffer Rick Gates. Gates has admitted embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from Mr Manafort while allegedly helping his boss commit tax crimes. The defence sought to undercut Gates' credibility by citing his \"secret life\", and noting that he had told so many lies he could not keep track of them all. The judge also said he had received death threats related to the Manafort case and was under US Marshal Service protection. He added that he would not release jurors' names due to safety concerns." } ], "id": "9680_1", "question": "What happened during the trial?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5028, "answer_start": 4065, "text": "Mr Manafort worked for Mr Trump's presidential campaign for five months in 2016, and he was in charge when Mr Trump clinched the Republican party nomination. Last October, Mr Manafort was charged by special counsel Robert Mueller, who was appointed by the Department of Justice to investigate alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The Virginia trial was not connected to the US president, but instead dealt with Mr Manafort's political consulting with pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine, largely predating his role with the Trump campaign. The Ukrainian government found ledgers pledging more than $12m (PS9.2m) in cash to Manafort for his advisory work with former President Viktor Yanukovych while he was in office, the New York Times reported. It was also alleged that Mr Manafort secretly worked for a Russian billionaire to aid Russian President Vladimir Putin's political goals in other parts of the former USSR. Mr Manafort denied that allegation." } ], "id": "9680_2", "question": "How did we get here?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A horrific video purportedly showing a South Korean man beating his Vietnamese wife in front of a child has ignited outrage over the abuse of foreign women in the country. The 36-year-old man was arrested on Saturday, and the woman involved has been moved to a women's shelter with her young son. Warning: this article contains descriptions of violence The video has shed light on the vulnerability of foreign women who marry South Koreans - sometimes finding themselves at the mercy of abusive spouses who rarely face the force of the law. Last year, a survey of 920 foreign wives in South Korea by the National Human Rights Commission found that 42% had suffered domestic violence, and 68% had experienced unwanted sexual advances. The footage, posted on Facebook but since taken down, shows the man slapping and kicking the woman, and repeatedly punching her in the head and stomach while she cowers. \"Didn't I tell you that you are not in Vietnam?\" he shouts. Local media said the victim had managed to film the assault by hiding her mobile phone in a nappy bag at her home in Yeongam, South Jeolla province. She suffered broken ribs in the attack. A two-year-old boy, apparently their son, is seen in the video crying by the woman's side. Analysis by Hyung Eun Kim, BBC Korean Service Although a high number of foreign wives experience domestic abuse, few report it to the authorities. And advocacy groups say there are clear reasons why. \"In the worst-case scenario, South Korean husbands and their families deliberately refrain from helping their migrant wives obtain citizenship or visa status,\" Kang Hye-sook, a director of the Woman Migrants Human Rights Center in Daegu, told the BBC Korean Service. So for a foreign wife to report abuse and upset her husband is tantamount to giving up her \"Korea Dream\". It makes her already-vulnerable status even weaker. If she happens to have kids, the move could also mean never seeing them again. There is also a tendency in South Korea to treat domestic violence as a \"family matter\". Of reported domestic violence cases for the past five years, only 13% saw arrests, 8.5% resulted in an indictment, and just 0.9% drew an actual prison sentence. Last year, a series of women were murdered after suffering lengthy (and reported) abuse from their husbands, shocking South Korea. After one murder, the daughter of the victim posted an online petition, seeking capital punishment for the father who had stabbed her mother. She said her father had openly declared: \"I can kill her and be a free man just after a six-month [jail] sentence.\" In November 2018, the gender equality ministry, justice ministry and police responded with a series of stricter measures against domestic violence, including tougher penalties for people who violate restraining orders. But many of the measures need to pass parliament's legislation process - and that is yet to happen. In South Korea, both men and women face social pressure to get married. But it's not always easy - especially in the countryside, where many women leave to find jobs in the cities. In the 1990s, that trend prompted a boom in men marrying foreign women, which has since spread to urban areas. Some local governments, keen to raise flagging population rates, even provide subsidies to Korean men who bring home a bride from overseas. Vietnamese women make up the biggest percentage of foreign wives in South Korea, at 28%, 2017 figures from Statistics Korea show. South Korea's rapid economic development has made it an enticing prospect. And in exchange for a higher standard of living, some women in their early- or mid-20s are prepared to marry near-strangers who are - on average - around 18 years their senior. They may have friends who have moved to South Korea and report being happily married. And some are enticed by the vision of Seoul presented by Korean films and TV shows, which are popular across Vietnam. Such marriages used to be arranged through specialist international matchmakers, but the use of these agencies has fallen in recent years. Matchmaking companies will often pander to South Korea's patriarchal traditions by saying Vietnamese women are raised with \"Confucian values\" (a philosophy also rooted in Korean culture) - meaning they are obedient to men and the elderly, and will serve their husbands and parents-in-law well. But there have been several high-profile cases of domestic violence against them. In 2010, a 20-year-old Vietnamese bride named Thach Thi Hoang Ngoc was beaten and stabbed to death by her 47-year-old husband eight days after arriving in Korea. Her husband, it transpired, had a history of schizophrenia that had not been disclosed to his wife. In a radio address to the nation, South Korea's then-President Lee Myung-bak offered his \"deepest sympathy to her family\". He said her last words to her father had been: \"I will live happily.\" The mistreatment of migrant wives has also been a running topic in bilateral diplomacy. In 2007, the then president of Vietnam formally asked the South Korean ambassador in Vietnam to help Korean men \"treat Vietnamese wives well\". And last year, a South Korean congressman was lambasted by women's rights activists after telling a Vietnamese counterpart that \"South Korean men prefer Vietnamese woman\".", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5296, "answer_start": 2906, "text": "In South Korea, both men and women face social pressure to get married. But it's not always easy - especially in the countryside, where many women leave to find jobs in the cities. In the 1990s, that trend prompted a boom in men marrying foreign women, which has since spread to urban areas. Some local governments, keen to raise flagging population rates, even provide subsidies to Korean men who bring home a bride from overseas. Vietnamese women make up the biggest percentage of foreign wives in South Korea, at 28%, 2017 figures from Statistics Korea show. South Korea's rapid economic development has made it an enticing prospect. And in exchange for a higher standard of living, some women in their early- or mid-20s are prepared to marry near-strangers who are - on average - around 18 years their senior. They may have friends who have moved to South Korea and report being happily married. And some are enticed by the vision of Seoul presented by Korean films and TV shows, which are popular across Vietnam. Such marriages used to be arranged through specialist international matchmakers, but the use of these agencies has fallen in recent years. Matchmaking companies will often pander to South Korea's patriarchal traditions by saying Vietnamese women are raised with \"Confucian values\" (a philosophy also rooted in Korean culture) - meaning they are obedient to men and the elderly, and will serve their husbands and parents-in-law well. But there have been several high-profile cases of domestic violence against them. In 2010, a 20-year-old Vietnamese bride named Thach Thi Hoang Ngoc was beaten and stabbed to death by her 47-year-old husband eight days after arriving in Korea. Her husband, it transpired, had a history of schizophrenia that had not been disclosed to his wife. In a radio address to the nation, South Korea's then-President Lee Myung-bak offered his \"deepest sympathy to her family\". He said her last words to her father had been: \"I will live happily.\" The mistreatment of migrant wives has also been a running topic in bilateral diplomacy. In 2007, the then president of Vietnam formally asked the South Korean ambassador in Vietnam to help Korean men \"treat Vietnamese wives well\". And last year, a South Korean congressman was lambasted by women's rights activists after telling a Vietnamese counterpart that \"South Korean men prefer Vietnamese woman\"." } ], "id": "9681_0", "question": "What's driving international marriages?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A tweet from Kylie Jenner wiped PS1bn off Snap's stock market value after she said she's no longer using Snapchat. Her decision comes amid a backlash against the app's latest design which fans really don't like. And it appears she may not be alone in abandoning the app. Magician Julius Dein, who has 20m followers across all social media platforms, says he has noticed a significant decline in his Snapchat daily viewers. \"I had 400,000-500,000 followers at one point and then over the last year it's declined to about 200,000-300,000. \"And then in the last two weeks it's declined to about 130,000-140,000.\" He does say that it could just be people finding him \"boring\", but he also says his Instagram Stories viewers has increased in the same period. Julius agrees with Kylie - he doesn't like the new update either. \"Although what I will say is that every time there has been a major update released on Facebook, Snapchat or Twitter everyone always complains and then gets used to it very quickly. \"There's petitions every time.\" The update in 2015, which introduced the Discover feature, was certainly not popular either. It took over from the popular Best Friends tab. The new version put content from Discover, where sites such as the Daily Mail and Cosmopolitan contribute articles, to the top of Stories. Back then, Stories was typically where content from friends was housed. But Snapchat stood its ground, the changes remained and users stopped complaining eventually. In August 2016, Instagram introduced its own Stories feature and some argued that it was a carbon copy of what Snapchat offers. \"Instagram has literally decided to become Snapchat,\" user Harry Seaton tweeted. Even celebrities got involved in the argument - saying which they preferred. Julius says that Snapchat was \"an amazing concept\" in the beginning and its Stories feature \"was its real big shot and the reason it became so big\". But now they face stiff competition from Instagram and Facebook who also offer exactly the same. Maybe it's not quite the end - Kylie said it's her \"first love\". And Julius thinks the app's future it depends on Snapchat founder Evan Spiegal's innovation. \"Maybe they can become a TV platform where they host different channels.\" He says he would have to have zero followers on Snapchat before he stopped using it, but doesn't seem to be confident in the direction its going. \"I have a significant audience on Snapchat which I can't ignore. \"I'm not sure what the future holds for Snapchat, but it's not looking good.\" Snapchat is standing its ground. They responded to a petition against the changes on Tuesday - essentially to confirm they were here to stay. But how much has this really affected the number of daily users? The company are notoriously secretive with their numbers, so there's no real way to tell. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1033, "answer_start": 754, "text": "Julius agrees with Kylie - he doesn't like the new update either. \"Although what I will say is that every time there has been a major update released on Facebook, Snapchat or Twitter everyone always complains and then gets used to it very quickly. \"There's petitions every time.\"" } ], "id": "9682_0", "question": "Could Kylie be onto something?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1479, "answer_start": 1034, "text": "The update in 2015, which introduced the Discover feature, was certainly not popular either. It took over from the popular Best Friends tab. The new version put content from Discover, where sites such as the Daily Mail and Cosmopolitan contribute articles, to the top of Stories. Back then, Stories was typically where content from friends was housed. But Snapchat stood its ground, the changes remained and users stopped complaining eventually." } ], "id": "9682_1", "question": "We've been here before - remember Best Friends?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2533, "answer_start": 2012, "text": "Maybe it's not quite the end - Kylie said it's her \"first love\". And Julius thinks the app's future it depends on Snapchat founder Evan Spiegal's innovation. \"Maybe they can become a TV platform where they host different channels.\" He says he would have to have zero followers on Snapchat before he stopped using it, but doesn't seem to be confident in the direction its going. \"I have a significant audience on Snapchat which I can't ignore. \"I'm not sure what the future holds for Snapchat, but it's not looking good.\"" } ], "id": "9682_2", "question": "So is there a #SnapchatIsOverParty?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "An armed officer who stood outside a Florida school where a gunman killed 17 people last week \"certainly did a poor job\", US President Donald Trump says. Deputy Scot Peterson resigned after an investigation found he failed to confront the suspect. Mr Trump said Mr Peterson might be a \"coward\" who \"didn't react properly under pressure\". Florida's governor meanwhile called for law enforcement officers to be placed in every public school in the state. Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Friday morning, President Trump criticised the police officer who did not confront the perpetrator of the 14 February massacre in Parkland, Florida. \"He trained his whole life but when it came time to do something he didn't have the courage,\" he said. \"He certainly did a poor job.\" \"But that's a case where somebody was outside, they're trained, they didn't react properly under pressure or they were coward,\" he added. The Republican president later touted his love for gun rights on Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) in Maryland. He again proposed arming teachers as a solution to school safety, a method long championed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel revealed on Thursday that Mr Peterson, the 54-year-old school resource officer, stood outside while the alleged gunman shot students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He said video footage showed Mr Peterson arriving at the building where the shooting broke out about 90 seconds after the first shots were fired, and that he remained outside for about four minutes. The attack lasted six minutes, Sheriff Israel said. \"I am devastated. Sick to my stomach. He never went in,\" Sheriff Israel said. Asked what Mr Peterson should have done, Sheriff Israel said: \"Went in, addressed the killer, killed the killer.\" Mr Peterson is yet to publicly comment on what happened. Officers are reportedly guarding his home. It is unclear if he will face charges. The suspect used a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, police say, and escaped the scene before being captured later. School resource officers are sworn law enforcement officers who are responsible for safety and crime prevention in schools, although their exact roles differ from school to school and authority to authority. Employed by the local police or sheriff's office, they document incidents and can make arrests, as well as working on areas such as mentoring and education. There are between 14,000 and 20,000 such officers in the US, according to the National Association of School Resource Officers. Mr Peterson had been in his position at the school since 2009, local media report. The Sun-Sentinel newspaper said he had worked for the sheriff's office since 1985 and office records showed his salary for 2016 was $75,673 (PS54,137). Concerns have been raised about both the school's video surveillance system and whether warnings about the former student charged with the massacre were ignored. It has been reported that the person watching the surveillance system was relaying information 20 minutes old to police, so officers believed the gunman was in a certain area when he was not. Calls were also reportedly made to the authorities in 2016 and 2017 expressing concern about the suspect, including one saying he was planning to attack the school. A transcript of one call to the FBI was released to US media on Friday, in which a tipster warns that Mr Cruz \"wants to kill people\" and that \"he's going to explode\". The female caller, whose identification was redacted in the report, said that Mr Cruz once brought a bird inside \"threw it on his mother's kitchen counter and he started cutting it up\". She also warned that Mr Cruz was receiving an inheritance of $25,000 per year, and that he may spend that money on guns. Governor Rick Scott called for \"active shooter training\" for all students and staff at public schools in the state. He said he planned to raise Florida's minimum age for buying guns to 21 years old. Governor Scott also pledged to make it \"virtually impossible for anyone who has mental health issues to use guns.