LONDON, England (CNN) -- Saudi Prince and billionaire Al-Waleed bin Talal says he will build the world's tallest building,  planned to be over a kilometer (3,281 feet) high. The tower will be built in the Saudi town of Jeddah and will be part of a larger project that will cost $26.7 billion, (100 billion Saudi riyals) said the Prince's firm, Kingdom Holding Company.

The planned Kingdom City project will be taller than Burj Dubai tower which is the world's tallest man-made structure.

The project, entitled Kingdom City, will span 23 million square meters (248 million square feet) and will include luxury homes, hotels and offices.

The booming city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has also joined the skyscraper race.

While the ever-growing Burj Dubai is already the tallest man-made structure in the world, the Nakheel Tower is set to go even higher.

Developers suggest the finished building will be at least 1 km tall.

While in Europe, Paris is leading the skyscraper revolution -- plans for a 50-story building have been given the green light, which will make it the first skyscraper to be built in the city for 30 years.

These buildings are part of a new generation of innovative, exciting skyscrapers set to appear all over the world over the next 10 years.

View the future skyscrapers »

Some truly mind-blowing structures are being planned for the Middle East.

Hot on its heels, the Burj Mubarak Al Kabir, proposed for the planned 'City of Silk' in Kuwait, could also break the 1000-meter barrier.

While they may be mere midgets compared to the mega structures of the Middle East, Russia Tower in Moscow and the Okhta Center Tower in St Petersburg promise to provide some stunning eye candy.

Spiraling its way through the Chicago skyline, the Chicago Spire will have a striking corkscrew design, while a gleaming Freedom Tower is to be the highlight of the rebuilt World Trade Center. And proving the skyscraper renaissance is a global phenomenon there are stylish giants planned for Panama, Pakistan and South Korea.

Anouk Lorie also contributed to this report

What will reach over a kilometer in height?

Which towers have good designs in the US?

What will the height of Kingdom City be?

Answer: tallest building,

Answer: tallest building,

Answer: innovative, exciting skyscrapers

Answer: highlight of the rebuilt World Trade Center.

Answer: over a kilometer (3,281 feet)

Answer: over a kilometer (3,281 feet) high.

Summary:
A new generation of skyscrapers are being planned for cities around the world .
Nakheel Tower and Kingdom City will reach over a kilometer in height .
In Paris, a law limiting building height has been overturned to allow skyscrapers .
In the U.S. the Chicago Spire and Freedom Tower have spectacular designs .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Scientist and author Stephen Hawking is "very ill" and has been hospitalized, according to Cambridge University, where he is a professor. Stephen Hawking in Pasadena, California, in March. Cambridge University said the 67-year-old is "comfortable" and will stay overnight at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. Hawking, one of the world's most famous physicists, is also a cosmologist, astronomer, and mathematician. Wheelchair-bound Hawking is perhaps most famous for "A Brief History of Time," which explored the origins of the universe in layman's terms. The book is considered a modern classic. Hawking has Lou Gehrig's Disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS), which is usually fatal after three years. Hawking has survived for more than 40 years since his diagnosis. On his Web site, Hawking has written about living with ALS. "I try to lead as normal a life as possible, and not think about my condition, or regret the things it prevents me from doing, which are not that many," he wrote. He added: "I have been lucky, that my condition has progressed more slowly than is often the case. But it shows that one need not lose hope." The disease has left him paralyzed -- he is able to move only a few fingers on one hand. Hawking is completely dependent on others or technology for virtually everything -- bathing, dressing, eating, even speech. He uses a speech synthesizer with an American accent. Hawking has been married and divorced twice. In 2004, police completed an investigation into accusations by Hawking's daughter that his second wife was abusing him. Authorities said they found no proof. His Web site says he has three children and one grandchild. Hawking was born in Oxford, England, on what turned out to be an auspicious date: January 8, 1942 -- the 300th anniversary of the death of astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei. A Cambridge University spokesman told CNN: "Professor Hawking is very ill and has been taken by ambulance to Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge." Professor Peter Haynes, head of the university's department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, said: "Professor Hawking is a remarkable colleague, we all hope he will be amongst us again soon." At Cambridge, he holds the position of Lucasian Professor Mathematics -- the prestigious post held from 1669 to 1702 by Sir Isaac Newton. Hawking has guest-starred, as himself, on Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Simpsons. He also said if he had the choice of meeting Newton or Marilyn Monroe, his choice would be Marilyn. In October, CNN's Becky Anderson interviewed Hawking. The following are some quotes from that interview: "Over the last twenty years, observations have to a large extent confirmed the picture I painted in 'A Brief History of Time.' The one major development that was not anticipated was the discovery that the expansion of the universe is accelerating now, rather than slowing down... We live in the most probable of all possible worlds." CNN's Jennifer Pifer contributed to this report

What disease is Hawking know to be suffering from?

Who was hospitalized and in a 'very ill' condition

what Hawking is considered by many to be world's greatest?

what 67-year-old suffers from degenerative condition known?

Of what age is the person who was hospitalized

Answer: Lou Gehrig's

Answer: 67-year-old

Answer: Stephen Hawking

Answer: Stephen

Answer: Stephen Hawking

Answer: 67-year-old

Answer: Stephen Hawking

Summary:
Physicist Stephen Hawking hospitalized Monday in "very ill" condition .
67-year-old suffers from degenerative condition known as Lou Gehrig's Disease .
Hawking is considered by many to be world's greatest living scientist .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Scientists in the United States are developing a "synthetic tree" capable of collecting carbon around 1,000 times faster than the real thing.

A conceptual design of how the "synthetic tree" might look should they ever reach the stage of production.

As the wind blows though plastic "leaves," the carbon is trapped in a chamber, compressed and stored as liquid carbon dioxide.

The technology is similar to that used to capture carbon from flue stacks at coal-fired power plants, but the difference is that the "synthetic tree" can catch carbon anytime, anywhere.

"Half of your emissions come from small, distributed sources where collection at the site is either impossible or impractical," said Professor Klaus Lackner, Ewing-Worzel Professor of Geophysics in the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University.

"We aim for applications like gasoline in cars or jet fuel in airplanes. We are going after CO2 that otherwise is nearly impossible to collect," he told CNN.

While the idea of carbon-catchers may sound far-fetched, an early model has been built and Lackner is in the process of writing a proposal for consideration by the U.S. Department of Energy.

He personally explained the concept in a 45-minute meeting with U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu last month at a three-day symposium on climate change in London.

"He was there and I was there and he showed interest," Lackner told CNN. "That's exciting, but I don't particularly want to discuss this in a public forum because I think this gives me a little bit of an opportunity to tailor my proposals to the Department of Energy in a way that makes them more palatable."

Lackner started working on the concept of an ambient carbon catcher in 1998. "I argued back then and I still argue that the reason this can be done, from a theoretical point of view, is that the CO2 in the air is actually surprisingly concentrated, therefore the device you need to collect CO2 is quite small."

The "synthetic tree" looks more like a public convenience block than a hi-tech method of reducing carbon emissions, but Lackner told CNN it is highly efficient for its size when compared, for example, to a modern power-generating wind turbine.

"If you give me one of those big windmills which have those big areas through which the rotor moves -- how much CO2 can I avoid? And if I had an equally sized CO2 collector -- how much CO2 can I collect? It turns out the collector is several hundred times better than the windmill."

Is the "synthetic tree" an interesting alternative, or a  scientific flight of fancy that's unlikely to happen? Sound Off below.

Lackner told CNN that initial concerns over the cost of the technology were focused on the "front-end" carbon collector, including the sorbent used to catch the carbon dioxide in the air.

But after years of research, Lackner told CNN he and his colleagues have developed a sorbent that is "close to the ideal," in that it uses a relatively small amount of energy to release the CO2 and is not prohibitively expensive.

"By the time we make liquid CO2 we have spent approximately 50 kilojoules [of electricity] per mole of CO2." Compare that, Lackner said, to the average power plant in the U.S. which produces one mole of CO2 with every 230 kilojoules of electricity.

"In other words, if we simply plugged our device in to the power grid to satisfy its energy needs, for every roughly 1000 kilograms [of carbon dioxide] we collected we would re-emit 200, so 800 we can chalk up as having been successful," he said.

Lackner told CNN the biggest cost was at the "back-end" of the collector, primarily the technology used to release the CO2 from the sorbent.

He said for that reason, on a cost-basis, the "synthetic tree" could not compete with modern coal-fired power plants that are designed to release fewer carbon

What would the "Synthetic tree" capture?

What would happen to the trapped carbon?

What university is working on this technology?

Answer: collecting carbon

Answer: carbon

Answer: in a chamber, compressed and stored as liquid

Answer: Columbia

Answer: Scientists in the United States

Summary:
"Synthetic tree" would capture carbon dioxide in the air to reduce emissions .
Trapped carbon would be compressed to liquid CO2 ready for sequestration .
Technology is being developed by scientists at Columbia University in the U.S.
Broecker: "I think this is something that the world's going to have to have"


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Seven emergency medics in England have been suspended from work for playing an Internet game that involves being photographed lying down in unusual places. The lying down should be as public as possible and as many people as possible should be involved. Bosses at a hospital in Swindon, western England, were angered after photographs of the doctors and nurses lying face down on resuscitation trolleys, ward floors and an air ambulance helipad were posted on social networking site Facebook. The photographs have been removed from the site and the members of the hospital's accident and emergency staff now face a disciplinary hearing. Partipants in the "lying down game" must lie face down with the palms of their hands against their sides and the tips of their toes touching the ground. Should the medics have been suspended? Send us your views There are two aims to the challenge: that the lying down should be as public as possible and that as many people as possible should be involved. But Dr. Alf Troughton, medical director of Great Western Hospital NHS Trust, was unamused by the alleged incident, which he said took place during a night shift last month. "This did not involve patients and we are satisfied that at no time was patient care compromised," Dr. Troughton said in a statement. "The Great Western Hospital sets high standards for staff behaviour at all times and therefore takes any such breaches extremely seriously. It is important to reassure patients and our workforce that this was an isolated incident and staff cover was maintained at all times. "The allegations have been thoroughly investigated and seven members of staff remain suspended pending formal disciplinary hearings."

What country were they from?
what does the internet game involve
what were they alleged to have done
what have medics done in england
How many medics were suspended?
How many medics suspended?

Answer: England

Answer: being photographed lying down in unusual places.

Answer: an Internet game that involves being photographed lying down in unusual places.

Answer: an Internet game that involves being photographed lying down in unusual places.

Answer: Seven

Answer: Seven

Summary:
Seven medics in England suspended for playing "lying down game"
Internet game involves being photographed lying down in unusual places .
Members of hospital's accident and emergency staff await disciplinary hearing .
They were allegedly photographed lying on trolleys and emergency helipad .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Several hundred Sri Lankan Tamil protesters shouted slogans at the British Parliament for a second day Tuesday, urging it to act to end the "genocide" against their people in Sri Lanka.

Police clash with Tamil protesters outside the Houses of Parliament.

"Stop the genocide!" they shouted. "Stop the war!"

They waved the red flag of Tamil Eelam, the Tamils' traditional homeland in northern and eastern Sri Lanka. The flag is emblazoned with a yellow roaring tiger.

Most of the protesters slept overnight on the streets around Parliament Square after beginning their unauthorized protest Monday afternoon. At one point, the protesters blocked the street leading to Westminster Bridge over the River Thames, police said.

That led to road closures around Parliament.

By Tuesday morning, a solid ring of police had hemmed the protesters in Parliament Square across the street from the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Roads were open again, but the protest and police presence caused traffic congestion in the area.

Hariram Shan, 24, is a Sri Lankan Tamil who said he has lived in Britain for six years. He said the protesters hope the British government will intervene to stop Sri Lanka's crackdown on Tamil Tiger rebels, which he said harms civilians.

"They can force economic sanctions," Shan told CNN.

Dushyanthy Sukumar, 47, said the Sri Lankan government is retaliating against innocent civilians.

"The Sri Lankan government has now cornered the rebels, the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), and what they are doing is killing the people," she said.

Sukumar, who said she has lived in Britain since leaving her homeland in 1987, said she is angry at the British government for supporting Sri Lanka.

"The Sri Lankan government is doing their dirty work through this government," she said.

The Sri Lankan military said Sunday that it had captured the last rebel stronghold and killed five rebel leaders after three days of gunbattles.

It said more rebels could still be hiding in a 20-square-kilometer "safety zone," but that it would not enter the area because it is home to some 50,000 people.

The Tamil Tigers have fought since 1983 for an independent homeland for the country's ethnic Tamil minority. The civil war has left more than 70,000 people dead.

What did protesters urge UK lawmakers to do?

What countries military said that it captured the last rebel stronghold?

Answer: end the "genocide" against their people in Sri Lanka.

Answer: it had captured the last rebel stronghold and killed five rebel leaders after three days of gunbattles.

Answer: 1983

Answer: Houses of Parliament.

Answer: Sri Lanka.

Answer: to end the "genocide" against their people in Sri Lanka.

Answer: Several hundred

Answer: Sri Lankan

Summary:
Several hundred Tamil protesters demonstrate outside UK parliament .
Protesters urge UK lawmakers to "act to end the genocide in Sri Lanka"
Tamil Tiger separatists have fought since 1983 for an independent homeland .
Sri Lankan military said Sunday it had captured last rebel stronghold .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- She is one of the world's most likeable and photogenic leaders, has her own YouTube channel, and is determined to change the face of learning in the Middle East. Queen Rania's down-to-earth personality has won hearts and minds all over the world. She is also, according to you, the most inspirational leader featured on CNN's "The Spirit of..." in 2008. Thousands of CNN Web site users voted to award her the honor for her matchless energy working with Jordan's young people, ahead of luminaries such as peace advocate Kofi Annan, activist Wangari Maathai and environmentalist James Lovelock. This is Queen Rania's second award in as many months. In November, she was presented with the first ever YouTube Visionary Award for her bold use of the video-sharing network to discuss stereotypes about Islam and the Arab world. The channel fielded questions from young people about all aspects of Islamic culture. She could not be present to personally receive the honour at YouTube's Live event in San Francisco, but her pop-culture-savvy pre-recorded acceptance speech showed her to be possibly the coolest queen alive. She delighted viewers with a lighthearted top-ten list of reasons for registering her own YouTube channel, which included, "Because I didn't have enough friends on Facebook," and "Because anything Queen Elizabeth can do I can do better." The experimental venture gained her a faithful online following, and since then the channel has become a platform for entertaining, non-hostile debate. It is exactly this willingness to set aside her royal image and interact with the public that her fans say has shown Queen Rania's dedication to bringing about change. She first entered the international spotlight 15 years ago after marrying Abdullah II bin al-Hussein, the then future king of Jordan. In 1999, she was proclaimed Queen, the world's youngest at age 28. She wasted little time in applying herself to various causes, and soon made her name as an engaging advocate for women's rights and moderate Islam, and as a heavy investor in youth. The 38-year-old mother of four has said that she cares about her people as if they were her own children, and wants to ensure as many of them as possible get the most out of school. Queen Rania may be light-hearted in some of her approaches, but she is very serious when it comes to revitalizing education in the Middle East. She has made closing the Middle East's "knowledge divide" -- the gap in knowledge that has grown as a result of people in richer countries having more access to computers, the Internet and education than those in poorer countries -- a top priority over the next few years in the hope that it will unlock the economic potential of the region's population. Queen Rania certainly has a challenge on her hands. Earlier this year, the Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organisation revealed that nearly one in three between the ages of 15 and 45 is illiterate. Alongside promoting equal rights for men and women and the importance of literacy, Queen Rania has strived to convince both the education and private sectors that existing education systems need reinvigoration. She has repeatedly called for creative instruction and explorative learning to be embraced in the classroom. In April of this year, Queen Rania launched the Madrasati ("My School") project, which encourages Jordanians to get their neediest schools back on their feet. Under the program, communities are working with the public and private sectors to raise funds and recruit volunteers to renovate school facilities and provide school supplies and equipment. This is expected to improve the learning environment for children, and ultimately have a ripple effect on the neighborhoods where the schools are located. Queen Rania's campaigns in various areas have helped to inspire other Middle Eastern policy-makers to see globalization in a more positive light -- a truly inspiring leader.

What does Queen Rania do to help further women's rights?

The Queen uses what social media channel?

Who was voted most inspirational leader of 2008?

Who was voted the most inspirational leader of 2008?

Answer: convince both the education and private sectors that existing education systems need reinvigoration.

Answer: YouTube

Answer: world's most likeable and photogenic leaders,

Answer: a platform for entertaining, non-hostile debate.

Answer: Queen Rania's

Answer: dedication to bringing about change.

Answer: Queen Rania's

Summary:
Queen Rania voted "The Spirit of..." most inspirational leader of 2008 .
Online readers acknowledge her work with education, women's rights and Islam .
Queen Rania personally encourages open dialogue through her YouTube channel .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Since it was founded in 1994, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has been instrumental in encouraging innovative research that will combat the biggest health issues affecting the developing world. One Gates Foundation grant aims to help reduce malaria among Nigeria's nomads. The foundation has pledged $100 million in grants to get new scientific research off the ground, as part of Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE). On Tuesday, GCE launched its latest round of grant applications, open to anyone with a unique approach to solving  problems in the developing world. The idea is to develop creative thinking from people who may not have traditionally taken part in health research. Begun in 2008, current projects receiving GCE funding include work in Hong Kong to develop flu-resistant chickens and efforts to prevent the transmission of HIV through breast milk. To speed up the grant allocation process, applicants only need to fill in a two-page form and submit it online. Successful applicants get a $100,000 grant and the chance to receive more than $1 million in future grants. The latest round of GCE grants invites applicants to focus on four areas: new technologies for contraception, new ways to induce and measure mucosal immunity, low-cost diagnostics for priority global health conditions, and new ways to protect against infectious disease. Click on the "Explainer" tab above to take a look at some of the groundbreaking research being funded by GEC.