\" \"If a court involuntarily commits someone because they are a risk to themselves or others, they would be required to surrender all firearms and not regain the right to purchase or possess a firearm until a court hearing,\" he said during a speech about a new proposal on guns in Tallahassee. Mr Trump added: \"What I'd recommend doing is the people that do carry, we give them a bonus. We give them a little bit of a bonus.\" But Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.7 million-member American Federation of Teachers union, disagreed that arming teachers was a suitable solution. \"Anyone who wants guns in schools has no understanding of what goes on inside them - or worse, doesn't care,\" she said.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1204, "answer_start": 453, "text": "Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Friday morning, President Trump criticised the police officer who did not confront the perpetrator of the 14 February massacre in Parkland, Florida. \"He trained his whole life but when it came time to do something he didn't have the courage,\" he said. \"He certainly did a poor job.\" \"But that's a case where somebody was outside, they're trained, they didn't react properly under pressure or they were coward,\" he added. The Republican president later touted his love for gun rights on Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) in Maryland. He again proposed arming teachers as a solution to school safety, a method long championed by the National Rifle Association (NRA) gun lobby." } ], "id": "9683_0", "question": "What did Trump say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2106, "answer_start": 1205, "text": "Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel revealed on Thursday that Mr Peterson, the 54-year-old school resource officer, stood outside while the alleged gunman shot students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. He said video footage showed Mr Peterson arriving at the building where the shooting broke out about 90 seconds after the first shots were fired, and that he remained outside for about four minutes. The attack lasted six minutes, Sheriff Israel said. \"I am devastated. Sick to my stomach. He never went in,\" Sheriff Israel said. Asked what Mr Peterson should have done, Sheriff Israel said: \"Went in, addressed the killer, killed the killer.\" Mr Peterson is yet to publicly comment on what happened. Officers are reportedly guarding his home. It is unclear if he will face charges. The suspect used a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle, police say, and escaped the scene before being captured later." } ], "id": "9683_1", "question": "What did the officer do?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2834, "answer_start": 2107, "text": "School resource officers are sworn law enforcement officers who are responsible for safety and crime prevention in schools, although their exact roles differ from school to school and authority to authority. Employed by the local police or sheriff's office, they document incidents and can make arrests, as well as working on areas such as mentoring and education. There are between 14,000 and 20,000 such officers in the US, according to the National Association of School Resource Officers. Mr Peterson had been in his position at the school since 2009, local media report. The Sun-Sentinel newspaper said he had worked for the sheriff's office since 1985 and office records showed his salary for 2016 was $75,673 (PS54,137)." } ], "id": "9683_2", "question": "What was Deputy Peterson's role?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4837, "answer_start": 3828, "text": "Governor Rick Scott called for \"active shooter training\" for all students and staff at public schools in the state. He said he planned to raise Florida's minimum age for buying guns to 21 years old. Governor Scott also pledged to make it \"virtually impossible for anyone who has mental health issues to use guns.\" \"If a court involuntarily commits someone because they are a risk to themselves or others, they would be required to surrender all firearms and not regain the right to purchase or possess a firearm until a court hearing,\" he said during a speech about a new proposal on guns in Tallahassee. Mr Trump added: \"What I'd recommend doing is the people that do carry, we give them a bonus. We give them a little bit of a bonus.\" But Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.7 million-member American Federation of Teachers union, disagreed that arming teachers was a suitable solution. \"Anyone who wants guns in schools has no understanding of what goes on inside them - or worse, doesn't care,\" she said." } ], "id": "9683_3", "question": "What is Florida's governor proposing?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Dutch prosecutors investigating the downing of flight MH17 have said they will study any information that Russia provides, after its officials said they had proof the missile that hit the plane was in Ukrainian hands. The Malaysian aircraft went down with the loss of 298 lives in July 2014. Russian officials have repeatedly pointed the finger of blame at Ukraine. They accused an international team of investigators of using fake videos to show the missile had come from Russia. Prosecutors say Russian information so far has been wrong \"on several points\" and previous requests for help have been unanswered. In May, the international joint investigation team (JIT) concluded that the Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine by a Russian-made Buk missile, supplied by the country's 53rd anti-aircraft brigade in Kursk. The team provided images, video, and an animation of a convoy of Buk-Telar rockets heading from Russia in late June 2014, with the Buk in question being transported by a Volvo truck with a white cabin. Australia and the Netherlands said in response to the findings that they held Russia responsible for bringing down the passenger jet, appealing to Russia to accept its responsibility and co-operate fully. In an apparent attempt to hit back at the JIT's conclusions, Russian defence officials alleged on Monday that some of the videos showing the Buk missile system were fabricated, with the tow truck carrying the missile added later. They said the missile was made at Dolgoprudny outside Moscow in 1986 and then delivered by rail to a military unit in the Ternopol area of Ukraine. They also provided an audio recording, alleging that it showed Ukrainian servicemen in 2016 saying they would bring down \"another Malaysian Boeing\". Russia has given differing accounts over time of how MH17 was shot down in eastern Ukraine, as conflict raged between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces. At one point, Russian officials said the Boeing 777 was downed by a Ukrainian air-to-air missile fired by a Ukrainian fighter. Russian TV even produced a much-ridiculed satellite photograph purporting to show the moment of attack. The joint investigation team in the Netherlands responded to Russia by saying it would \"meticulously study\" its information as soon as the documents were made available. In a statement, the JIT said it had always carefully analysed information provided by Russia, and found that information \"previously presented to the public and provided to the JIT was factually inaccurate on several points\". Russia had left unanswered a request to provide all relevant information in 2014, as well as a specific request last May for details about recovered missile parts, the team said. Investigators highlighted a UN Security Council resolution in 2016 which obliged all states to co-operate fully with the international investigation. Ukraine's Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak dismissed Russia's claim as a lie and \"another fake story\". Eliot Higgins, who set up the Bellingcat online investigation website after the downing of MH17, said Russian defence officials had misinterpreted shadows and objects in their attempt to show there was a problem with lighting in the videos produced by international investigators.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1247, "answer_start": 612, "text": "In May, the international joint investigation team (JIT) concluded that the Malaysia Airlines plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine by a Russian-made Buk missile, supplied by the country's 53rd anti-aircraft brigade in Kursk. The team provided images, video, and an animation of a convoy of Buk-Telar rockets heading from Russia in late June 2014, with the Buk in question being transported by a Volvo truck with a white cabin. Australia and the Netherlands said in response to the findings that they held Russia responsible for bringing down the passenger jet, appealing to Russia to accept its responsibility and co-operate fully." } ], "id": "9684_0", "question": "What do investigators say happened?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2172, "answer_start": 1248, "text": "In an apparent attempt to hit back at the JIT's conclusions, Russian defence officials alleged on Monday that some of the videos showing the Buk missile system were fabricated, with the tow truck carrying the missile added later. They said the missile was made at Dolgoprudny outside Moscow in 1986 and then delivered by rail to a military unit in the Ternopol area of Ukraine. They also provided an audio recording, alleging that it showed Ukrainian servicemen in 2016 saying they would bring down \"another Malaysian Boeing\". Russia has given differing accounts over time of how MH17 was shot down in eastern Ukraine, as conflict raged between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces. At one point, Russian officials said the Boeing 777 was downed by a Ukrainian air-to-air missile fired by a Ukrainian fighter. Russian TV even produced a much-ridiculed satellite photograph purporting to show the moment of attack." } ], "id": "9684_1", "question": "What is Russia arguing?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3281, "answer_start": 2173, "text": "The joint investigation team in the Netherlands responded to Russia by saying it would \"meticulously study\" its information as soon as the documents were made available. In a statement, the JIT said it had always carefully analysed information provided by Russia, and found that information \"previously presented to the public and provided to the JIT was factually inaccurate on several points\". Russia had left unanswered a request to provide all relevant information in 2014, as well as a specific request last May for details about recovered missile parts, the team said. Investigators highlighted a UN Security Council resolution in 2016 which obliged all states to co-operate fully with the international investigation. Ukraine's Defence Minister Stepan Poltorak dismissed Russia's claim as a lie and \"another fake story\". Eliot Higgins, who set up the Bellingcat online investigation website after the downing of MH17, said Russian defence officials had misinterpreted shadows and objects in their attempt to show there was a problem with lighting in the videos produced by international investigators." } ], "id": "9684_2", "question": "What reaction has there been?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Russian President Vladimir Putin has intervened in an ongoing row over a new church in Yekaterinburg. He said the Russian Orthodox Church \"should unite people, not divide them\", and called for the plans to build a church in a park to be put to a poll. The city's deputy mayor quickly announced construction would be suspended while a survey was conducted. It comes after four days of protests by thousands of city residents, during which 96 people were detained. Protesters say that building St Catherine's Cathedral on a park square will destroy one of Yekaterinburg's few green spaces, which one local activist group says is \"a favourite place for residents to relax\". But the Russian Orthodox Church says it needs new churches to replace the many buildings destroyed under Soviet anti-religion laws. Addressing a press conference in Sochi, Mr Putin asked if the protesters were \"godless\", before adding: \"People usually ask for a church, and here they are protesting against it.\" He said everyone had a right to a view, and if the protesters really were locals - and not \"activists from Moscow who came to make a fuss and engage in self-PR\" - then their views need to be considered. The president then said local officials should sit down with all sides and \"find the optimal solution for those who live there\", by conducting a poll. \"I think the Church should unite people, not divide them,\" he said. \"So there need to be steps by both sides to resolve the situation for those who really live there. There's an easy way to do this - hold a poll. And the minority has to do what the majority wants. That's democracy. But you have to consider the interests of the minority too.\" He also said that \"whoever the investors are\" should make sure trees are planted near the site, for \"mothers and pushchairs\". BBC Russian's Nataliya Zotova in Yekaterinburg By nine thirty on Thursday night the number of people gathered here in the park had exceeded a thousand. Some were telling me that they had come here daily since the protests began on Monday. Even those who were detained by police last night but later released have since returned. There are two groups of people in the park square: one group in a tight circle around the current mayor of Yekaterinburg, Alexander Vysokinskiy, and the other surrounds the former mayor, Yevgeny Roizman. Mr Vysokinskiy gets shouted at: \"Resign now!\" while Mr Roizman is applauded. Mr Vysokinskiy is promising to hold a public opinion poll, as suggested by President Putin. But the people I have spoken to do not hold much faith in these promises. Gleb works at a theatre. This is his second night in the park square. He does not believe that local people will be consulted. \"They've started chopping down some of the trees already,\" he says. But Katya, a young mother who came to the park pushing a pram, believes that the protesters may have already triumphed - even if their victory is temporary. \"The people here are fighting not just for this park, but for the freedom to choose,\" she says. \"Perhaps something will grow out of these gatherings, something will crystallise.\" Mayor Vysokinsky told Tass news agency that they \"already started the survey today\", and that it would take at least 20 days to complete. But there could be more than one poll. Deputy Mayor Yekaterina Kuzemka told the Interfax-Ural news agency that city officials will conduct one survey, while regional authorities will carry out another one. And then, she said, neither of these \"will be perceived by the protesting public as legitimate\" - which may lead to other, independent polls being held. \"Many public organisations have been in touch saying they are ready to initiate a mass independent survey,\" Ms Kuzemka added. \"This is a very good initiative, we are not against it.\" The church has been a source of controversy since plans to build it were first announced in 2010. On its website the local activist group in Yekaterinburg says: \"To build the cathedral they want to destroy the park, which is a favourite place for residents to relax.\" Others have said that the city is in need of more, not fewer, parks.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1806, "answer_start": 803, "text": "Addressing a press conference in Sochi, Mr Putin asked if the protesters were \"godless\", before adding: \"People usually ask for a church, and here they are protesting against it.\" He said everyone had a right to a view, and if the protesters really were locals - and not \"activists from Moscow who came to make a fuss and engage in self-PR\" - then their views need to be considered. The president then said local officials should sit down with all sides and \"find the optimal solution for those who live there\", by conducting a poll. \"I think the Church should unite people, not divide them,\" he said. \"So there need to be steps by both sides to resolve the situation for those who really live there. There's an easy way to do this - hold a poll. And the minority has to do what the majority wants. That's democracy. But you have to consider the interests of the minority too.\" He also said that \"whoever the investors are\" should make sure trees are planted near the site, for \"mothers and pushchairs\"." } ], "id": "9685_0", "question": "What did Putin say?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4130, "answer_start": 3114, "text": "Mayor Vysokinsky told Tass news agency that they \"already started the survey today\", and that it would take at least 20 days to complete. But there could be more than one poll. Deputy Mayor Yekaterina Kuzemka told the Interfax-Ural news agency that city officials will conduct one survey, while regional authorities will carry out another one. And then, she said, neither of these \"will be perceived by the protesting public as legitimate\" - which may lead to other, independent polls being held. \"Many public organisations have been in touch saying they are ready to initiate a mass independent survey,\" Ms Kuzemka added. \"This is a very good initiative, we are not against it.\" The church has been a source of controversy since plans to build it were first announced in 2010. On its website the local activist group in Yekaterinburg says: \"To build the cathedral they want to destroy the park, which is a favourite place for residents to relax.\" Others have said that the city is in need of more, not fewer, parks." } ], "id": "9685_1", "question": "When will the poll be held?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The French government has introduced a plan to bring back national service for all 16-year-olds. It was an idea put forward by Emmanuel Macron in his presidential campaign, to promote a sense of civic duty and national unity among French youth. But some remain unconvinced of the benefits. The new national service will cover all 16-year-olds, girls as well as boys, and will be divided into two distinct phases. The first phase is a mandatory one-month placement with a focus on civic culture, which the government says will \"enable young people to create new relationships and develop their role in society\". Voluntary teaching and working with charities are among the options being looked at, alongside traditional military preparation with the police, fire service or army. The second phase is a voluntary placement of at least three months and up to a year, in which young people will be encouraged to serve \"in an area linked to defence and security\" - but again, they could opt to carry out volunteer work linked to heritage, the environment or social care. More on Macron: It's not quite the programme Mr Macron initially had in mind. When he first floated the idea, during the 2017 race for the presidency, it was a sort of military service in miniature, with all French citizens forced to have a \"direct experience of military life\" for a minimum of one month between the ages of 18 and 21. That's now been softened and broadened into what's being called a Universal National Service - partly because of concerns that it would cost too much and overburden the country's armed forces. Even now, the programme is estimated to cost EUR1.6bn (PS1.4bn; $1.8bn) a year to run, with EUR1.75bn of investment up front. The goal of this new-style national service, the government says, is to encourage young French citizens to take part in the life of the nation, and promote social cohesion. Consultations will now begin, with a view to rolling out the programme from early next year. But there is still a lot of detail to be hammered out, not least the legal basis. A working group, set up to look into the scheme, has warned that the French constitution bans the state from forcing an entire section of the population to spend time away from home, except in the case of national defence. Even before it was announced, 14 youth organisations objected to the \"inconsistencies\" in the plan, unhappy with the idea of being forced to take part in a project. \"Choosing a commitment is just as important as the commitment itself, if not more so,\" they argued, calling for young people to be able to exercise freedom of choice. More broadly, about 60% of the population are in favour, according to a YouGov poll carried out in March, although the number dips to just below half when younger people are asked for their views. Mr Macron is the first French president not to have done military service; it was scrapped for the new intake in 1996, when Mr Macron was 18. Before that, all young French men were expected to serve for the best part of a year in the armed forces. When the old post-war draft ended, in 1997, there was a collective sigh of relief. Amid the nostalgia, many people here recognised that it had become a social exercise rather than a military one. Twenty years later, it's that social cohesion President Macron now wants to recapture. - North Korea is the country with the longest compulsory military service, with 11 years for men and seven years for women - Israel's compulsory military service is three years for men and two years for women - Scandinavian countries, Switzerland, Austria, and Greece are among the European countries that still have compulsory military service - China has military conscription in theory only - it has never been enforced because volunteers already make its army the biggest in the world - India has never had mandatory military service, even during British rule. It has the world's second largest army, also made up of volunteers - The last time men were called to duty through conscription in the UK was in 1960 while in the US it was in 1973 - Iran has two-year mandatory service for men, though there are exceptions for only sons, doctors and fire fighters, and gay and transgender people", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2290, "answer_start": 1720, "text": "The goal of this new-style national service, the government says, is to encourage young French citizens to take part in the life of the nation, and promote social cohesion. Consultations will now begin, with a view to rolling out the programme from early next year. But there is still a lot of detail to be hammered out, not least the legal basis. A working group, set up to look into the scheme, has warned that the French constitution bans the state from forcing an entire section of the population to spend time away from home, except in the case of national defence." } ], "id": "9686_0", "question": "What is Macron's aim?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3350, "answer_start": 2291, "text": "Even before it was announced, 14 youth organisations objected to the \"inconsistencies\" in the plan, unhappy with the idea of being forced to take part in a project. \"Choosing a commitment is just as important as the commitment itself, if not more so,\" they argued, calling for young people to be able to exercise freedom of choice. More broadly, about 60% of the population are in favour, according to a YouGov poll carried out in March, although the number dips to just below half when younger people are asked for their views. Mr Macron is the first French president not to have done military service; it was scrapped for the new intake in 1996, when Mr Macron was 18. Before that, all young French men were expected to serve for the best part of a year in the armed forces. When the old post-war draft ended, in 1997, there was a collective sigh of relief. Amid the nostalgia, many people here recognised that it had become a social exercise rather than a military one. Twenty years later, it's that social cohesion President Macron now wants to recapture." } ], "id": "9686_1", "question": "Is the idea popular?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Iran's Revolutionary Guards have warned anti-government protesters they will face the nation's \"iron fist\" if political unrest continues. Three days of demonstrations over falling living standards have become the biggest show of dissent since huge pro-reform rallies in 2009. A Revolutionary Guards commander said the protests had degenerated into people chanting political slogans and burning public property. Two protesters died of gunshot wounds. The authorities in Dorud in western Iran said security forces did not open fire on demonstrators, and blamed the deaths instead on Sunni Muslim extremists and foreign powers. Correspondents say the reference to foreign intelligence agencies was intended to mean Saudi Arabia. Iran has imposed \"temporary\" restrictions on social networks Telegram and Instagram. The decision was taken \"to maintain tranquillity and security of society\", a source told state news agency IRIB. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov tweeted that the action was taken after his company refused to shut down channels on the messaging app used to organise peaceful protests. Protesters in the cities of Khoramabad, Zanjan and Ahvaz called for the removal or death of Iran's Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is a powerful force with ties to the country's supreme leader, and is dedicated to preserving the country's Islamic system. Brigadier-General Esmail Kowsari told the ISNA news agency: \"If people came into the streets over high prices, they should not have chanted those slogans and burned public property and cars.\" Iran's interior minister has also warned the public that protesters will be held accountable. \"Those who damage public property, disrupt order and break the law must be responsible for their behaviour and pay the price,\" Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli said. \"The spreading of violence, fear and terror will definitely be confronted.\" Analysis by Kasra Naji, BBC Persian There is widespread and seething discontent in Iran where repression is pervasive and economic hardship is getting worse - one BBC Persian investigation has found that on average Iranians have become 15% poorer in the past 10 years. Protests have remained confined to relatively small pockets of mostly young male demonstrators who are demanding the overthrow of the clerical regime. Protests have spread to even small towns throughout the country and have a potential to grow in size. But there is no obvious leadership. Opposition figures have long been silenced or sent into exile. Even in exile, there is no one opposition figure that commands a large following. Some protesters have been calling for the return of the monarchy and the former shah's son, Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the United States, has issued a statement supporting the demonstrations. But there are signs that he is as much in the dark about where these protests are going as anyone else. BBC Persian, which broadcasts on TV, on radio and online from London, is banned in Iran - where staff and their families routinely face harassment and questioning from the authorities. Protests began in the north-eastern city of Mashhad on Thursday and spread to other major cities on Friday. A small demonstration in Tehran grew to several thousand people on Saturday, and students clashed with police. The protests also became violent in several other towns. Among the recent events across Iran: - In Abhar, demonstrators set fire to large banners bearing the picture of the supreme leader - In Arak, protesters reportedly set fire to the local headquarters of the pro-government Basij militia - In Mashhad, protesters burned police motorcycles in a confrontation caught on video - The CEO of popular mobile messaging app Telegram said an Iranian account had been suspended for calling for attacks on police - There are numerous reports of people losing internet access on their mobile phones - Street protests have been reported in a number of other towns and cities, including Kermanshah, Shahrekord, Bandar Abbas, Izeh, Zanjan, Karaj, Tonekabon and Khorramabad There is also anger at Iran's interventions abroad. In Mashhad, some chanted \"not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life for Iran\", a reference to what protesters say is the administration's focus on foreign rather than domestic issues. Iran is a key provider of military support to the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. It is also accused of providing arms to Houthi rebels fighting a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, which it denies, and is an ally of Lebanon's powerful Shia movement Hezbollah. The Iranian authorities are blaming anti-revolutionaries and agents of foreign powers for the outbreak. Also on Saturday, thousands of pro-government demonstrators turned out for pre-arranged rallies to mark the eighth anniversary of the suppression of the 2009 street protests. The US has led international support for the protesters. President Donald Trump tweeted: \"Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching!\" Iran's foreign ministry called earlier comments from Mr Trump and other US officials \"opportunistic and deceitful\". Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) was set up shortly after the 1979 Iranian revolution to defend the country's Islamic system. It has since become a major force in the political, economic and military life of the country, with its own ground forces, navy and air force. It controls a volunteer militia of tens of thousands of people - the Basij Resistance Force. The IRGC sometimes works alongside police, and it was announced in December that it would do this again. Its stature says it will co-operate with law enforcement forces \"when necessary\" but there has been some controversy over its scope when dealing with civilians.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3104, "answer_start": 1912, "text": "Analysis by Kasra Naji, BBC Persian There is widespread and seething discontent in Iran where repression is pervasive and economic hardship is getting worse - one BBC Persian investigation has found that on average Iranians have become 15% poorer in the past 10 years. Protests have remained confined to relatively small pockets of mostly young male demonstrators who are demanding the overthrow of the clerical regime. Protests have spread to even small towns throughout the country and have a potential to grow in size. But there is no obvious leadership. Opposition figures have long been silenced or sent into exile. Even in exile, there is no one opposition figure that commands a large following. Some protesters have been calling for the return of the monarchy and the former shah's son, Reza Pahlavi, who lives in exile in the United States, has issued a statement supporting the demonstrations. But there are signs that he is as much in the dark about where these protests are going as anyone else. BBC Persian, which broadcasts on TV, on radio and online from London, is banned in Iran - where staff and their families routinely face harassment and questioning from the authorities." } ], "id": "9687_0", "question": "Where will the protests lead?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4574, "answer_start": 3105, "text": "Protests began in the north-eastern city of Mashhad on Thursday and spread to other major cities on Friday. A small demonstration in Tehran grew to several thousand people on Saturday, and students clashed with police. The protests also became violent in several other towns. Among the recent events across Iran: - In Abhar, demonstrators set fire to large banners bearing the picture of the supreme leader - In Arak, protesters reportedly set fire to the local headquarters of the pro-government Basij militia - In Mashhad, protesters burned police motorcycles in a confrontation caught on video - The CEO of popular mobile messaging app Telegram said an Iranian account had been suspended for calling for attacks on police - There are numerous reports of people losing internet access on their mobile phones - Street protests have been reported in a number of other towns and cities, including Kermanshah, Shahrekord, Bandar Abbas, Izeh, Zanjan, Karaj, Tonekabon and Khorramabad There is also anger at Iran's interventions abroad. In Mashhad, some chanted \"not Gaza, not Lebanon, my life for Iran\", a reference to what protesters say is the administration's focus on foreign rather than domestic issues. Iran is a key provider of military support to the government of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. It is also accused of providing arms to Houthi rebels fighting a Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, which it denies, and is an ally of Lebanon's powerful Shia movement Hezbollah." } ], "id": "9687_1", "question": "What has been happening?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5191, "answer_start": 4575, "text": "The Iranian authorities are blaming anti-revolutionaries and agents of foreign powers for the outbreak. Also on Saturday, thousands of pro-government demonstrators turned out for pre-arranged rallies to mark the eighth anniversary of the suppression of the 2009 street protests. The US has led international support for the protesters. President Donald Trump tweeted: \"Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. The world is watching!\" Iran's foreign ministry called earlier comments from Mr Trump and other US officials \"opportunistic and deceitful\"." } ], "id": "9687_2", "question": "What has been the response, at home and abroad?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A soldier who killed three colleagues and injured 16 others in a shooting at US Army base was being treated for depression and anxiety. He was also being assessed for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder caused by witnessing or being involved in a frightening or distressing event. People naturally feel afraid when in danger, but the legacy of some traumatic events is a change in perception of fear. They may feel stressed or frightened in day-to-day life. Any traumatic event has the potential to lead to PTSD including: - military conflicts - serious road accidents - natural disasters - sexual assaults - muggings People will be generally affected within one month of the event. There is no blood test for PTSD, it instead relies on the judgement of a doctor speaking to their patient about their symptoms. There must have been an initial traumatic event involving a close brush with death or serious violence. There are then four criteria which must be present: - re-experiencing the event - commonly known as flashbacks - avoidance behaviour - people will not talk about the event and avoid anything that reminds them of it - sleep impact - they will have poor sleep quality and be irritable - mood change - commonly a perception that something bad is always about to happen \"This has to impair day-to-day function,\" said Neil Greenberg, a defence professor of mental health at the King's College London. \"With properly skilled doctors it can be very easy to diagnose, it could take a few hours,\" says Prof Greenberg. But he says doctors must have a good suspicion of PTSD before starting to diagnose someone, as patients may not bring up their trauma history. It can also be a challenge because some people deliberately \"overinflate symptoms\", sometimes for financial reasons, while others seek to avoid the stigma of a PTSD diagnosis. For many people, the symptoms will go away within a month - but others will need psychotherapy or, if that fails, medication. Cognitive behavioural therapy can help change the way people think about the traumatic event in order to control fear and anxiety. This involves going through the event in detail with a therapist. Antidepressants, such as paroxetine, are used if psychotherapy does not work. Prof Greenberg, who also works with the UK Psychological Trauma Society, says treatment is still effective many years after the incident. However, after such a long time the symptoms are very unlikely to clear up without treatment.