How much has the Gates Foundation pledged?

What kind of chickens are being developed?

Answer: $100 million

Answer: flu-resistant

Answer: GCE launched its latest round of grant applications, open to anyone with a unique approach to solving

Answer: $100 million

Summary:
The Gates Foundation has pledged $100 million towards health research .
The latest round of research grant applications has just been opened .
One project receiving funding is working to develop flu-resistant chickens .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Sky News, the British-based 24-hour news broadcaster, will not show a controversial appeal for aid for the people of Gaza, it announced Monday. Protesters demonstrate in London Sunday against the BBC's decision not to show Gaza aid appeal. Sky News joins the BBC in refusing to show the appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee, an umbrella group of 13 leading British aid agencies. The BBC, Britain's public broadcaster, has been criticized by politicians and religious leaders for refusing to show the appeal, which launches Monday. There have been demonstrations against the decision at BBC buildings in England and Scotland. Sky News said airing the appeal would compromise its reputation for fairness. Do you agree with the decision? Send your comments "Broadcasting an appeal for Gaza at this time is incompatible with our role in providing balanced and objective reporting of this continuing situation to our audiences in the UK and around the world," John Ryley, the head of Sky News, said Monday in a statement on the company's Web site. The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) includes the British Red Cross, Oxfam, Save the Children and 10 other charities. British broadcasters, led by the BBC, originally declined to air the Gaza appeal, but in the face of criticism from government ministers and others, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 changed their minds. CNN was not approached to broadcast the ad, a DEC spokesman said. About 5,000 people demonstrated in front of the BBC's Broadcasting House in central London on Saturday over the broadcaster's stance. Seven people were arrested. About 50 people protested at its Glasgow headquarters Sunday. The corporation received about 1,000 phone calls and 10,000 e-mails of complaint in the three days after it announced its decision Thursday. But the BBC is sticking with its position, director general Mark Thompson wrote in a blog post on the corporation's Web site. "We concluded that we could not broadcast a free-standing appeal, no matter how carefully constructed, without running the risk of reducing public confidence in the BBC's impartiality in its wider coverage of the story," he wrote Saturday. "Inevitably an appeal would use pictures which are the same or similar to those we would be using in our news programs but would do so with the objective of encouraging public donations. The danger for the BBC is that this could be interpreted as taking a political stance on an ongoing story," he wrote. "Gaza remains a major ongoing news story, in which humanitarian issues -- the suffering and distress of civilians and combatants on both sides of the conflict, the debate about who is responsible for causing it and what should be done about it -- are both at the heart of the story and contentious," he added. The BBC, which is funded by an obligatory license fee paid by every British household with a television, is required by its charter to be impartial. The DEC is "disappointed that the BBC declined to support the Gaza appeal," a spokesman told CNN. "It might limit the reach of our key message to the general public." The spokesman, who asked not to be named, said the BBC had to make its own decision about impartiality. "That is a decision they must make. We have no view on that subject," he said. Many readers of Thompson's blog post did have a view, however. The statement received hundreds of comments, most of them critical of the BBC. A commenter who signed in as bully--baiter said the BBC was taking a side no matter what it did. "Sorry Mr. Thompson but you cannot have it both ways. If deciding to accede to the DEC request would be seen as political then deciding not to accede to it is also political. Don't insult me with your disingenuous attempts to suggest it is otherwise," the commenter wrote. Other commenters simply rejected Thompson's position out of hand. "I think the reasons for blocking help for a grave humanitarian disaster are simply astounding,"

Where were the demonstrations taking place?

Where did the demonstration against BBC decision take place?

Answer: Sky News,

Answer: The Disasters Emergency Committee

Answer: Sky News,

Answer: London

Answer: London

Answer: Protesters

Answer: LONDON, England

Summary:
Sky News said airing the appeal would compromise its reputation for fairness .
BBC refused to broadcast ad, saying it would compromise appearance of impartiality .
Demonstrations against BBC decision took place in England and Scotland .
UK charity group Disasters Emergency Committee to launch appeal for Gaza aid .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Social networking, Martin Scorsese and cinema classics on demand: this is the enticing mix on offer at new movie Web site The Auteurs.

The Auteurs mastermind Efe Cakarel (center) at Cannes with Celluloid Dreams' Hengameh Panahi (left) and Martin Scorsese.

The self-styled "online cinematheque" allows users to watch art house films from directors like Michael Winterbottom, Francois Ozon and Walter Salles, while Facebook-style profile pages and discussion forums encourage movie debate.

With their innovative approach, The Auteurs hope to introduce art house cinema to a whole new audience.

Recently, The Auteurs announced a prestigious partnership with another more widely known auteur: Scorsese.

The site is collaborating with Scorsese's World Cinema Foundation (WCF) -- an organization dedicated to restoring lost cinema classics from around the world -- to exhibit the refurbished masterpieces online.

The first four rescued works from Scorsese's project are currently available to watch for free on The Auteurs Web site.

Among them are Korean domestic thriller "The Housemaid" (1960) and "Transes" (1973), a documentary about pioneering Moroccan band Nass El Ghiwan, famously described by Scorsese as "the Rolling Stones of North Africa." Watch a clip from "The Housemaid" Watch a clip from "Transes"

"It is really exciting and important to have Scorsese preserving the films he is preserving," said one of the masterminds behind The Auteurs, Eduardo Costantini, over the phone from New York.

"As he said, it's not only important to preserve, but to show -- and he chose The Auteurs because of our look and feel and our philosophy and concept. We are really proud."

The basic ambition behind The Auteurs is to make high quality cinema accessible to a young, global audience by making it available on demand cheaply.

"If you are not in LA, London, New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Paris, or Berlin, forget it," Efe Cakarel told CNN over the phone from Palo Alto, California.

"Many of these films you cannot get even on DVD if you are living in Warsaw, in Istanbul, in Seoul or Buenos Aires."

The Auteurs is Cakarel's brainchild: an ambitious former Goldman Sachs banker with a head for technology, he came up with the idea back in 2007 in Tokyo when, with some spare time on his hands, he tried to watch Wong Kar-wai's "In the Mood for Love" on the Internet.

"It was very simple. I went online and I did not find a place that I could use," he says. He started writing his business plan there and then.

Cakarel says he knew that if he was going to succeed in his quest to bring quality cinema to the global village he would have to enlist some of the industry's top brass.

Enter Argentine millionaire, Eduardo Costantini of Costa Films, the company behind 2007 Berlinale winner "Elite Troop," and Hengameh Panahi of Paris-based distributor Celluloid Dreams which represents films like Jacques Audiard's "A Prophet," which won the Grand Prize at Cannes Film Festival this year.

Costantini and Panahi have instilled the site with their film knowledge, and paved the way for the site's other major collaboration with masters of the vintage re-release, the Criterion Collection.

Each month, the Criterion Collection curates a free online film festival making available classic films from its large library on The Auteurs. This month, users can watch Michelangelo Antonioni's 1960 classic "L'Avventura" or "Harakiri" (1962) by Japanese master Masaki Kobayashi.

Of course, all this begs the question: is there really a big appetite for auteur-driven feature films outside the lofty but limited cinephile circles -- especially at a time when studio-driven blockbuster fodder like "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" and "Angels & Demons" dominate at the box office?

"I want to create an entirely new audience for these films," says Cakarel. "Because the only thing people in much of the

What is an innovative mix of social networking and video on demand?

Whoe collaborated with the website that puts restored films online for free?

Answer: movie Web site The Auteurs.

Answer: new movie Web site

Answer: lost cinema classics from around the world

Answer: The Auteurs.