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 514, "answer_start": 206, "text": "Post-traumatic stress disorder is an anxiety disorder caused by witnessing or being involved in a frightening or distressing event. People naturally feel afraid when in danger, but the legacy of some traumatic events is a change in perception of fear. They may feel stressed or frightened in day-to-day life." } ], "id": "9688_0", "question": "What is PTSD?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 739, "answer_start": 515, "text": "Any traumatic event has the potential to lead to PTSD including: - military conflicts - serious road accidents - natural disasters - sexual assaults - muggings People will be generally affected within one month of the event." } ], "id": "9688_1", "question": "What can trigger it?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1467, "answer_start": 740, "text": "There is no blood test for PTSD, it instead relies on the judgement of a doctor speaking to their patient about their symptoms. There must have been an initial traumatic event involving a close brush with death or serious violence. There are then four criteria which must be present: - re-experiencing the event - commonly known as flashbacks - avoidance behaviour - people will not talk about the event and avoid anything that reminds them of it - sleep impact - they will have poor sleep quality and be irritable - mood change - commonly a perception that something bad is always about to happen \"This has to impair day-to-day function,\" said Neil Greenberg, a defence professor of mental health at the King's College London." } ], "id": "9688_2", "question": "How is it diagnosed?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1899, "answer_start": 1468, "text": "\"With properly skilled doctors it can be very easy to diagnose, it could take a few hours,\" says Prof Greenberg. But he says doctors must have a good suspicion of PTSD before starting to diagnose someone, as patients may not bring up their trauma history. It can also be a challenge because some people deliberately \"overinflate symptoms\", sometimes for financial reasons, while others seek to avoid the stigma of a PTSD diagnosis." } ], "id": "9688_3", "question": "Is it easy to diagnose?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2532, "answer_start": 1900, "text": "For many people, the symptoms will go away within a month - but others will need psychotherapy or, if that fails, medication. Cognitive behavioural therapy can help change the way people think about the traumatic event in order to control fear and anxiety. This involves going through the event in detail with a therapist. Antidepressants, such as paroxetine, are used if psychotherapy does not work. Prof Greenberg, who also works with the UK Psychological Trauma Society, says treatment is still effective many years after the incident. However, after such a long time the symptoms are very unlikely to clear up without treatment." } ], "id": "9688_4", "question": "How is it treated?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Hinkley Point is a sleeping giant of a project. And it has now been confirmed that a project announced nearly eight years ago will continue to sleep just a little longer. At PS24bn, it's the biggest and riskiest energy infrastructure project in British history and the decision as to whether it goes ahead lies with EDF's major shareholder - the government of France. Speaking this evening, the French Finance Minister, Emmanuel Macron said the green light would not be lit until the beginning of May but signalled the French government's strong support. \"The principal nuclear project in the developed world is Hinkley Point. Can we legitimately choose not to take part in the largest nuclear project in the developed world? For my part, I don't think so.\" Very positive, but hang on a minute you may well ask - how did we arrive at a point where a foreign government is calling the shots on UK energy policy? You have to go back to 2008 when the UK essentially surrendered its sovereignty over its nuclear industry when British Energy and its stable of eight nuclear power plants was sold to the French energy giant EDF. British Gas owner Centrica took a 25% stake which it later jettisoned. The rationale was that EDF knew what it was doing having built 58 plants in France supplying 80% of the country's electricity. Leave it to the experts. Fine, so EDF will build it, who is going to pay for it? Definitely NOT the state - or not this state anyway. That was the view in UK government and in particular the Lib Dems who were adamant there should be no UK state subsidy of nuclear. The risk should fall entirely on the contractor - essentially the French government. If it doesn't get finished, we don't pay a penny, was their idea. That's fine. But in order to shoulder that risk, we need to be sure it's going to be worth it in the end. We need a guarantee that the price we get for the electricity we produce will compensate us for all the risk we are taking. Add to the mix the pressure that was piling up on the government to start spending money on infrastructure - and in particular energy infrastructure - and the message to Ed Davey was \"do something, do anything\" and so he did a deal guaranteeing EDF a price of PS92.50 per Megawatt hour. Nearly three times the current price. EDF faces substantial risks if it goes ahead. Not only does it have to come up with the cash to complete the project - it also has to find EUR55bn to service France's ageing 58-strong nuclear power station fleet. Hinkley is not the only call on the French giant's purse. Having said that, it is the biggest. The Somerset project will soak up 15-20% of all the French company's cash over the next decade. That was a chunk its finance director - the person who knew EDF's finance's better than anyone - was unprepared to stand by and watch it digest. He resigned as he thought Hinkley could jeopardise the financial future of the firm. He left because he was at odds with the rest of the board and French politicians who are keen to press ahead as Monsieur Macron indicated tonight. That depends who you ask. EDF, the UK government or British consumers. EDF: The ex-CFO has voted with his feet. It's not hard to see why he has such misgivings. Despite being the experts, EDF's recent track record on building reactors is poor. Smaller but similar projects in France, Finland and China are years behind schedule and massively over budget. On its own, EDF could not take this on as it could ruin the company. The government has agreed in principle to underwrite it by giving EDF the freedom to sell off the family silver (like a stake in the French equivalent of National Grid) and it may need to raise more cash by creating efficiencies (code for sacking people). French unions hold seats on the EDF board. On the other hand, if it pulls it off, it will be the most profitable project it has ever done. Some of the high risks have been removed. The UK government won't pay a penny if the project isn't completed. EDF is on the hook for the risk of delivering a fiendishly difficult and delay-strewn process. What is clear is that the UK government has placed great political capital in infrastructure capital. The message seems to be - please for goodness sake build something. The earth movers are standing by - can it afford to keep them idle much longer? This is a tough one. The price EDF has negotiated for the electricity that Hinkley will one day produce looks very high by current standards. PS92.50 per megawatt hour of electricity is nearly three times the current price. Sounds mad - but the reality is that NO ONE knows what the average price of electricity will be in the decades between 2025 and 2060. Add to that when the decommissioning costs are factored in, the future carbon penalties for coal and gas are unknown, and that nuclear counts as a near zero carbon source of energy, and the maths is practically impossible to do. This sleeping giant is due to wake in May. Whether it crushes EDF underfoot or makes a colossal contribution to its bottom line will take at least a decade to determine. The UK and French governments are in this up to their neck and it's hard to see them pulling out now.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2291, "answer_start": 758, "text": "Very positive, but hang on a minute you may well ask - how did we arrive at a point where a foreign government is calling the shots on UK energy policy? You have to go back to 2008 when the UK essentially surrendered its sovereignty over its nuclear industry when British Energy and its stable of eight nuclear power plants was sold to the French energy giant EDF. British Gas owner Centrica took a 25% stake which it later jettisoned. The rationale was that EDF knew what it was doing having built 58 plants in France supplying 80% of the country's electricity. Leave it to the experts. Fine, so EDF will build it, who is going to pay for it? Definitely NOT the state - or not this state anyway. That was the view in UK government and in particular the Lib Dems who were adamant there should be no UK state subsidy of nuclear. The risk should fall entirely on the contractor - essentially the French government. If it doesn't get finished, we don't pay a penny, was their idea. That's fine. But in order to shoulder that risk, we need to be sure it's going to be worth it in the end. We need a guarantee that the price we get for the electricity we produce will compensate us for all the risk we are taking. Add to the mix the pressure that was piling up on the government to start spending money on infrastructure - and in particular energy infrastructure - and the message to Ed Davey was \"do something, do anything\" and so he did a deal guaranteeing EDF a price of PS92.50 per Megawatt hour. Nearly three times the current price." } ], "id": "9689_0", "question": "Who's in charge?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3072, "answer_start": 2292, "text": "EDF faces substantial risks if it goes ahead. Not only does it have to come up with the cash to complete the project - it also has to find EUR55bn to service France's ageing 58-strong nuclear power station fleet. Hinkley is not the only call on the French giant's purse. Having said that, it is the biggest. The Somerset project will soak up 15-20% of all the French company's cash over the next decade. That was a chunk its finance director - the person who knew EDF's finance's better than anyone - was unprepared to stand by and watch it digest. He resigned as he thought Hinkley could jeopardise the financial future of the firm. He left because he was at odds with the rest of the board and French politicians who are keen to press ahead as Monsieur Macron indicated tonight." } ], "id": "9689_1", "question": "What will happen?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3891, "answer_start": 3073, "text": "That depends who you ask. EDF, the UK government or British consumers. EDF: The ex-CFO has voted with his feet. It's not hard to see why he has such misgivings. Despite being the experts, EDF's recent track record on building reactors is poor. Smaller but similar projects in France, Finland and China are years behind schedule and massively over budget. On its own, EDF could not take this on as it could ruin the company. The government has agreed in principle to underwrite it by giving EDF the freedom to sell off the family silver (like a stake in the French equivalent of National Grid) and it may need to raise more cash by creating efficiencies (code for sacking people). French unions hold seats on the EDF board. On the other hand, if it pulls it off, it will be the most profitable project it has ever done." } ], "id": "9689_2", "question": "Is it a good deal?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4346, "answer_start": 3892, "text": "Some of the high risks have been removed. The UK government won't pay a penny if the project isn't completed. EDF is on the hook for the risk of delivering a fiendishly difficult and delay-strewn process. What is clear is that the UK government has placed great political capital in infrastructure capital. The message seems to be - please for goodness sake build something. The earth movers are standing by - can it afford to keep them idle much longer?" } ], "id": "9689_3", "question": "What does it mean for UK Government?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5205, "answer_start": 4347, "text": "This is a tough one. The price EDF has negotiated for the electricity that Hinkley will one day produce looks very high by current standards. PS92.50 per megawatt hour of electricity is nearly three times the current price. Sounds mad - but the reality is that NO ONE knows what the average price of electricity will be in the decades between 2025 and 2060. Add to that when the decommissioning costs are factored in, the future carbon penalties for coal and gas are unknown, and that nuclear counts as a near zero carbon source of energy, and the maths is practically impossible to do. This sleeping giant is due to wake in May. Whether it crushes EDF underfoot or makes a colossal contribution to its bottom line will take at least a decade to determine. The UK and French governments are in this up to their neck and it's hard to see them pulling out now." } ], "id": "9689_4", "question": "What does it mean for UK consumers?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The EU has condemned US plans for tough tariffs on steel and aluminium imports, saying they jeopardise European jobs. EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom set out plans to retaliate against the proposed US tariffs. These include higher import duties on bourbon, peanut butter, cranberries, orange juice, steel, and industrial products, she said. On Tuesday, Donald Trump's top economic advisor Gary Cohn, who opposes tariffs, resigned. That was after Mr Trump said EU trade rules make it \"impossible\" for US firms to do business with the bloc. Ms Malmstrom said the US justification for the proposed 25% tariff on steel imports and 10% on aluminium imports was that US national security is threatened. \"We have serious doubt about that justification. We cannot see how the European Union, friends, and allies in Nato, can be a threat to national security in the US,\" she said. \"We find that assumption deeply unjust.\" Ms Malmstrom said the EU will launch proceedings at the World Trade Organisation with other members of the organisation. It would take measures to try to deal with an expected surge of steel and aluminium imports into the EU. \"From what we understand, the motivation of the US is an economic safeguard measure in disguise, not a national security measure,\" she said. The EU would take measures that match the economic loss suffered by the EU. \"We are discussing different US products on which different import tariffs can be imposed,\" she said. She added that the root cause of the problem with steel and aluminium is \"global overcapacity\" propped up by \"massive state subsidies... under non-market conditions.\" Ms Malmstrom said: \"We have made clear that if a move like this is taken, it will hurt the European Union. It will put thousands of European jobs in jeopardy, and it has to be met by a firm and proportionate response.\" The EU is a major exporter of steel to the US, along with Canada and South Korea. Ms Malmstrom said the EU was \"intensively talking\" to US counterparts to try to persuade Washington \"to have a rethink\". \"A trade war has no winners,\" she added. EU president Donald Tusk said: \"There is a risk of a serious trade dispute between the United States and the rest of the world, including the EU. \"President Trump has recently said, and I quote, 'Trade wars are good and easy to win'. But the truth is quite the opposite. Trade wars are bad and easy to lose,\" he said. One of Mr Trump's campaign promises was to reinvigorate the US steel industry. \"Just like the American steel from Pennsylvania that built the Empire State Building, it will be American steel that will fortify America's crumbling bridges,\" he said at a 2016 campaign rally. Mr Trump and his supporters have focused their ire on cheap Chinese steel, which they blame for problems in the US steel industry.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1632, "answer_start": 921, "text": "Ms Malmstrom said the EU will launch proceedings at the World Trade Organisation with other members of the organisation. It would take measures to try to deal with an expected surge of steel and aluminium imports into the EU. \"From what we understand, the motivation of the US is an economic safeguard measure in disguise, not a national security measure,\" she said. The EU would take measures that match the economic loss suffered by the EU. \"We are discussing different US products on which different import tariffs can be imposed,\" she said. She added that the root cause of the problem with steel and aluminium is \"global overcapacity\" propped up by \"massive state subsidies... under non-market conditions.\"" } ], "id": "9690_0", "question": "What action is the EU considering?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2413, "answer_start": 1633, "text": "Ms Malmstrom said: \"We have made clear that if a move like this is taken, it will hurt the European Union. It will put thousands of European jobs in jeopardy, and it has to be met by a firm and proportionate response.\" The EU is a major exporter of steel to the US, along with Canada and South Korea. Ms Malmstrom said the EU was \"intensively talking\" to US counterparts to try to persuade Washington \"to have a rethink\". \"A trade war has no winners,\" she added. EU president Donald Tusk said: \"There is a risk of a serious trade dispute between the United States and the rest of the world, including the EU. \"President Trump has recently said, and I quote, 'Trade wars are good and easy to win'. But the truth is quite the opposite. Trade wars are bad and easy to lose,\" he said." } ], "id": "9690_1", "question": "Why is the EU worried about tariffs?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2817, "answer_start": 2414, "text": "One of Mr Trump's campaign promises was to reinvigorate the US steel industry. \"Just like the American steel from Pennsylvania that built the Empire State Building, it will be American steel that will fortify America's crumbling bridges,\" he said at a 2016 campaign rally. Mr Trump and his supporters have focused their ire on cheap Chinese steel, which they blame for problems in the US steel industry." } ], "id": "9690_2", "question": "Why does Trump want to impose metals tariffs?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A man who drove his car into a crowd of protesters in Virginia, killing a woman, was motivated by \"anger\", prosecutors said at the start of his trial. James Alex Fields Jr, 21, is accused of murder and causing serious injury in Charlottesville in August 2017. Heather Heyer, 32, died when the car hit a group of people protesting against a white nationalist rally. Mr Fields's lawyers say he acted out of fear for his own safety. In opening statements at the trial, the defence and prosecution both agreed that Mr Fields, from Ohio, had driven his car into the crowd but they disputed his intent. The white supremacist rally was one of the largest such gatherings in America in decades. Dozens were injured in the violence that erupted between white nationalists and counter-protesters. The \"Unite the Right\" march was organised to protest against plans to remove a statue of a general who had fought for the pro-slavery Confederacy during the US Civil War. Graphic video of the incident involving Mr Fields's car was widely shared on social media. Prosecutor Nina Antony said that photographic and video evidence would show that Mr Fields's actions were pre-meditated and not motivated by self-protection, as the defence would argue. She said that months before the incident, the reputed far-right sympathiser had posted pictures on Instagram showing a group of people being struck by a car. \"On August 12, James Alex Fields Jr was here in Charlottesville with anger and images of violence fixed in his mind. The case is about his decision to act on that anger and those images,\" she said. Among those who gave witness statements was Brendan Gilmore who said he had started filming on his mobile phone when he saw the car approach the crowd. \"I heard a sickening sound and saw bodies going everywhere,\" he said. Another witness was Marcus Martin who was photographed being thrown into the air by the force of the impact. He suffered a broken leg and ankle. He described Heather Heyer as \"a great person\". Defence lawyer John Hill said the rally and counter-protest had descended into pitched battles with some people armed with guns. He said that after his client was detained he had expressed remorse and told police that he \"feared for his safety and that he was scared to death\". The trial continues.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1048, "answer_start": 597, "text": "The white supremacist rally was one of the largest such gatherings in America in decades. Dozens were injured in the violence that erupted between white nationalists and counter-protesters. The \"Unite the Right\" march was organised to protest against plans to remove a statue of a general who had fought for the pro-slavery Confederacy during the US Civil War. Graphic video of the incident involving Mr Fields's car was widely shared on social media." } ], "id": "9691_0", "question": "What's the background?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2304, "answer_start": 1049, "text": "Prosecutor Nina Antony said that photographic and video evidence would show that Mr Fields's actions were pre-meditated and not motivated by self-protection, as the defence would argue. She said that months before the incident, the reputed far-right sympathiser had posted pictures on Instagram showing a group of people being struck by a car. \"On August 12, James Alex Fields Jr was here in Charlottesville with anger and images of violence fixed in his mind. The case is about his decision to act on that anger and those images,\" she said. Among those who gave witness statements was Brendan Gilmore who said he had started filming on his mobile phone when he saw the car approach the crowd. \"I heard a sickening sound and saw bodies going everywhere,\" he said. Another witness was Marcus Martin who was photographed being thrown into the air by the force of the impact. He suffered a broken leg and ankle. He described Heather Heyer as \"a great person\". Defence lawyer John Hill said the rally and counter-protest had descended into pitched battles with some people armed with guns. He said that after his client was detained he had expressed remorse and told police that he \"feared for his safety and that he was scared to death\". The trial continues." } ], "id": "9691_1", "question": "What did the jury hear?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "At the end of the Democratic debate, Hillary Clinton said New Hampshire Democrats should vote with their hearts and their heads when they head to the polls on Tuesday - the next round in the process of selecting candidates for November's presidential election. Over 90 minutes on Thursday night, Mrs Clinton and Bernie Sanders fought over where the heart and head of the Democratic Party should be. In often contentious exchanges the two candidates offered starkly different views of what it means to be a Democrat - and the best way to implement liberal policies. Both candidates spent time on the offensive, pushing their advantages, and defending their weaknesses. In the end, the evening boiled down to five key questions and what they say about the state of the Democratic race. The term \"progressive\" has recently come into favour as a way for those on the US left to identify themselves, as conservatives have successfully tarnished \"liberal\" with negative connotations. But what is a progressive? On Wednesday, Mr Sanders sent out a series of tweets alleging that Mrs Clinton, because of her support of international trade agreements, the death penalty and the Keystone XL oil pipeline, wasn't worthy of the progressive label. Mrs Clinton once professed to be a moderate, Mr Sanders said during the debate. \"There's nothing wrong with being a moderate,\" he continued. \"But you can't be a moderate and be a progressive.\" Mrs Clinton defended herself by saying that she was a progressive who can \"get things done\". \"The root of that word, progressive, is progress,\" she added. By Mr Sanders's definition, she said, even President Barack Obama couldn't be called a progressive. Take-away: This is the heart of the difference between Mrs Clinton and Mr Sanders. Is it right for Democrats to dream big and endorse aggressive liberal policies, as Mr Sanders suggests? Or is incremental improvements and an emphasis on what is clearly achievable the way to go, as Mrs Clinton asserts? One of Mr Sanders's sharpest critiques of Mrs Clinton is that she is beholden to corporate campaign donors that have helped her raise more money than any other candidate running for president today. It's a point he returned to when asked whether Mrs Clinton represented the Democratic \"establishment\". \"What being part of the establishment is, is, in the last quarter, having a super-PAC that raised $15m from Wall Street, that throughout one's life raised a whole lot of money from the drug companies and other special interests,\" he said. \"To my mind, if we do not get a handle on money in politics and the degree to which big money controls the political process in this country, nobody is going to bring about the changes that is needed in this country for the middle class and working families.\" Mrs Clinton took offence at that, accusing Mr Sanders of making an \"artful smear\". \"If you've got something to say, say it directly,\" she said. \"But you will not find that I ever changed a view or a vote because of any donation that I ever received.\" When later asked whether she'd make public the transcripts of speeches she made to the investment firm Goldman Sachs, for which she was well compensated, she dodged. \"I don't know the status, but I will certainly look into it,\" she said. Take-away: This was Mrs Clinton at her most defensive. Given the concerns Democratic voters have with the influence of money in politics, Mrs Clinton will always struggle to explain how her views were not influenced by a personal bank account that swelled thanks to the financial industry. \"The business model of Wall Street is fraud,\" Mr Sanders asserted during Thursday night's debate. \"I believe that corruption is rampant.\" It's part of his standard stump speech, and it's perhaps notable that while such assertions likely cause conservatives to cringe - and the 55% of Americans who own stocks to raise an eyebrow - Mrs Clinton did not so much as challenge Mr Sanders as say he doesn't go far enough. \"I care deeply about this because just like you I have met so many people who had their life savings wiped out, who lost their homes, who are barely back with their heads above water,\" she said. She then went on to say that she has a more comprehensive plan to address the financial industry's excesses. Take-away: There's been some concern among Democrats that a protracted fight against Mr Sanders will push Mrs Clinton too far to the left, making her an easier target if she wins the nomination and faces off against a Republican in the autumn. Moments like this make that possibility seem increasingly likely. When the subject of the debate turned to foreign policy, Mrs Clinton - who was often on the defensive during the first 45 minutes - seemed on firmer ground. Several times, when pressed on his foreign policy credentials, Mr Sanders pointed to his vote against authorising the Iraq War in 2003. Mrs Clinton voted for the war - a fact that anti-war Democratic voters did not forget when she ran against Mr Obama in 2008. It's been 13 years since then, however, and Mrs Clinton was ready with her counter-attack when Mr Sanders cited his vote while talking about current policy in Syria. \"A vote in 2003 is not a plan to defeat ISIS [so-called Islamic State],\" she said. \"We have to look at the threats that we face right now, and we have to be prepared to take them on and defeat them.\" Mr Sanders again turned to the war vote when pressed on his lack of foreign policy experience, saying it showed he had good judgement. Mrs Clinton again was quick with a response. \"When it comes to judgement, having run a hard race against Senator Obama at the time, he turned to me to be secretary of state,\" she said. Take-away: Mr Sanders likely benefitted from the fact that this exchange happened well into the debate, when the attention of viewers may have been flagging. And it's clear at this point that, unlike Republican voters, most Democrats are more concerned with economic interests than foreign policy. Time and time again Mrs Clinton has stumbled when questioned about her use of a private email server while secretary of state and the possible security vulnerabilities such a set-up may have created. This time, however, Mrs Clinton had a new response - thanks to revelations that Colin Powell, secretary of state under Republican George W Bush, also received emails that were later deemed classified on his private email. \"I agree completely with Secretary Powell, who said today this is an absurdity,\" she said. \"And so I think the American people will know it's an absurdity.\" She painted the entire email scandal as a Republican attempt to derail her presidential bid - and Mr Sanders, who last week had said the situation was a \"serious issue\", seemed to back off. \"The secretary probably doesn't know that there's not a day that goes by when I am not asked to attack her on that issue, and I have refrained from doing that and I will continue to refrain from doing that,\" he said. Take-away: Mrs Clinton said she was \"100% confident\" that nothing would come of the government investigation into her handling of classified material on her private email server. She may have a well-honed response now, but if circumstances change, it could prove her undoing. Hillary Clinton's emails: What's the deal?", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3565, "answer_start": 1986, "text": "One of Mr Sanders's sharpest critiques of Mrs Clinton is that she is beholden to corporate campaign donors that have helped her raise more money than any other candidate running for president today. It's a point he returned to when asked whether Mrs Clinton represented the Democratic \"establishment\". \"What being part of the establishment is, is, in the last quarter, having a super-PAC that raised $15m from Wall Street, that throughout one's life raised a whole lot of money from the drug companies and other special interests,\" he said. \"To my mind, if we do not get a handle on money in politics and the degree to which big money controls the political process in this country, nobody is going to bring about the changes that is needed in this country for the middle class and working families.\" Mrs Clinton took offence at that, accusing Mr Sanders of making an \"artful smear\". \"If you've got something to say, say it directly,\" she said. \"But you will not find that I ever changed a view or a vote because of any donation that I ever received.\" When later asked whether she'd make public the transcripts of speeches she made to the investment firm Goldman Sachs, for which she was well compensated, she dodged. \"I don't know the status, but I will certainly look into it,\" she said. Take-away: This was Mrs Clinton at her most defensive. Given the concerns Democratic voters have with the influence of money in politics, Mrs Clinton will always struggle to explain how her views were not influenced by a personal bank account that swelled thanks to the financial industry." } ], "id": "9692_0", "question": "Can you take donations and not be beholden to the donors?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4595, "answer_start": 3566, "text": "\"The business model of Wall Street is fraud,\" Mr Sanders asserted during Thursday night's debate. \"I believe that corruption is rampant.\" It's part of his standard stump speech, and it's perhaps notable that while such assertions likely cause conservatives to cringe - and the 55% of Americans who own stocks to raise an eyebrow - Mrs Clinton did not so much as challenge Mr Sanders as say he doesn't go far enough. \"I care deeply about this because just like you I have met so many people who had their life savings wiped out, who lost their homes, who are barely back with their heads above water,\" she said. She then went on to say that she has a more comprehensive plan to address the financial industry's excesses. Take-away: There's been some concern among Democrats that a protracted fight against Mr Sanders will push Mrs Clinton too far to the left, making her an easier target if she wins the nomination and faces off against a Republican in the autumn. Moments like this make that possibility seem increasingly likely." } ], "id": "9692_1", "question": "Is Wall Street inherently corrupt?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5997, "answer_start": 4596, "text": "When the subject of the debate turned to foreign policy, Mrs Clinton - who was often on the defensive during the first 45 minutes - seemed on firmer ground. Several times, when pressed on his foreign policy credentials, Mr Sanders pointed to his vote against authorising the Iraq War in 2003. Mrs Clinton voted for the war - a fact that anti-war Democratic voters did not forget when she ran against Mr Obama in 2008. It's been 13 years since then, however, and Mrs Clinton was ready with her counter-attack when Mr Sanders cited his vote while talking about current policy in Syria. \"A vote in 2003 is not a plan to defeat ISIS [so-called Islamic State],\" she said. \"We have to look at the threats that we face right now, and we have to be prepared to take them on and defeat them.\" Mr Sanders again turned to the war vote when pressed on his lack of foreign policy experience, saying it showed he had good judgement. Mrs Clinton again was quick with a response. \"When it comes to judgement, having run a hard race against Senator Obama at the time, he turned to me to be secretary of state,\" she said. Take-away: Mr Sanders likely benefitted from the fact that this exchange happened well into the debate, when the attention of viewers may have been flagging. And it's clear at this point that, unlike Republican voters, most Democrats are more concerned with economic interests than foreign policy." } ], "id": "9692_2", "question": "Does the 2003 Iraq vote still matter?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 7302, "answer_start": 5998, "text": "Time and time again Mrs Clinton has stumbled when questioned about her use of a private email server while secretary of state and the possible security vulnerabilities such a set-up may have created. This time, however, Mrs Clinton had a new response - thanks to revelations that Colin Powell, secretary of state under Republican George W Bush, also received emails that were later deemed classified on his private email. \"I agree completely with Secretary Powell, who said today this is an absurdity,\" she said. \"And so I think the American people will know it's an absurdity.