Answer: Scorsese's World Cinema Foundation (WCF)

Answer: Scorsese's World Cinema Foundation

Summary:
Scorsese collaborates with Web site The Auteurs to put restored films online free .
The movie masterpieces were restored by Scorsese's World Cinema Foundation .
They include Korean film "The Housemaid" and Moroccan documentary "Transes"
The Auteurs is an innovative mix of social networking and video on demand .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- South American nations have always played a major part in the world of football, and when it comes to the World Cup they are considered among the main contenders every time. But this time around there may be a new threat from the continent making its mark internationally. Nelson Valdez (left) celebrates his goal against Venezuela, Tuesday, to keep Paraguay top in qualifying. Out of 18 World Cup Finals to date, a South American team has won the competition nine times, demonstrating that although Europe may be where the money is, the other side of the Atlantic has the raw talent. Generally speaking, however, the continent's dominance has been largely down to two countries: Brazil, who have won the title an astonishing five times; and Argentina, who have made it to the tournament's final match four times and taken the trophy home twice. The rest of the continent has rarely played a major part in the proceedings. Now, though, as the qualifying stages for the 2010 World Cup Finals gather speed, the two giants are being put to shame by a footballing nation that has, until now, had very limited success at international events: Paraguay. Having only qualified for the finals seven times, and never made it further than the second round of the competition, Paraguay aren't usually seen as a serious threat to the big international teams, but this year the bookmakers may have to take a serious look at the small country from the center of the continent, with a population of just 6.1 million. Following Tuesday night's 2-0 victory over Venezuela, Paraguay cemented their position at the top of the South American qualifying group, with 17 points from eight matches -- four points clear of the faltering Argentina and Brazil, who share second place. So far in the group, the Paraguayans have recorded a 2-0 home win over Brazil and managed to secure a 1-1 draw away to the recent Olympic champions Argentina, proving they can keep up with the best in the world, even without one of their star players, striker Roque Santa Cruz, who was injured for the Buenos Aires fixture. So, how are they managing it? And can they continue this form through the qualifiers and into the finals themselves? Since 2006, the team has undergone some radical changes. A lot of big names in the squad and behind the scenes left the team following Paraguay's relatively poor performance in the World Cup Finals in Germany. So it was goodbye to the old, including Paraguay's most capped player, Carlos Gamarra and coach, Anibal Ruiz, who has been replaced by Argentine Gerardo "Tata" Martino. But this left the door open for a whole new face for the nation's team. And the new breed of players clearly have a lot of skill, impressing people all over the world. Players like Santa Cruz, for the English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers, and Edgar Barreto, an integral part of the Reggina Calcio squad in Italy's Serie A, represent Paraguay's swelling talent in the major European leagues. The Paraguayan presence in the world's top leagues, shows the depth of their squad, and it also means players will be given the benefit of experiencing top level football on a regular basis; something that can only aid the development of an already talented player. The style the team plays -- emphasizing a strength in attack, boosted by Santa Cruz and his gifted strike partners, Club America's Salvador Cabanas and Borussia Dortmund's Nelson Valdez -- hints at a tactical change, as well. In the past, the Paraguayans have relied heavily on a solid defense to secure results, and not always had the goals to back that up. Now, although the defense is still strong -- featuring Boca Juniors regular Claudio Morel Rodriguez, and the powerful partnership of Paulo Da Silva and Julio Cesar Caceres -- there is some flair up front, which the manager is capitalizing on. So, with an influx of good players, who are getting the necessary top level experience and a manager who knows how to get the most

who has dominated south american football

Answer: 2006,

Answer: Argentina,

Answer: Argentina,

Answer: undergone some radical changes.

Summary:
In the past Brazil and Argentina have dominated South American football .
Paraguay are challenging, beating Brazil and topping World Cup qualifying group .
The team has had a reshape since 2006, many new, talented players .
Experience of playing in major leagues across the world helps player development .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Space travel, security threats and increasing passenger numbers are forcing major changes in the way airports are designed. Elegant space: the interior of the proposed Virgin Galactic spaceport in New Mexico In fact, when discussing the future of the airport it is now appropriate to consider both conventional air travel hubs we are familiar with, as well as the imminent 'spaceports'. The rush of interest in setting up 'space tourism' companies has seen proposed spaceport projects in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and California, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, Alaska and Wisconsin in the United States. Russia, Australia, Sweden and Portugal have also been rumored as potential spaceport locations. Meanwhile, the air travel industry is continuing to expand operations despite the challenges facing some airlines. And there are some radical new ideas being developed for future air and spaceports.  See a picture gallery of futuristic airport and spaceport designs » The adventurous views of Dave Evans, chief technologist at business solutions company Cisco Systems, highlight the types of changes we could soon see in airports and indeed the new features we may witness in spaceports. Speaking at a FAA/NASA/Industry Airport Planning Workshop in 2006, Evans suggested that pilots of the future could fly without hands and from the comfort of their own home (using brain-machine interfaces, in which the human brain actually exchanges electronic signals with a computer). He also said future airports would have virtual intelligence personnel to perform the jobs of many airport workers; and that people would be able to check-in remotely using a cell phone embedded with a RFID (radio frequency identification) chip. But what will these new airports and spaceports look like? Graeme Johns, who is an architect at British airport design company, The Design Solution, believes airports of the future will continue to expand, with bigger security and commercial areas. Johns, who is involved in projects in London (the new Heathrow T2 terminal), Delhi, Mumbai, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Oman, said many new airports were being more adventurous with designs. "I think there is definitely a move towards more avant-garde designs. People are trying to do things more site-specific rather than keeping to the same old formula. "Definitely in the Middle East they throw everything at it, also in the Far East there are some large developments. They are all vying for transit passages," he said. Johns said one of the biggest challenges was balancing commercial space with operational space. "There's lots of pressure to make larger security areas ... but a big thing for us is trying to move up the commercial side of airports." Future airports would likely include a better range of shops, he said. "We are definitely looking at broadening the offering of shops and bringing in things that haven't traditionally been in airports," John said. If all of this isn't exciting enough for you -- then of course there are spaceports. Internationally renowned design company Foster and Partners won a competition to build Virgin Galactic's spaceport in New Mexico. Company founder Lord Norman Foster said the project was one of the most exciting and futuristic he had been involved in "This technically complex building will not only provide a dramatic experience for the astronauts and visitors, but will set an ecologically sound model for future spaceport facilities." And what will this magnificent new structure include? A tunneled entrance, a 'super-hangar' for the space-craft, and retaining walls that form an exhibition documenting the history of space exploration alongside the story of the region, are just some of the features. So whether or not you have the money to make the space flight, Virgin Galactic's spaceport is going to be a place well worth visiting.

what airports are likely to see in future?

What parts of airports are likely to get bigger

Where are the most futuristic new airports being built

Answer: 'spaceports'.

Answer: security and commercial areas.

Answer: Virgin Galactic's spaceport in New Mexico.

Answer: Mexico

Summary:
Airports are likely to see bigger security and commercial areas in future .
Foster and Partners is building a spaceport in New Mexico for Virgin Galactic .
The Middle East and Far East are creating the most futuristic new airports .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Spain remain top of the world rankings for the ninth straight month, according to newly released standings by FIFA, the world game's governing body. European champions Spain are ranked No.1 by FIFA in their world rankings. The European champions have not lost a game since going down 1-0 in a friendly to Romania in Cadiz in November 2006. They top their 2010 World Cup qualifying group, with four wins from four games, and have only conceded one goal in their last 10 internationals. No team can compete with that record and Spain are placed at No.1 for that reason. Their rankings are based on team performances over the last four years, with more recent results and more significant matches being more heavily weighted to help reflect the current competitive state of a team. Yet fans all over the world have long questioned how much can be read into the rankings. After the 2008 African Cup of Nations, US-based football columnist Ives Galarcep wrote: "Don't try making any sense of these rankings. After all, Egypt, which just won the African Cup of Nations for a second straight time, is ranked 29th, fourth best among African teams." Do you think FIFA's rankings count for much? Let us know in the Sound Off box below. For example, France, who reached the World Cup final in 2006 are down in 12th, while England, who failed to even qualify for Euro 2008, are ninth. Furthermore, Les Bleus were at their lowest-ever standing in the rankings in April 1998, when they were down in 25th. Three months later, they lifted the World Cup. From 2001-06, Mexico were anchored in the top 10, at one point as high as fourth, which left many European fans wondering how that was possible. They were ahead of many a supposed European powerhouse, such as Portugal. Not only did the Iberian country reach the final of Euro 2004, they also made the semi-finals of the World Cup in Germany two years later. Mexico were even in the same group as Portugal at the World Cup and finished five points behind them in second place. In the round of 16 Mexico fell to skilful but flawed Argentina side. Surely the yardstick is the planet's biggest tournament? There is luck involved, of course, as it's knockout football, but the best teams overall tend to go through. FIFA's suggestion that Mexico were once the fourth-best team in the world does not seem to add up. And to suggest that throughout this period they were better than Portugal does not ring true -- not when performances on the pitch indicate otherwise. Other ranking systems, compiled by football statisticians, have been founded as an alternative to FIFA's, which began in 1993. Criticism that calculating rankings over an eight-year period was unrepresentative of a team's recent performances led to FIFA revamping their system after the last World Cup. "The increasingly high profile of the world ranking has also brought a certain amount of criticism that its calculation formula is too complicated. It was therefore decided in 2005 to revise the ranking in order to simplify the way in which it is calculated," according to FIFA.com. Before that there were even more glaring anomalies than today: Norway were twice ranked second in the table in the 1990s and the United States were fourth two months before the World Cup in 2006. At the tournament, the Americans went home early after picking up one point and two goals in their three group games, which made a mockery of such a high placing. As of March 2009, Brazil and Argentina are the only non-European teams in the top 10, Cameroon (16) are the highest African nation, the United States are 17th, while Australia are the top Asian nation at 32. But regardless of your opinions of the rankings, they are here to stay. And Spain deserve respect for becoming only the sixth team after Germany, Brazil, Italy, France and Argentina to top them.