\" She painted the entire email scandal as a Republican attempt to derail her presidential bid - and Mr Sanders, who last week had said the situation was a \"serious issue\", seemed to back off. \"The secretary probably doesn't know that there's not a day that goes by when I am not asked to attack her on that issue, and I have refrained from doing that and I will continue to refrain from doing that,\" he said. Take-away: Mrs Clinton said she was \"100% confident\" that nothing would come of the government investigation into her handling of classified material on her private email server. She may have a well-honed response now, but if circumstances change, it could prove her undoing. Hillary Clinton's emails: What's the deal?" } ], "id": "9692_3", "question": "What about those \"damned emails\"?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "President Trump has threatened severe sanctions against Iraq after its parliament called on US troops to leave the country. \"We have a very extraordinarily expensive air base that's there. It cost billions of dollars to build. We're not leaving unless they pay us back for it,\" he told reporters. Tensions are high after the US assassinated Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad last week. Iran has vowed \"severe revenge\". Soleimani, 62, spearheaded Iranian military operations in the Middle East, and was regarded as a terrorist by the US. The general's remains have now returned to his home country, where mourners packed the streets of Tehran early on Monday. The new head of Iran's Quds force - which Soleimani led - has vowed to expel the US from the Middle East. \"We promise to continue martyr Soleimani's path with the same force... and the only compensation for us would be to remove America from the region,\" state radio quoted Esmail Qaani as saying. The strike that killed Soleimani also claimed the life of Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, a top Iraqi military figure who commanded the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah group. Speaking from the presidential plane, Mr Trump said that if Iraq asked US forces to depart on an unfriendly basis, \"we will charge them sanctions like they've never seen before, ever. It'll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame.\" Some 5,000 US soldiers are in Iraq as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group. On Sunday, the coalition paused its operations against IS in Iraq, and Iraqi MPs passed a non-binding resolution calling for foreign troops to leave. The resolution was pushed through by the parliament's Shia Muslim bloc - which is close to Iran. Iran has announced it will no longer abide by restrictions imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal, under which it agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of economic sanctions. US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018, saying he wanted to force Iran to negotiate a new deal that would place indefinite curbs on its nuclear programme and also halt its development of ballistic missiles. Iran refused and had since been gradually rolling back its commitments under the deal. In a statement, it said it would no longer observe limitations on its capacity for enrichment, the level of enrichment, the stock of enriched material, or research and development. The leaders of Germany, France and the UK - which were all signatories to the 2015 deal, alongside China and Russia - responded with a joint statement urging Iran to refrain from \"further violent action or proliferation\". \"It is crucial now to de-escalate. We call on all the players involved to show utmost restraint and responsibility,\" they said. Mr Trump has vowed to strike back at Iran in the event of retaliation for Soleimani's death, \"perhaps in a disproportionate manner\". He also repeated a controversial threat to target Iranian cultural sites on Sunday, despite criticism from within the US and overseas. \"They're allowed to kill our people. They're allowed to torture and maim our people. They're allowed to use roadside bombs and blow up our people. And we're not allowed to touch their cultural site? It doesn't work that way,\" the president said. In a series of tweets on Saturday, Mr Trump said the US had identified 52 Iranian sites, some \"at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture\", and warned they would be \"HIT VERY FAST AND HARD\" if Tehran struck at the US. US Senator Elizabeth Warren, a senior member of the Democratic Party, responded by tweeting: \"You are threatening to commit war crimes.\" Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif drew parallels with IS destruction of the Middle East's cultural riches. \"A reminder to those hallucinating about emulating ISIS war crimes by targeting our cultural heritage,\" he tweeted. \"Through MILLENNIA of history, barbarians have come and ravaged our cities, razed our monuments and burnt our libraries. Where are they now? We're still here, & standing tall.\" Targeting cultural sites is banned under the Geneva and Hague Conventions - and violating them would constitute a war crime in the US. Iran is home to two dozen Unesco World Heritage sites. These are landmarks the UN's cultural organisation believes need preserving for their cultural, historic or scientific significance. They include: - Persepolis, the capital of the ancient Persian Achaemenid empire and whose earliest remains date back to Sixth Century BC - Naqsh-e Jahan Square in the city of Isfahan, which was built in the early 17th Century and is is one of the largest city squares in the world - Golestan Palace in Tehran, the residence and seat of power for the Qajar dynasty which ruled Iran from 1785 to 1925 There are also a number of sites which - while not listed by Unesco - still retain huge cultural importance. For example, the Azadi (Freedom) Tower in Tehran has been the gathering point for celebrations, military parades and mass demonstrations for almost 50 years. Elsewhere in the city, the Mausoleum of Ruhollah Khomeini is dedicated to the Islamic Republic's founder and also houses the tombs of some of the country's leading political figures. The country has always insisted that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful - but suspicions that it was being used to develop a bomb covertly prompted the UN Security Council, US and EU to impose crippling sanctions in 2010. The 2015 deal was designed to constrain the programme in a verifiable way in return for sanctions relief. It restricted Iran's enrichment of uranium, which is used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear weapons, to 3.67%. Iran was also required to redesign a heavy-water reactor being built, whose spent fuel would contain plutonium suitable for a bomb, and allow international inspections. Before July 2015, Iran had a large stockpile of enriched uranium and almost 20,000 centrifuges, enough to create eight to 10 bombs, according to the White House at the time. US experts estimated back then that if Iran had decided to rush to make a bomb, it would take two to three months until it had enough 90%-enriched uranium to build a nuclear weapon - the so-called \"breakout time\". Iran's current \"breakout time\", should it attempt to build a nuclear bomb, is estimated to be around a year, but this could be reduced to half a year or even a matter of months if enrichment levels are increased to 20%, for example.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1724, "answer_start": 1132, "text": "Speaking from the presidential plane, Mr Trump said that if Iraq asked US forces to depart on an unfriendly basis, \"we will charge them sanctions like they've never seen before, ever. It'll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame.\" Some 5,000 US soldiers are in Iraq as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group. On Sunday, the coalition paused its operations against IS in Iraq, and Iraqi MPs passed a non-binding resolution calling for foreign troops to leave. The resolution was pushed through by the parliament's Shia Muslim bloc - which is close to Iran." } ], "id": "9693_0", "question": "What did Trump threaten Iraq with?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2807, "answer_start": 1725, "text": "Iran has announced it will no longer abide by restrictions imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal, under which it agreed to limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow in international inspectors in return for the lifting of economic sanctions. US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal in 2018, saying he wanted to force Iran to negotiate a new deal that would place indefinite curbs on its nuclear programme and also halt its development of ballistic missiles. Iran refused and had since been gradually rolling back its commitments under the deal. In a statement, it said it would no longer observe limitations on its capacity for enrichment, the level of enrichment, the stock of enriched material, or research and development. The leaders of Germany, France and the UK - which were all signatories to the 2015 deal, alongside China and Russia - responded with a joint statement urging Iran to refrain from \"further violent action or proliferation\". \"It is crucial now to de-escalate. We call on all the players involved to show utmost restraint and responsibility,\" they said." } ], "id": "9693_1", "question": "How has Iran responded to the US?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 6521, "answer_start": 5281, "text": "The country has always insisted that its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful - but suspicions that it was being used to develop a bomb covertly prompted the UN Security Council, US and EU to impose crippling sanctions in 2010. The 2015 deal was designed to constrain the programme in a verifiable way in return for sanctions relief. It restricted Iran's enrichment of uranium, which is used to make reactor fuel but also nuclear weapons, to 3.67%. Iran was also required to redesign a heavy-water reactor being built, whose spent fuel would contain plutonium suitable for a bomb, and allow international inspections. Before July 2015, Iran had a large stockpile of enriched uranium and almost 20,000 centrifuges, enough to create eight to 10 bombs, according to the White House at the time. US experts estimated back then that if Iran had decided to rush to make a bomb, it would take two to three months until it had enough 90%-enriched uranium to build a nuclear weapon - the so-called \"breakout time\". Iran's current \"breakout time\", should it attempt to build a nuclear bomb, is estimated to be around a year, but this could be reduced to half a year or even a matter of months if enrichment levels are increased to 20%, for example." } ], "id": "9693_2", "question": "How soon could Iran develop a nuclear bomb?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A volunteer firefighter in Australia has been charged with deliberately lighting blazes during the nation's bushfire crisis. Police arrested the man, 19, for seven counts of alleged arson in an area south of Sydney, New South Wales (NSW). The fire service there described the alleged acts as the \"ultimate betrayal\" to crews already under immense strain. Six people have died and over 650 homes have been lost in bushfires which have ravaged the east coast since September. The man is not accused over those tragedies. The NSW Rural Fire Service calls itself the largest volunteer-based firefighting service in the world. The majority of its crews are staffed by trained volunteers. \"Over the past few weeks, we've seen firefighters going above and beyond in difficult and dangerous conditions,\" said Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons on Wednesday. \"Our members will be rightly angry that the alleged actions of one individual can tarnish the reputation and hard work of so many.\" Police said they had been investigating a \"spate\" of fires believed to have been deliberately lit in the Bega Valley in the state's south since October. On Tuesday, officers spotted a man sitting in his car next to a river in the area. Shortly afterwards, they saw smoke and a pile of grass and trees on fire. \"Police will allege in court that the man lit the fire and left the area before returning to respond to the fire as part of his duties as a volunteer firefighter,\" said New South Wales Police on Wednesday. He was arrested shortly after and was due to face a court on Wednesday. More than 120 blazes continue to burn across the state. Officials have warned that the worst of Australia's season is still to come.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1698, "answer_start": 978, "text": "Police said they had been investigating a \"spate\" of fires believed to have been deliberately lit in the Bega Valley in the state's south since October. On Tuesday, officers spotted a man sitting in his car next to a river in the area. Shortly afterwards, they saw smoke and a pile of grass and trees on fire. \"Police will allege in court that the man lit the fire and left the area before returning to respond to the fire as part of his duties as a volunteer firefighter,\" said New South Wales Police on Wednesday. He was arrested shortly after and was due to face a court on Wednesday. More than 120 blazes continue to burn across the state. Officials have warned that the worst of Australia's season is still to come." } ], "id": "9694_0", "question": "How was he arrested?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "With university tuition fees costing up to PS9,250 per year, England is the most expensive place to study in Europe. It's not a surprise then that for those who want to travel, experience a different culture or develop foreign language skills, studying in a country which has no tuition fees for undergraduates is an attractive option. So in which countries can a prospective student from the UK study for free? Scottish students already get free university tuition in Scotland, as do students from other EU countries, but those from England, Wales and Northern Ireland have to pay to study there. The Scottish government meets the cost of Scottish students and EU law makes clear students from EU countries cannot be offered a worse deal than home ones. The Scottish government has pledged that whatever happens, EU students who enrol up to 2019 will continue to benefit from free tuition fees. Currently, any British student can study at a university in any EU or EEA country (Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein), provided he or she fulfils the entry requirements of that institution. If the home students do not pay any fees, the UK students are also entitled to study for free. In total, 10 EU countries, as well as Norway, do not charge undergraduate students tuition fees. Other countries charge very low tuition fees. France, for example, charges between EUR180 (PS158) to EUR600 (PS527) a year at its state-funded universities. In some of the countries, like Germany, many of the courses are in English. In others, like Croatia, the free courses are only available in the national language. There are opportunities for those who want to study further afield too. The top US universities offer full scholarships to the best and the brightest students. Similarly, universities in Australia offer top students from around the world different kinds of scholarships and free tuition. But studying far from home is not everyone's cup of tea. A recent survey by the British Council found that only 18% of students surveyed indicated they were interested in studying abroad. Key perceived obstacles included the financial costs of travelling and living abroad, distance from the UK and friends and family, perceived lack of foreign language skills and the UK's high quality of education at home. There is no data that shows how many UK students are doing a full degree in other EU countries. However, 2012 data from world heritage body Unesco on global movement of university students, which includes postgraduate and exchange students and full-time undergraduates, shows that, of around 33,000 UK students who studied abroad, around 13,000 studied in other EU countries. In contrast, the UK welcomes a large number of EU students - 134,835 in 2016-17 according to the latest Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) statistics. The figure includes both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The UK and the EU have agreed in principle that any UK citizen who moves to study in another EU country before the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019, as well as during the transition period after Brexit, which is due to finish at the end of 2020, will retain the right to study on the same terms as that country's own nationals. That assumes that the withdrawal agreement is implemented and the transition goes ahead. Those who start their course in an EU country which does not charge any fees before the transition ends, will pay nothing even if their course continues after the transition is over. What will happen in 2021 and beyond? That is likely to depend on the policy that each individual country has on tuition fees for non-EU students. Currently, Germany and Norway offer free studying to all international students. It is of course possible that some of the countries might change their rules by 2021. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3807, "answer_start": 2894, "text": "The UK and the EU have agreed in principle that any UK citizen who moves to study in another EU country before the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019, as well as during the transition period after Brexit, which is due to finish at the end of 2020, will retain the right to study on the same terms as that country's own nationals. That assumes that the withdrawal agreement is implemented and the transition goes ahead. Those who start their course in an EU country which does not charge any fees before the transition ends, will pay nothing even if their course continues after the transition is over. What will happen in 2021 and beyond? That is likely to depend on the policy that each individual country has on tuition fees for non-EU students. Currently, Germany and Norway offer free studying to all international students. It is of course possible that some of the countries might change their rules by 2021." } ], "id": "9695_0", "question": "What will happen after Brexit?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "A series of unprovoked vigilante attacks on France's Roma community have erupted after false reports spread online about child abductions. But police say the warnings of a \"man in a white van\" kidnapping children off the streets are \"totally unfounded\". Some 20 people were arrested on Monday night after attacking the Roma community with makeshift weapons. A police chief in one of the suburbs warned officers of \"a psychosis that is starting to set in.\" Claims of a man in a van abducting children and others - reportedly to fuel prostitution rings or the illegal organ trade - have been circulating online in recent weeks. Sometimes the van is red, or yellow, in a different region, or of Bulgarian or Romanian origin. The reports have spread rapidly on Whatsapp, Snapchat, and other social media networks. But there is no evidence of any of them. \"Rumours about kidnapping children with a van are completely unfounded. No abductions have been proven,\" Paris police wrote on Twitter on Monday. \"Do not share this false information, do not incite violence,\" it warned. Monday night's attacks on the Roma community happened in the neighbouring Clichy-sous-Bois and Bobigny areas north-east of central Paris. French broadcaster BFMTV said the attackers had armed themselves with baseball bats, knives, and rocks - and between the two areas, there were about 70 people involved in the vigilante mob. City officials have joined the police in saying there are no reports of any missing people that could have been abducted in such a manner, nor any matching reports of attempted kidnapping. Yet the online rumours have continued to spread - along with video footage of attacks on van drivers \"matching\" a supposed description of the alleged kidnapper, across several regions. Some show a van passing at speed to escape men on foot. Another shows a person huddled in a white van, with its door open, while hooded men throw rocks at them. French media outlets have debunked images that claim to show a suspicious van \"spotted\" by a supposed well-meaning citizen - which are sometimes years old, or from a different region. The rumours have parallels to last year's lynchings in India, where several people were killed by mobs based on false videos circulating on Whatsapp, purporting to show abductions. Roma human rights collective Romeurope issued a statement saying: \"Anti-Roma racism is, in France, the most widespread form of racism.\" The \"descent of armed men\" on the \"shanty towns\" had left the victims \"living in terror\", it said, with adults holding watch through the night. Those who drive a van for work \"do not dare go out to continue their usual activities\". The child abductor in a van - usually a white one - is a well-known, almost stereotypical image. Hundreds of similar reports and warnings abound online from local new outlets across the globe. France's Liberation newspaper says (in French) that the story has \"haunted the web for years\" in Belgium, Germany, and France. It was labelled an \"urban myth\" by Australia's ABC News as far back as 2009, when a state crime statistics expert said most such reports were false. In 2012, Sweden followed suit, with a detective inspector telling newspapers that the white van urban myth had been around for 10 years - most likely because it was the most common type of van. The workman's van in a white colour is ubiquitous on the roads of many nations - to the extent that \"white van man\" is a well-used phrase in British life. Yet the risk of child abduction by strangers is a genuine concern. In the UK, there were 1,189 child abduction offences in 2017/18 - 20% of which were committed by a family member, 40% by non-family that the child knows, and the remaining 40% by strangers - about 475 offences. But most of those are attempted abductions, rather than completed abductions. Current UK police advice to children is based on a campaign titled \"clever never goes\" - warning children that while not all adult strangers are dangerous, they should never go anywhere with an adult unexpectedly - even with those they may already know.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2666, "answer_start": 851, "text": "\"Rumours about kidnapping children with a van are completely unfounded. No abductions have been proven,\" Paris police wrote on Twitter on Monday. \"Do not share this false information, do not incite violence,\" it warned. Monday night's attacks on the Roma community happened in the neighbouring Clichy-sous-Bois and Bobigny areas north-east of central Paris. French broadcaster BFMTV said the attackers had armed themselves with baseball bats, knives, and rocks - and between the two areas, there were about 70 people involved in the vigilante mob. City officials have joined the police in saying there are no reports of any missing people that could have been abducted in such a manner, nor any matching reports of attempted kidnapping. Yet the online rumours have continued to spread - along with video footage of attacks on van drivers \"matching\" a supposed description of the alleged kidnapper, across several regions. Some show a van passing at speed to escape men on foot. Another shows a person huddled in a white van, with its door open, while hooded men throw rocks at them. French media outlets have debunked images that claim to show a suspicious van \"spotted\" by a supposed well-meaning citizen - which are sometimes years old, or from a different region. The rumours have parallels to last year's lynchings in India, where several people were killed by mobs based on false videos circulating on Whatsapp, purporting to show abductions. Roma human rights collective Romeurope issued a statement saying: \"Anti-Roma racism is, in France, the most widespread form of racism.\" The \"descent of armed men\" on the \"shanty towns\" had left the victims \"living in terror\", it said, with adults holding watch through the night. Those who drive a van for work \"do not dare go out to continue their usual activities\"." } ], "id": "9696_0", "question": "What's going on in France?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Following another convincing win at the polls, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi says he wants to continue his mission to transform the country. So what has his government already achieved since it came into office in 2014? BBC Reality Check has taken a look at how the BJP government has matched up to its promises over the past five years. The Modi government has looked to the manufacturing sector to drive economic growth and create jobs. Under the Make in India project, it pledged to raise the share of manufacturing to 25% of GDP - the overall measure of goods and services - by 2025. As the data shows, the contribution of the manufacturing sector has remained just above 15% in recent years, and experts doubt the target will be met. However, the overall rate of economic growth (GDP) has remained strong, at around 6-7% per year, and the government has also highlighted more recent data showing signs of improving industrial growth. Mr Modi came to power in 2014 with a promise to create jobs for millions of Indians. The government has delayed the publication of the latest official data on jobs, but a draft version of the report was leaked earlier this year indicating a significant rise in unemployment during the current government's tenure. This has provoked a heated debate over the true situation in the jobs market. You can see our video on the issue here: At the end of February this year, security became a major issue after an attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir, in which 40 soldiers were killed. The government presented itself as the true guardian of the country's security, after launching retaliatory strikes in Pakistan. But the opposition Congress hit back, saying the security situation in Kashmir was now worse under the BJP government than under its own rule before 2014. The data shows that until the end of last year, the level of militant activity under the two governments had been broadly similar. But it is also the case that infiltration attempts into Indian-administered Kashmir have been rising since 2016. The BJP government says it brought in tough laws to combat violence against women. The data shows a rise in the reporting of rape to the authorities, particularly after the notorious Delhi gang rape of 2012. But the conviction rate for cases that go to the courts has not really improved in the last few years. The BJP government under Mr Modi made a series of pledges on improving the lives of Indians in rural areas. Three years ago, a commitment was made to double farmers' incomes by 2022. But there are few signs that the government is on track to meet its target. We also looked into promises by the government to alleviate the burden of farmers' debts, which have led to severe hardship within their communities. The evidence that Reality Check found showed that schemes implemented both by the BJP and previous Congress administrations have not been effectively implemented, and can create more problems in their wake. The BJP government also came up with a series of pledges under its Clean India campaign. These included the provision of toilet facilities to address a widespread lack of clean sanitation, and cleaner cooking fuel in the form of subsidised gas cylinders to reduce the amount of kerosene and wood being used in household kitchens. Many households have switched to the cleaner fuel, so this was a considerable success. But the longer-term success of the project has been tempered by the tapering off of subsidies on gas cylinder refills, and many households have reverted to using dirtier fuels. As for toilets, the prime minister has said that 90% of Indians now have access to a toilet - up from 40% before he came into office in 2014. While its true that many more household toilets have been constructed across the country, there is also evidence that not all are working properly, and that - for a variety of reasons - they do not always get used. One of the biggest Clean India projects was focused on the River Ganges, which is holy to millions of Hindus. The Ganges has been blighted for years by pollution and overuse. Reality Check discovered that although a lot more money has been made available, only a small proportion has so far been spent. Read more from Reality Check Send us your questions Follow us on Twitter ", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 945, "answer_start": 345, "text": "The Modi government has looked to the manufacturing sector to drive economic growth and create jobs. Under the Make in India project, it pledged to raise the share of manufacturing to 25% of GDP - the overall measure of goods and services - by 2025. As the data shows, the contribution of the manufacturing sector has remained just above 15% in recent years, and experts doubt the target will be met. However, the overall rate of economic growth (GDP) has remained strong, at around 6-7% per year, and the government has also highlighted more recent data showing signs of improving industrial growth." } ], "id": "9697_0", "question": "A manufacturing superpower?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 2361, "answer_start": 2051, "text": "The BJP government says it brought in tough laws to combat violence against women. The data shows a rise in the reporting of rape to the authorities, particularly after the notorious Delhi gang rape of 2012. But the conviction rate for cases that go to the courts has not really improved in the last few years." } ], "id": "9697_1", "question": "Are women now safer in India?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3928, "answer_start": 2978, "text": "The BJP government also came up with a series of pledges under its Clean India campaign. These included the provision of toilet facilities to address a widespread lack of clean sanitation, and cleaner cooking fuel in the form of subsidised gas cylinders to reduce the amount of kerosene and wood being used in household kitchens. Many households have switched to the cleaner fuel, so this was a considerable success. But the longer-term success of the project has been tempered by the tapering off of subsidies on gas cylinder refills, and many households have reverted to using dirtier fuels. As for toilets, the prime minister has said that 90% of Indians now have access to a toilet - up from 40% before he came into office in 2014. While its true that many more household toilets have been constructed across the country, there is also evidence that not all are working properly, and that - for a variety of reasons - they do not always get used." } ], "id": "9697_2", "question": "Have plans to clean up India worked?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "The suspects in the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils were planning one or more bigger attacks than those that were carried out, police say. They said blasts on Wednesday in a town south of Barcelona deprived plotters of bomb material, so they executed simpler attacks using vehicles to ram crowds. Police are seeking Moussa Oukabir, thought to be 17, and three others. Oukabir is suspected of carrying out Thursday's attack on Barcelona's Ramblas, where 13 people died. Scores of others were injured as a van driver zig-zagged along the famous tourist street. Moussa Oukabir, a Spanish citizen from the northern Catalan city of Girona, is suspected of using his brother's documents to rent the van that mowed down people on the famous boulevard. Hours later, police killed five suspected jihadists in a second vehicle attack in the town of Cambrils. A woman injured in that attack died later. Police said the men killed in Cambrils were linked to the Barcelona attack, which the Islamic State (IS) group said it had carried out. Spanish media, quoting unnamed police sources, said Oukabir was among those killed in Cambrils but there has been no official confirmation. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has condemned what he called a \"jihadist attack\" in Barcelona. He has announced three days of national mourning and a minute's silence was held at noon (10:00 GMT) on Friday. Police say they are investigating the theory that the attacks were being prepared over a substantial period of time in a private house in Alcanar, a small town south of Barcelona. Explosions ripped through the building on Wednesday evening, apparently caused by exploding gas canisters. One person was killed. The explosives were being prepared for use in one or more attacks in Barcelona, police said. Catalan Police Chief Josep Lluis Trapero said the actual attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils were \"rudimentary\" by comparison. The driver of the van fled on foot after mowing down tourists and locals on Las Ramblas. Catalonia's Interior Minister Joaquim Forn, quoted by the Associated Press, said: \"We had local police on the scene, but we were unable to shoot him, as the Ramblas were packed with people.