Who is unsure about the accuracy of the rankings?

Who is at the top of FIFA's world rankings?

What nation holds a long-time FIFA rankings lead?

What year did FIFA change the ranking system?

When did FIFA revamp their ranking system?

What country is at the top of the FIFA world rankings for ninth year in a row?

For how long has the top ranked team been number one?

Answer: fans

Answer: Spain

Answer: Spain

Answer: 2005

Answer: 2005

Answer: Spain

Answer: ninth straight month,

Summary:
Spain remain top of FIFA's world rankings for the ninth month in a row .
FIFA revamped their ranking system to make it more representative in 2006 .
Football fans are still unsure about how accurate the rankings are .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Stop brooding over the financial crisis, and start packing. Some tour operators are offering packages to Hawaii at prices lower than a year ago. The economic downturn has dealt a heavy blow to the global travel industry as travelers have tightened their grasp on their wallets. But there is a silver lining to the meltdown. The turmoil has roiled currency markets, making some once-pricey trips more affordable. Other popular spots are rolling out deals and special packages in a bid to lure travelers. Whether you're paying in dollars, pounds or euros, there's a travel deal out there for you. Here's a look at four of them. Cool as ice Iceland was once prohibitively expensive for many people, but now the tiny island nation is rebranding itself as a budget destination. Iceland's economy was booming a few years ago, fueled by the availability of cheap credit. But the collapse of the country's financial system has reversed its fortunes. The government has nationalized the banking system and the Icelandic currency -- the krona -- went into freefall. Now the Icelandic Tourist Board is wooing travelers by highlighting the favorable exchange rate. Icelandair is offering a Christmas special for travelers from the U.S. The package - which includes airfare, a three-night hotel stay, a visit to the Blue Lagoon and airport transfers - starts at $699 a person for a double room. For European visitors, it's promoting a number of three-night city breaks (flights and hotel included). Packages from London start at £249.  See photos of Iceland and other places you can catch a bargain » Surf's up The downturn in the U.S. has hit Hawaii tourism hard. Visitor arrivals are expected to tumble nine percent this year, making it the biggest annual drop since 2001, according to the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization. Hawaii has suffered from a sharp decline in flights from the mainland. Aloha Airlines and ATA accounted for roughly 20 percent of flights to the Big Island from North America before going out of business earlier this year. In response to slumping visitor arrivals, Hawaii's Visitors and Convention Bureau has teamed up with a variety of travel wholesalers to offer air-hotel packages. "The savings being offered mean the cost of a Hawaii vacation can now be less than a year ago," John Monahan, the bureau's chief, said in a statement. Liberty Travel is offering free nights at several hotels. Classic Vacations is offering an air credit of up to $500 for stays of five nights or longer booked through the end of the year. London calling While a trip to London still can't be called cheap, the British pound's recent decline means costs are falling dramatically for foreign visitors, particularly Americans. Concerns of a deep recession in the UK have sparked the pound's decline. In the last three months, the pound -- which traded near $2 in August -- has lost roughly 20 percent of its value against the dollar. Aside from the falling pound, some hotels are offering special promotions. The Hoxton Urban Lounge, a stylish boutique hotel located near London's financial district, routinely sells rooms for £1 a night. But travelers should be warned: Snagging one of the rooms can be tough. The last time the hotel offered the promotion, the rooms -- which normally cost from £59 to £199 -- sold out in 26 minutes. The next sale is scheduled for January. Into the wild If you fancy a walk on the wild side, now's the time to net yourself a bargain. Amid the financial market meltdown, investors have been flocking to safe-haven investments. The aversion to risk has hit the currencies of several emerging market economies, including the South African rand. The rand touched a record low against the euro and a six-year low against the dollar last month. The drop in the rand means adventure trips like safaris are becoming more affordable for foreign tourists. Several luxury safari lodges have recently cropped in and around South Africa's Kruger

what makes countries like Iceland and South Africa more affordable

Answer: the pound

Answer: making some once-pricey trips more affordable.

Answer: The turmoil has roiled currency markets, making some once-pricey trips more affordable.

Answer: currency markets,

Summary:
Travel deals to popular destinations are a silver lining of the financial meltdown .
Weak currencies make countries like Iceland and South Africa more affordable .
Discounts are being rolled out to lure budget-conscious travelers .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Strange lights in the sky, mysterious flashes, dozens of witnesses, a missing wind turbine blade and a tabloid splash featuring the pun: E.T. farm harm. The Sun tabloid newspaper's UFO splash. Let's hope there isn't intelligent life out there watching us. Britain's tabloid Sun newspaper Thursday proclaimed from its front page that a wind turbine was ruined after a UFO hit one of its 20 meter-long blades in Conisholme, Lincolnshire. Dorothy Willows, who lives near the damaged turbine, told The Sun she was in her car when she saw strange lights in the sky. "The lights were moving across the sky towards the wind farm. Then I saw a low flying object. It was skimming across the sky towards the turbines." Apparently, hours later, she and her husband were woken by a big bang; one of the turbine's three blades had gone. It, was, however, on the ground below. Other locals told the newspaper that the lights looked like "balls of flames." Russ Kellett, a UFO expert, told the newspaper: "Balls of light were seen in the sky and the MoD [Ministry of Defence] has no explanation. It must have taken a pretty massive object. We are very, very, very excited." However, The Guardian newspaper's Web site content director Emily Bell had a simple explanation for all those "balls of light" in the sky. She told The Guardian the lights were fireworks her brother Tim had bought at the local garden center for the 80th birthday party of dad Peter Bell. "It was a medium-sized fireworks display with absolutely no ballistics, and the fireworks were mostly dropping over my parents' house. But we were laughing that we could have broken the wind turbine," Emily said. "There we are in the middle of a scoop and we're beaten to it by a red-top tabloid," Emily's mother Bridget, 74, told The Guardian. Later Thursday, the British Press Association reported the blade may have come off after a mechanical failure. Fraser McLachlan, chief executive of GCube, which insures more than 25,000 wind turbines worldwide, told PA that although it was unusual, this kind of incident happened up to six times a year. "It does happen that a blade will sometimes just come off a machine for one reason or another," he said. "The main reason is the blade may shear. "We don't normally see things like aircraft -- or UFOs -- hitting them. It's usually a mechanical failure that causes the blade to separate from the main hub." He said the cold weather was another possible cause. Dr Peter Schubel, an expert in the design and manufacture of wind turbine blades at the University of Nottingham, agreed. He told the BBC that if the turbine blade was still, it would take a 10-tonne load to remove a blade, but if it was rotating the force could be a lot less. "It's definitely not a bird. It could be ice thrown from a neighbouring turbine that struck it." Aliens out of control or simple mechanical failure? A case for Mulder and Scully? What do you think?

What did the second newspaper say the lights were?

What does the tabloid blame for destroying the turbine blade?

What is an alternative explanation for the lights?

What did a second newspaper attribute the lights to?

what were the local people quoted as saying

What are the tabloids blaming for destroying wind turbine blade?

What was quoted to have been seen in the sky?

Answer: Strange

Answer: Strange lights

Answer: fireworks

Answer: a UFO

Answer: damaged turbine,

Answer: fireworks

Answer: fireworks

Answer: the lights looked like "balls of flames."

Answer: a UFO hit one of its 20 meter-long

Answer: that a wind turbine was ruined after a UFO hit one of its 20 meter-long blades

Answer: fireworks

Answer: Strange lights

Summary:
British tabloid blames UFO for destroying wind turbine blade .
Newspaper quotes locals saying there were "strange lights" in the sky .
Second newspaper says lights were fireworks from staff member's family celebration .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Suits were swapped for jeans and sneakers throughout London's financial district today, as bankers heeded warnings to dress down to avoid the potential wrath of G-20 protestors.

Bankers in London head to work in casual attire. Many city workers have been urged to dress down to avoid attention from protesters.

"Only about 20 percent of people probably just refused to dress down. Everybody else is in jeans," said Jesse Feldman, a banker at French investment bank, Société Générale.

All week banks and investment firms located in London's City neighborhood have been advising employees to not dress in regular business attire.

"Staff are permitted to wear casual clothing -- jeans/trainers -- commencing March 30. Avoid briefcases/branded bags/computer cases: Put materials in rucksacks or carrier bags where possible," U.S. bank, J.P. Morgan told employees in an email statement last week quoted on City news Web site Hereisthecity.com.

Employees at Rothschild investment bank in London were told simply not to bother coming into work at all today.

Among those who did commute to the office, bystanders said that the bankers are still easy to spot, conspicuously reading UK newspaper The Financial Times or dressing in a uniform business casual look.