\" Two images of the suspect Moussa Oukabir have been published, and police later issued a composite photo showing him and three other men - Said Aallaa, 18, Mohamed Hychami, 24, and Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22. All are Moroccan-born. Later Police Chief Trapero said it was suspected that the driver of the Barcelona van was one of the five killed in Cambrils, though it was not clear that Moussa Oukabir was behind the wheel. Spanish media say Oukabir rented two vans, the one used in the attack and another found hours later in the town of Vic, north of Barcelona, that was intended as a getaway vehicle. His brother, Driss Oukabir, was arrested after reportedly turning himself in on Thursday. Reports suggest Driss, who is in his 20s and was born in Morocco, told police he was not involved and that his documents had been stolen. Three other arrests have been made. Two of the men are Moroccan, and the third was born in Melilla, the autonomous Spanish city on the north coast of Africa. Police said three of the arrests were made in the Catalan town of Ripoll and one in Alcanar after Wednesday's explosions. They gave the ages of the arrested men as 21, 27, 28 and 34. A Fiat van was driven down the pedestrianised avenue on Thursday afternoon, deliberately targeting people. Las Ramblas is a central boulevard that runs 1.2km (0.75 miles) through the centre of Barcelona from the city's Placa de Catalunya (Catalonia Square) to the Christopher Columbus monument at the seafront. An American businessman who was just arriving in a taxi in Las Ramblas, said the van was \"weaving left and right, trying to hit people as fast as possible. There were people lying on the ground\". Seven people, including a police officer, were hit when a car was driven into them early on Friday in the popular seaside resort 110km (68 miles) south-west of Barcelona. A woman victim later died in hospital. The attackers' vehicle overturned and when the men got out they were quickly fired upon by police, media say. One was reportedly brandishing a knife. Police Chief Trapero said one officer killed four of the attackers single-handedly. The men were wearing what appeared to be explosive belts, police said, and a series of controlled explosions was carried out. The belts proved to be fake, Catalan regional head Carles Puigdemont later told local radio. Citizens of some 34 countries were killed or injured in the Las Ramblas attack, the Catalan government has said. One woman died in Cambrils. Confirmed dead: - Spaniard Francisco Lopez Rodriguez, in his 60s - Italian Bruno Gulotta, 35 - Italian Luca Russo, 25 - Unnamed Belgian - Unnamed US citizen France's foreign ministry said on Friday that 26 French nationals were injured, with at least 11 in a serious condition. Thirteen German citizens were wounded, some seriously. A five-year-old Irish boy suffered a broken leg. Seven-year-old Julian Cadman, a dual British-Australian national who was separated from his mother during the attack, is missing, ABC Australia reports. His mother was reportedly among the seriously injured. Taiwan and Greece are among those saying their citizens were injured. Pakistani, Philippine, Venezuelan, Romanian, Peruvian, Dutch, Danish, Algerian and Chinese nationals were also among the casualties, officials said. What do we know about the victims? - Alcanar, Wednesday evening: An explosion rips through a house in the small town, 200km south of Barcelona. One person dies. Police chief Josep Lluis Trapero said it appeared the residents at the house had been \"preparing an explosive device\". A Catalan government official says a cell may have intended to use gas canisters in the Las Ramblas attack - Barcelona, Thursday 16:50 (14:50 GMT): A white Fiat van drives down Las Ramblas in central Barcelona, killing 13 people and injuring scores. The driver flees on foot - Vic, Thursday 18:30: Police find a second van, thought to be a getaway vehicle, in the town, 80km north of Barcelona - Sant Just Desvern, Thursday 19:30: A car is driven into officers at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Barcelona. A man is found dead in the car but the interior ministry denies earlier reports he was killed by police gunfire. The dead man is not believed to be linked to the Las Ramblas attack, officials say, but investigations are ongoing - Cambrils, Friday 01:00: A second vehicle attack takes place in the resort south of Barcelona. Police kill five terrorist suspects said to be linked to the Las Ramblas attack Trump pushes debunked 'pig's blood' myth, hours after Barcelona attack Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent What looked at first to be a lone-wolf attack by just one - or possibly two - individuals, has now emerged as a complex plot involving at least eight suspects, armed with knives and explosives. That's an unusually large network for this day and age, where so-called Islamic State cautions its followers to avoid big groups so as to escape detection. It suggests both an element of careful planning by the perpetrators and also a failure of intelligence by the normally-vigilant Spanish authorities. Spain has not experienced anything like this since al-Qaeda staged multiple bombings in Madrid in 2004. But Spanish police, working closely with their Moroccan counterparts, have arrested dozens of suspected plotters in recent years, many with connections to the two Spanish enclaves on Morocco's north coast. Melilla and Ceuta have a reputation of being hotbeds of extremist activity and both have provided jihadists with a gateway into the Spanish mainland. Throughout the day online supporters of IS have been celebrating the Barcelona attack. Some have even expressed their hope it will change the course of Spanish politics, forcing the government to pull out of the US-led Global Coalition that is rapidly degrading what's left of IS's self-styled caliphate in the Middle East. Are you in the area? Did you witness what happened? If it's safe to do so, you can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: - WhatsApp: +44 7555 173285 - Send pictures/video to yourpics@bbc.co.uk - Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay - Text an SMS or MMS to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (international)", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1909, "answer_start": 1382, "text": "Police say they are investigating the theory that the attacks were being prepared over a substantial period of time in a private house in Alcanar, a small town south of Barcelona. Explosions ripped through the building on Wednesday evening, apparently caused by exploding gas canisters. One person was killed. The explosives were being prepared for use in one or more attacks in Barcelona, police said. Catalan Police Chief Josep Lluis Trapero said the actual attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils were \"rudimentary\" by comparison." } ], "id": "9698_0", "question": "What lines of inquiry are police following?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3357, "answer_start": 1910, "text": "The driver of the van fled on foot after mowing down tourists and locals on Las Ramblas. Catalonia's Interior Minister Joaquim Forn, quoted by the Associated Press, said: \"We had local police on the scene, but we were unable to shoot him, as the Ramblas were packed with people.\" Two images of the suspect Moussa Oukabir have been published, and police later issued a composite photo showing him and three other men - Said Aallaa, 18, Mohamed Hychami, 24, and Younes Abouyaaqoub, 22. All are Moroccan-born. Later Police Chief Trapero said it was suspected that the driver of the Barcelona van was one of the five killed in Cambrils, though it was not clear that Moussa Oukabir was behind the wheel. Spanish media say Oukabir rented two vans, the one used in the attack and another found hours later in the town of Vic, north of Barcelona, that was intended as a getaway vehicle. His brother, Driss Oukabir, was arrested after reportedly turning himself in on Thursday. Reports suggest Driss, who is in his 20s and was born in Morocco, told police he was not involved and that his documents had been stolen. Three other arrests have been made. Two of the men are Moroccan, and the third was born in Melilla, the autonomous Spanish city on the north coast of Africa. Police said three of the arrests were made in the Catalan town of Ripoll and one in Alcanar after Wednesday's explosions. They gave the ages of the arrested men as 21, 27, 28 and 34." } ], "id": "9698_1", "question": "Who is being sought?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3864, "answer_start": 3358, "text": "A Fiat van was driven down the pedestrianised avenue on Thursday afternoon, deliberately targeting people. Las Ramblas is a central boulevard that runs 1.2km (0.75 miles) through the centre of Barcelona from the city's Placa de Catalunya (Catalonia Square) to the Christopher Columbus monument at the seafront. An American businessman who was just arriving in a taxi in Las Ramblas, said the van was \"weaving left and right, trying to hit people as fast as possible. There were people lying on the ground\"." } ], "id": "9698_2", "question": "What happened on Las Ramblas?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 4527, "answer_start": 3865, "text": "Seven people, including a police officer, were hit when a car was driven into them early on Friday in the popular seaside resort 110km (68 miles) south-west of Barcelona. A woman victim later died in hospital. The attackers' vehicle overturned and when the men got out they were quickly fired upon by police, media say. One was reportedly brandishing a knife. Police Chief Trapero said one officer killed four of the attackers single-handedly. The men were wearing what appeared to be explosive belts, police said, and a series of controlled explosions was carried out. The belts proved to be fake, Catalan regional head Carles Puigdemont later told local radio." } ], "id": "9698_3", "question": "What happened in Cambrils?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 5512, "answer_start": 4528, "text": "Citizens of some 34 countries were killed or injured in the Las Ramblas attack, the Catalan government has said. One woman died in Cambrils. Confirmed dead: - Spaniard Francisco Lopez Rodriguez, in his 60s - Italian Bruno Gulotta, 35 - Italian Luca Russo, 25 - Unnamed Belgian - Unnamed US citizen France's foreign ministry said on Friday that 26 French nationals were injured, with at least 11 in a serious condition. Thirteen German citizens were wounded, some seriously. A five-year-old Irish boy suffered a broken leg. Seven-year-old Julian Cadman, a dual British-Australian national who was separated from his mother during the attack, is missing, ABC Australia reports. His mother was reportedly among the seriously injured. Taiwan and Greece are among those saying their citizens were injured. Pakistani, Philippine, Venezuelan, Romanian, Peruvian, Dutch, Danish, Algerian and Chinese nationals were also among the casualties, officials said. What do we know about the victims?" } ], "id": "9698_4", "question": "Who were the victims?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 8065, "answer_start": 6741, "text": "Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent What looked at first to be a lone-wolf attack by just one - or possibly two - individuals, has now emerged as a complex plot involving at least eight suspects, armed with knives and explosives. That's an unusually large network for this day and age, where so-called Islamic State cautions its followers to avoid big groups so as to escape detection. It suggests both an element of careful planning by the perpetrators and also a failure of intelligence by the normally-vigilant Spanish authorities. Spain has not experienced anything like this since al-Qaeda staged multiple bombings in Madrid in 2004. But Spanish police, working closely with their Moroccan counterparts, have arrested dozens of suspected plotters in recent years, many with connections to the two Spanish enclaves on Morocco's north coast. Melilla and Ceuta have a reputation of being hotbeds of extremist activity and both have provided jihadists with a gateway into the Spanish mainland. Throughout the day online supporters of IS have been celebrating the Barcelona attack. Some have even expressed their hope it will change the course of Spanish politics, forcing the government to pull out of the US-led Global Coalition that is rapidly degrading what's left of IS's self-styled caliphate in the Middle East." } ], "id": "9698_5", "question": "Analysis: A failure of intelligence?" } ] } ]

[ { "context": "Ten million people in the UK - one in six of us - have some degree of hearing loss. The main causes are hereditary factors, noise exposure, trauma and ear diseases. And, of course, there is age. Like getting fatter and going grey, we tend to think of hearing loss as an inevitable part of ageing, and it is certainly true that as you get older your hearing tends to get worse. More than 40% of people over 50 have some degree of hearing loss, rising to 70% of those over the age of 70. The good news is that there are things you can do to about it. The bad news is that there are potentially serious consequences if you choose to ignore hearing loss, including an increased risk of dementia. I have a very personal interest in this as my hearing isn't as good as it used to be. When I go into pubs or restaurants with lots of reflective surfaces I struggle to hear what is being said. Unlike my children, who are happily shouting at each other, I sit there, perhaps catching one word in three and pretending to follow the conversation. This is tiring because I am having to concentrate hard, and it is also embarrassing because I know I'm missing details and yet I don't want to keep asking them to repeat themselves. \"What???\" \"What????\" For many people, gradual hearing loss is far more than an inconvenience: it can lead to social isolation, which in turn can contribute to mental health problems such as depression. And there is also mounting evidence that hearing loss can significantly increase your risk of developing dementia. So it's really important that you don't ignore it. Yet on average, people in the UK wait for a staggering 10 years before they seek treatment. According to the charity, Action on Hearing Loss, only around 40% of people who need hearing aids have them. This may be because their GP hasn't referred them to an NHS audiology service, or because they are worried about being given a large and very obtrusive hearing aid. Although hearing aids are far more discreet and effective than they used to be, many people are still reluctant to wear them. Another reason why many people don't get treatment is because they simply don't notice that their hearing is declining. It's surprisingly tricky to spot gradual hearing loss as our brains are very good at compensating, so we're not even aware of how much we've lost until things are quite far advanced. Warning signs you may be losing it include: * Having the TV on very loud * Struggling to follow conversations * Missing phone calls or the front door bell * Denying you have a problem! Auditory neuroscientist Dr Jennifer Bizley says that one of the ways people get round the problem of hearing loss is by relying on one of their other senses, vision, far more. \"We used to think that dedicated bits of the brain did hearing, and a separate bit did vision, and only later was that information put together. \"Now we know that actually there's cross-talk between the senses at a really early stage, and one of the things that we think that information could be doing is helping you in situations that are difficult, like listening in a noisy restaurant. \"Being able to see a mouth movement or see gestures might allow you to pull that person's voice out of a sound mixture - out of the noise - more effectively.\" So if you don't want to go for a hearing aid, but struggle in social situations, then you might want to try some of the following tips: * If you're with other people, place yourself in the middle of the group * Have the light behind you, to help you see the other person's face clearly * Ask people to face you when they are talking to you and not cover their mouths * And - if you're really keen - you could try learning to lip-read Molly Berry, chairwoman of the ATLA - the Association of Teachers of Lipreading to Adults, thinks learning to lip-read is a valuable skill and that it is about more than simply helping you follow the conversation \"It's not just that you are learning a skill that's going to help you, it is giving you brain training: training your brain to look and listen at the same time, and get the gist of everything that's happening, which helps you not to get the cognitive decline that can be associated with hearing loss.\" The effects of hearing loss on cognitive skills and memory can be quite profound. But the encouraging thing is that if you correct the hearing loss you can prevent the cognitive decline. A recent study by Johns Hopkins researchers in the US, which compared intervention with non-intervention, showed this quite clearly. So although there's no cure for age-related hearing loss, there's plenty you can do to help improve things. The important message here is if you think your hearing's deteriorating, don't delay: get help from your GP who should be able to rule out any temporary causes and refer you for a hearing test, if you need it. The new series of Trust Me I'm a Doctor continues on BBC2 at 20:30 GMT on Wednesday 10 January and will be available on iPlayer afterwards.", "qas": [ { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 1951, "answer_start": 692, "text": "I have a very personal interest in this as my hearing isn't as good as it used to be. When I go into pubs or restaurants with lots of reflective surfaces I struggle to hear what is being said. Unlike my children, who are happily shouting at each other, I sit there, perhaps catching one word in three and pretending to follow the conversation. This is tiring because I am having to concentrate hard, and it is also embarrassing because I know I'm missing details and yet I don't want to keep asking them to repeat themselves. \"What???\" \"What????\" For many people, gradual hearing loss is far more than an inconvenience: it can lead to social isolation, which in turn can contribute to mental health problems such as depression. And there is also mounting evidence that hearing loss can significantly increase your risk of developing dementia. So it's really important that you don't ignore it. Yet on average, people in the UK wait for a staggering 10 years before they seek treatment. According to the charity, Action on Hearing Loss, only around 40% of people who need hearing aids have them. This may be because their GP hasn't referred them to an NHS audiology service, or because they are worried about being given a large and very obtrusive hearing aid." } ], "id": "9699_0", "question": "How does having poor hearing affect people?" }, { "answers": [ { "answer_end": 3322, "answer_start": 1952, "text": "Although hearing aids are far more discreet and effective than they used to be, many people are still reluctant to wear them. Another reason why many people don't get treatment is because they simply don't notice that their hearing is declining. It's surprisingly tricky to spot gradual hearing loss as our brains are very good at compensating, so we're not even aware of how much we've lost until things are quite far advanced. Warning signs you may be losing it include: * Having the TV on very loud * Struggling to follow conversations * Missing phone calls or the front door bell * Denying you have a problem! Auditory neuroscientist Dr Jennifer Bizley says that one of the ways people get round the problem of hearing loss is by relying on one of their other senses, vision, far more. \"We used to think that dedicated bits of the brain did hearing, and a separate bit did vision, and only later was that information put together. \"Now we know that actually there's cross-talk between the senses at a really early stage, and one of the things that we think that information could be doing is helping you in situations that are difficult, like listening in a noisy restaurant. \"Being able to see a mouth movement or see gestures might allow you to pull that person's voice out of a sound mixture - out of the noise - more effectively.\"" } ], "id": "9699_1", "question": "What are the signs you're having hearing problems?" } ] } ]