"On the tube this morning I thought it was ridiculous because all these bankers couldn't have looked more like bankers trying to dress down," Feldman told CNN.

Instead of jackets, ties and Oxford shoes, polo shirts, khakis and loafers now fill the streets around the City and much of central London.

"I saw two bankers wearing matching baby blue sweaters, tight jeans and Church's -- ridiculous," Feldman added, referring to the up-scale brand of traditional English shoes.

One Web site that covers news and gossip in the City has been tracking the banker backlash to the warnings.

"It's a mixture: people are falling into two types. The banks and the funds are certainly encouraging the staff to wear casual dress, but some are determined they won't cower to protestors and are still showing up in suits," said Vic Daniels, publisher of HereistheCity.com.

On Monday, Bloomberg quoted one City professional, Graham Williams, 66, who said: "We're not pansies ... most of us have played rugby or boxed.

"If any of those guys do get violent against us individually because we are wearing a suit, we will take action."

The site also offers humorous advice for bankers to respond to protestors by dumping "large blocks of ice" to "render them harmless," and encouraging bankers to "find your inner G20 [sic] spot."

Despite the jokes, precautions proved valuable Wednesday as thousands of angry anti-capitalist protestors converged on the City for demonstrations to coincide with the G-20 summit.

By midday protestors had started smashing windows at a branch The Royal Bank of Scotland.

Earlier in the day 11 people were arrested after being stopped in an armored personnel carrier. Thousands of police are continuing to patrol the streets in anti-riot gear.

who were warned employees not to wear suits?

who dressed down for work in London today?

Answer: "We're not pansies

Answer: bankers

Answer: heeded warnings to dress down to avoid the potential wrath of G-20 protestors.

Answer: Bankers

Answer: Graham Williams,

Answer: the potential wrath of G-20 protestors.

Summary:
Fearing protesters bankers dressed down for work in London today .
Banks and businesses in the City warned employees not to wear suits .
Some said bankers remained conspicuous despite attempts to dress casually .
"We are not pansies," said one defiant City worker, still wearing a suit .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Taliban leaders are holding Saudi-brokered talks with the Afghan government to end the country's bloody conflict -- and are severing their ties with al Qaeda, sources close to the historic discussions have told CNN. King Abdullah of Saudia Arabia hosted meetings between the Afghan government and the Taliban, a source says. The militia, which has been intensifying its attacks on the U.S.-led coalition that toppled it from power in 2001 for harboring Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, has been involved in four days of talks hosted by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, says the source. The talks -- the first of their kind aimed at resolving the lengthy conflict in Afghanistan -- mark a significant move by the Saudi leadership to take a direct role in Afghanistan, hosting delegates who have until recently been their enemies. They also mark a sidestepping of key "war on terror" ally Pakistan, frequently accused of not doing enough to tackle militants sheltering on its territory, which has previously been a conduit for talks between the Saudis and Afghanistan. According to the source, fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar -- high on the U.S. military's most-wanted list -- was not present, but his representatives were keen to stress the reclusive cleric is no longer allied to al Qaeda. Details of the Taliban leader's split with al Qaeda have never been made public before, but the new claims confirm what another source with an intimate knowledge of the militia and Mullah Omar has told CNN in the past. The current round of talks, said to have been taken two years of intense behind-the-scenes negotiations to come to fruition, is anticipated to be the first step in a long process to secure a negotiated end to the conflict. But U.S.- and Europe-friendly Saudi Arabia's involvement has been propelled by a mounting death toll among coalition troops amid a worsening violence that has also claimed many civilian casualties. A Saudi source familiar with the talks confirmed that they happened and said the Saudis take seriously their role in facilitating discussions between parties to the conflict. A second round of talks is scheduled to take place in two months, the Saudi source said. The Afghan government believes the Taliban cannot be defeated militarily, and the Taliban believe that they can't win a war against the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, the Saudi source said. The involvement of the Saudis is also seen as an expression of fear that Iran could take advantage of U.S. failings in Afghanistan, as it is seen to be doing in Iraq. Several Afghan sources familiar with Iranian activities in Afghanistan have said Iranian officials and diplomats who are investing in business and building education facilities are lobbying politicians in Kabul.  Learn more about King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia » The Afghan sources wish to remain anonymous due to their political roles. Coalition commanders regularly accuse Iran of arming the Taliban, and Western diplomats privately suggest that Iran is working against U.S. interests in Afghanistan, making it harder to bring peace. Saudi sources say perceived Iranian expansionism is one of Saudi Arabia's biggest concerns.  Watch CNN's Nic Robertson report on the meeting » The talks in Mecca took place between September 24 and 27 and involved 11 Taliban delegates, two Afghan government officials, a representative of former mujahadeen commander and U.S. foe Gulbadin Hekmatyar, and three others. King Abdullah broke fast during the Eid al-Fitr holiday with the 17-member Afghan delegation -- an act intended to show his commitment to ending the conflict. Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.  Learn more about Ramadan » Saudi Arabia was one of only three countries that recognized the Taliban leadership during its rule over Afghanistan in the 1990s, but that relationship was severed over Mullah Omar's refusal to hand over bin Laden. During the talks, described as an ice breaker, all parties agreed that the only solution to Afghanistan's conflict is through dialogue, not fighting. Further talks are expected in Saudi Arabia involving this core group and others.

about what are the talks?
Where did King Abdullah host the talks?
What has the King done recently?
What did they all agree?
What is the sole topic of the talks?
Who hosted the talks?

Answer: resolving the lengthy conflict in Afghanistan

Answer: Mecca

Answer: hosted meetings between the Afghan government and the Taliban,

Answer: that the only solution to Afghanistan's conflict is through dialogue, not fighting.

Answer: end the country's bloody conflict

Answer: King Abdullah of Saudia Arabia

Summary:
King Abdullah hosted talks in city of Mecca at end of September, source says .
Saudi Arabia has generally dealt with Afghanistan through Pakistan .
Talks are the first aimed at bringing a negotiated settlement to the Afghan conflict .
All parties agreed only solution to Afghan conflict is dialogue, not fighting .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Teratomas of the brain are very rare and comprise less than 1 per cent of all brain tumors. Teratomas have been the subject of intense fascination among scientists because of their sometimes strange qualities -- some have been reported to contain hair, teeth, bone and, very rarely, more complex organs such as eyeballs. Thoughts about the origin of these tumors have attracted much debate. CNN spoke with Dr. Thomas L. Ellis, senior neurosurgeon at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, in North Carolina, United States, about the tumors sometimes known as "the monsters". He explained some quick facts: • "Teratoma" comes from the Greek word "teraton," meaning "monster". • Teratomas are seen most commonly in children and young adults. • Teratomas are made up of tissue from all three germ layers -- mesoderm, ectoderm, and endoderm -- that occur during the formation of an embryo. • Although teratomas can occur during embryonic development, most arise much later in life. • Teratomas occur most often in the midline of the brain, therefore often obstructing and putting pressure on critical areas of the brain. This can lead to loss of basic functions, but this loss can be temporary -- until the tumor is removed or reduced in size. • Teratomas are commonly very solid and rubbery making them resistant to dissection with standard instruments.

what contains tissue
what is rare tumour
how many percent
where comes teratoma?

Answer: Teratomas

Answer: Teratomas of the brain

Answer: less than 1

Answer: from the Greek word "teraton," meaning "monster".

Summary:
Teratomas of the brain are very rare tumors -- less than 1% of all brain tumors .
"Mature" teratomas sometimes contain highly developed tissues like teeth and hair .
"Teratoma" comes from the Greek word "teraton," meaning "monster".


LONDON, England (CNN) -- The "crime scene cookies", "baaji custard" and "sponge shafts" depicted in Oliver Beale's letter of complaint to Virgin Atlantic struck a chord worldwide.

Mean cuisine? Airline industry experts insist standards of in-flight food are improving.

The missive he sent to Virgin chairman Sir Richard Branson about a meal he received on board a Virgin flight from Mumbai to London in December spread across the web and email with a vengeance.

Not only was this a complaint letter par excellence, but it hit upon one of the most emotive subjects of long-haul air travel: the in-flight meal.

Read the letter here.

"Food gets everybody going, whether they are sitting at the back end or the front end of the plane," says Peter Miller, marketing director at Skytrax, a UK-based aviation research organization.

"Apart from the sheer fact you might be hungry, it is there to alleviate the boredom. Because of that people tend to focus on it more."

But the criticism passengers target at airline food is not always warranted, Miller argues.

Skytrax has been tracking airline service for a decade and every year it ranks airlines according to catering in economy, business and first class.

Miller acknowledges that there have been cut backs on catering across short-haul flights and a decline in spending on food in long-haul economy.

But Skytrax's research has also revealed a general improvement in standards over the last five years. "We are actually strong supporters of the overall quality that is served up across most airlines in most parts of the world," says Miller.

Standards have improved firstly as a result of greater competition between airline catering companies, says Miller. What do you think? Are in-flight meals getting better or worse? What was your worse meal? Sound off below.

Austrian catering company DO & CO has transformed the food served onboard Austrian Airlines and Turkish Airlines flights. Skytrax reported a 35 percent increase in customer satisfaction for Turkish Airlines since DO & CO was hired in 2007.

"In the last 15-20 years, the industry has focused on lean production. But we believe [airline catering] is not the job of a car manufacturer," says Attila Dogudan, CEO of DO & CO.

Good quality airline food not only depends on the quality of raw ingredients, he says, but also the intangible elements of good cuisine.

"If you have chefs doing 3,000 filets on the grill, after 300 they lose the passion," says Dogudan. To inspire enthusiasm in its kitchens, DO & CO says it employs an unusually high ratio of chefs to work on a greater variety of dishes.

They say they also insist on training cabin staff in food service; they replace the dreaded disposable food trays with crockery; and give passengers menus explaining where their fresh, local ingredients come from.

Airlines also use food as a marketing tool and improve standards to attract premium customers.

Austrian Airlines has won the Skytrax award for Best Business Class Catering for the last two years. As Michael Braun, spokesman at Austrian Airlines says, "the current situation in the airline industry is tough and costs have to be cut. But the competition is also very tough, so we need something that makes us unique compared to other airlines."

And for Austrian Airlines, one unique selling point is its food.

There is an on-board chef on every Austrian Airlines flight who puts the crucial finishing touches on premium-class meals.

The airline also offers a "Vienna coffee house in the air" and one quarter of flight attendants are trained sommeliers to guide passengers through the extensive wine list.

Airlines worldwide also hire celebrity chefs to add prestige to their culinary efforts. British chef, Gordon Ramsay is one of Singapore Airline's "Culinary Panel"; Juan Amador works with Lufthansa; and United Airlines enlisted the services of U.S. chef Charlie Trotter to inspire its in-flight menu.

Chefs help airlines design meals that perform at high altitude. As Michelle Bernstein

Which airline's passenger complained about the food?

What item has been criticized within the airplane industry?

Answer: "crime scene cookies", "baaji custard"

Answer: in-flight food

Answer: Oliver Beale's

Answer: are

Answer: in-flight food

Answer: insist standards of in-flight food are improving.

Summary:
In-flight food has been the butt of much criticism for the airline industry .
Industry experts say quality is improving despite some budget cutbacks .
Airline food is back in focus after a six-page rant from a Virgin passenger .
The complaint letter referred to the passenger's "culinary journey of hell"


LONDON, England (CNN) -- The 1992 Hollywood movie "Lorenzo's Oil," depicts the true story of Lorenzo, a five-year-old boy who suffered from adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), a rare and incurable disease that slowly destroys the entire nervous system. Michaela Damin and her son, Nick, who suffers from  an extremely rare disease that affects the heart. The movie showed how Lorenzo's grave physical and mental decline was finally stopped when his tireless parents found a treatment based on a mixture of oils, despite skepticism from doctors. The film illustrated perfectly the struggle faced by patients suffering from any of 6,000 known rare conditions worldwide, generally known as orphan diseases. Michaela Damin, founder of the Barth Syndrome Trust, whose son, Nick, suffers from this crippling syndrome that affects the heart and immune system and only has 130 known sufferers worldwide, told CNN: "It can take years to get the correct diagnosis and even then there may be no expert who knows what to do next." The fact remains that rare diseases are still mostly overlooked by pharmaceutical companies because of the small patient population and lack of financial incentives. Drug companies tend to focus on the more lucrative "blockbuster drugs" for common diseases, at the expense of cures for rare conditions. The term "orphan drug" was originally coined because the pharmaceutical industry took little or no interest in discovery, development and marketing of drugs for rare diseases. According to the European Organization for Rare Diseases, rare diseases affect between three and five percent of the population in developed countries. In the European Union, a disease is considered rare if it affects fewer than five in 10,000 people, while in the United States the disease must affect fewer than 200,000 people. Many countries, such as the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom, have therefore attempted to encourage pharmaceutical companies to invest in orphan diseases by giving them tax incentives, fee reductions and extensions of patent rights. The United States was the first country to develop an orphan drug law in 1983, followed by Japan and Australia. In 1997, the Australian Orphan Drugs policy was set up to help manufacturers overcome the high cost of marketing drugs which have not proved to be commercially viable. Since 1998, the EU has also devoted time and resources to rare diseases and passing laws that have led to more research and development in the field. But even when treatments are developed, they generally remain extremely expensive.  See where to get help for rare diseases » Genzyme, one of the pharmaceutical companies that focuses primarily on rare diseases, has long charged more than $300,000 a year for patients on Cerezyme, a drug used to treat Gaucher disease, an extremely rare condition that causes bone deterioration, among other symptoms. Do you know someone who has a rare disease? Tell us in the Sound off below or send us an iReport Only about 5,000 people around the world are taking Cerezyme. Genzyme says that justifies the high price.  See images of children living with rare diseases » "The cost of developing therapies for very rare diseases is not substantially lower than those for common diseases and can take years," Steve Bates of Genzyme told CNN. In their 2005 book on orphan drugs, Daniel Hagn and Oliver Schoffski wrote that on average, only one of 5,000 to 10,000 substances tested gets as far as market authorization and that it takes eight to 12 years and €895 million ($1.2 billion)  to develop and market a new drug. Bates said Genzyme needs to recoup those high costs and that profits are the motive for further research: "Our profits are then re-directed into research for new drugs." Genzyme's global revenue in 2008 was $4.6 billion, Bates told CNN. A spokeswoman for French drug firm Hoffmann-La Roche told CNN: "There is a Roche Working Group on orphan diseases, but not a separate department." She declined to say how much the company's resources were allocated for research into the diseases. While Pfizer spokesman Oliver Stohlmann told CNN in a written statement

what is the number of rare diseases worldwide

Answer: 6,000

Summary:
More than 6,000 known rare diseases worldwide .
30 million Europeans have a rare disease at some point in their lives .
Small number of patients per disease means pharmaceuticals pay little notice .
EU resolution to be passed in June calls for national plans on rare diseases .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- The 2002 World Cup tournament was the first one held in Asia and was instrumental in bringing the world's attention to the continent's footballing talents. Michael Chopra was the first player of Indian parentage to play and score in the English Premier League. It was seen as Asia's chance to show the rest of the world what it had to offer on the pitch and with South Korea reaching the last four of the tournament, the rest of the world was impressed. However, since then few footballers of Asian origin have made an impact outside of the Asian Federation Cup (AFC) -- the largest league in terms of area and population. A new initiative, spearheaded by Chelsea FC, has been launched in the UK to search for talented youngsters from backgrounds not commonly found among today's top footballers such as India and Pakistan. See a gallery of the best Asian players Chelsea have teamed up with the Football Association (FA),  anti-racism campaigners Kick It Out and the Asian Media Group for the The Search for an Asian Star event to be held in May at Chelsea's training ground in Stamford Bridge, London. The search is aimed at players in the under 12, 13 and 14 age groups and is open to players based in London and the south-east of England who hail from Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi backgrounds. "We realize there is a lack of representation of players from Asian backgrounds within the game and we hope that the competition will help inspire Asian youngsters," former Chelsea and England full-back Graeme Le Saux told thefa.com. "We want to show that race is no barrier to joining our club and that opportunities for Asian players do exist. It is important all clubs share our ambition that players should only be judged on their talent and their potential."

Answer: Michael Chopra

Answer: Michael Chopra

Summary:
A new initiative is launched to find the Asian football stars of the future .
Players aged 12 to 14 will be put through their paces by Chelsea FC staff .
English football currently boasts very few players of Asian descent .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- The BBC is refusing to broadcast a plea from leading British charities for aid to Gaza, saying the ad would compromise the public broadcaster's appearance of impartiality.

Demonstrators protest at the BBC's central London offices Saturday against the broadcaster's decision.

The decision prompted weekend protests in England and Scotland, with one group saying Sunday that 100 people had occupied the foyer of the BBC building in Glasgow, Scotland and would not leave until the BBC runs the ad.

The Disasters Emergency Committee, which includes the British Red Cross, Oxfam, Save the Children and 10 other charities, plans to launch the ad on Monday.

British broadcasters, led by the BBC, originally declined to air the appeal -- but in the face of criticism from government ministers and others, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 changed their minds. CNN was not approached to broadcast the ad, a DEC spokesman said.

About 5,000 people demonstrated in front of the BBC's Broadcasting House in central London on Saturday over the broadcaster's stance. Seven people were arrested.  Watch protest against BBC decision »

In Glasgow, the London-based Stop the War Coalition said Sunday its supporters had moved into the foyer of the BBC building in what the group described as a peaceful protest.

The group did not plan to move beyond the foyer but intended to stay there until the BBC changes its decision, said Keith Boyd, a coalition member who called CNN on Sunday.

"Primarily we are asking that the ad be shown," Boyd said.

The BBC press office would not confirm whether its Glasgow office was being occupied or if protesters were even there.

"We don't comment on individual demonstrations," a statement from the BBC press office said.

The BBC is standing by its decision to not air the ad, director general Mark Thompson wrote in a blog post on the corporation's Web site.

"We concluded that we could not broadcast a free-standing appeal, no matter how carefully constructed, without running the risk of reducing public confidence in the BBC's impartiality in its wider coverage of the story," he wrote Saturday.

"Inevitably an appeal would use pictures which are the same or similar to those we would be using in our news programs but would do so with the objective of encouraging public donations. The danger for the BBC is that this could be interpreted as taking a political stance on an ongoing story," Thompson said.

"Gaza remains a major ongoing news story, in which humanitarian issues -- the suffering and distress of civilians and combatants on both sides of the conflict, the debate about who is responsible for causing it and what should be done about it -- are both at the heart of the story and contentious," he added.

The BBC, which is funded by an obligatory license fee paid by every British household with a television, is required by its charter to be impartial. It does not carry commercial advertising but does broadcast charity appeals.

The DEC is "disappointed that the BBC declined to support the Gaza appeal," the spokesman told CNN. "It might limit the reach of our key message to the general public."

The spokesman, who asked not to be named, said the BBC had to make its own decision about impartiality.

"That is a decision they must make. We have no view on that subject," he said.

Many readers of Thompson's blog post did have a view, however. The statement got hundreds of comments, most of them critical of the BBC.

A commenter who signed in as "bully--baiter" said the BBC was taking a side, no matter what it did.

"Sorry Mr. Thompson but you cannot have it both ways. If deciding to accede to the DEC request would be seen as political then deciding not to accede to it is also political. Don't insult me with your disingenuous attempts to suggest it is otherwise," the commenter wrote.

Other commenters simply rejected Thompson's position out of hand.

"I think the

on which date disasters emergency committee will launch appeal?

Answer: The BBC

Answer: an obligatory license fee paid

Answer: British Red Cross, Oxfam, Save the Children and 10 other charities,

Answer: Glasgow office

Answer: the foyer of the BBC building in Glasgow, Scotland

Answer: aid to Gaza,

Answer: Monday.

Summary:
NEW: Protesters occupy part of BBC building in Scotland, group says .
U.K. charity group Disasters Emergency Committee to launch appeal for Gaza aid .
BBC refuses to broadcast ad, says would compromise appearance of impartiality .
BBC, funded by obligatory license fee, is required by charter to be impartial .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- The BBC is refusing to broadcast a plea from leading British charities for aid to Gaza, saying the ad would compromise the public broadcaster's appearance of impartiality. Demonstrators protest at the BBC's central London offices Saturday against the broadcaster's decision. The decision prompted weekend protests in England and Scotland, with one group saying Sunday that 100 people had occupied the foyer of the BBC building in Glasgow, Scotland and would not leave until the BBC runs the ad. The Disasters Emergency Committee, which includes the British Red Cross, Oxfam, Save the Children and 10 other charities, plans to launch the ad on Monday. British broadcasters, led by the BBC, originally declined to air the appeal -- but in the face of criticism from government ministers and others, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 changed their minds. CNN was not approached to broadcast the ad, a DEC spokesman said. About 5,000 people demonstrated in front of the BBC's Broadcasting House in central London on Saturday over the broadcaster's stance. Seven people were arrested.  Watch protest against BBC decision » In Glasgow, the London-based Stop the War Coalition said Sunday its supporters had moved into the foyer of the BBC building in what the group described as a peaceful protest. The group did not plan to move beyond the foyer but intended to stay there until the BBC changes its decision, said Keith Boyd, a coalition member who called CNN on Sunday. "Primarily we are asking that the ad be shown," Boyd said. The BBC press office would not confirm whether its Glasgow office was being occupied or if protesters were even there. "We don't comment on individual demonstrations," a statement from the BBC press office said. The BBC is standing by its decision to not air the ad, director general Mark Thompson wrote in a blog post on the corporation's Web site. "We concluded that we could not broadcast a free-standing appeal, no matter how carefully constructed, without running the risk of reducing public confidence in the BBC's impartiality in its wider coverage of the story," he wrote Saturday. "Inevitably an appeal would use pictures which are the same or similar to those we would be using in our news programs but would do so with the objective of encouraging public donations. The danger for the BBC is that this could be interpreted as taking a political stance on an ongoing story," Thompson said. "Gaza remains a major ongoing news story, in which humanitarian issues -- the suffering and distress of civilians and combatants on both sides of the conflict, the debate about who is responsible for causing it and what should be done about it -- are both at the heart of the story and contentious," he added. The BBC, which is funded by an obligatory license fee paid by every British household with a television, is required by its charter to be impartial. It does not carry commercial advertising but does broadcast charity appeals. The DEC is "disappointed that the BBC declined to support the Gaza appeal," the spokesman told CNN. "It might limit the reach of our key message to the general public." The spokesman, who asked not to be named, said the BBC had to make its own decision about impartiality. "That is a decision they must make. We have no view on that subject," he said. Many readers of Thompson's blog post did have a view, however. The statement got hundreds of comments, most of them critical of the BBC. A commenter who signed in as "bully--baiter" said the BBC was taking a side, no matter what it did. "Sorry Mr. Thompson but you cannot have it both ways. If deciding to accede to the DEC request would be seen as political then deciding not to accede to it is also political. Don't insult me with your disingenuous attempts to suggest it is otherwise," the commenter wrote. Other commenters simply rejected Thompson's position out of hand. "I think the

Who is funded by obligatory license fee?

Which charity is launching an appeal for Gaza aid?

Which U.K. charity group is looking for Gaza aid?

Where was the building the protesters occupied?

Answer: The BBC,

Answer: BBC

Answer: The Disasters Emergency Committee,

Answer: in Glasgow, Scotland

Answer: Disasters Emergency Committee,

Answer: its charter

Answer: in Glasgow, Scotland

Answer: foyer of the BBC building

Answer: The BBC

Summary:
NEW: Protesters occupy part of BBC building in Scotland, group says .
U.K. charity group Disasters Emergency Committee to launch appeal for Gaza aid .
BBC refuses to broadcast ad, says would compromise appearance of impartiality .
BBC, funded by obligatory license fee, is required by charter to be impartial .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- The British government announced Friday that more than 4,000 former Gurkha soldiers are entitled to settle in Britain, but Gurkha supporters quickly denounced the measure as meaningless.

Former Gurkha solider Tulbahadur Pun was awarded Britain's highest honor for bravery, the Victoria Cross.

Supporters have fought for years for more rights for the Gurkhas, Nepalese soldiers who have been part of the British Army for nearly 200 years.

Gurkhas have fought alongside the British Armed Forces in every conflict in that period, including both world wars, and are known for their ferocity and pride.

Despite their centuries of service, Gurkhas were not given the right to settle in the United Kingdom until 2004.

And even then the order applied only to those discharged after the British handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, when the Gurkhas Brigade moved from Hong Kong to Britain.

The government's announcement Friday applies to all Gurkhas, including those who left the army before 1997, if they meet one of five criteria.

It also says around 6,000 of the Gurkhas' dependents may be able to apply for settlement in Britain as well.

"The guidance honors the service, commitment, and gallantry of those who served with the Gurkhas Brigade," Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said in a written statement.

The Gurkha Justice Campaign, however, said the government's criteria for the Gurkhas' resettlement are unrealistic and too difficult for many of the soldiers to meet.

"Only a tiny fraction of the Gurkhas who retired before 1997 will win settlement rights under the new policy," the campaign said.

"The campaign for full Gurkha justice will now be taken back into Parliament and the courts. The government needs to know they will have a huge campaign against them who will commit to righting this wrong."

The High Court ruled last September that the 1997 cut-off date was fair, but added that caseworkers needed revised guidance on deciding the cases of Gurkhas discharged before that date.

Under the guidance, Gurkhas discharged before 1997 must meet one of five criteria to be considered for resettlement in Britain:

• Have three years' continuous residence in Britain, before or after service; • Have close family settled in the United Kingdom; • Have an award for gallantry, leadership, or bravery while in the brigade; • Have a chronic medical condition attributable to or made worse by army service; • Have served for 20 or more years.

Actress Joanna Lumley, whose father served in the Gurkhas while she was a girl, has been an outspoken campaigner for their rights. She said the new criteria are harsher than she expected.

"They've given five bullet points which virtually cannot be met by the ordinary Gurkha soldier," Lumley told reporters Friday. "This one page of criteria has taken the government four months to come up with. It has made me ashamed of our administration."

She said most Gurkhas are allowed to stay in the United Kingdom for only two years, so three years of continuous residence is not possible. Most Gurkhas, she said, also have not been allowed to settle in Britain with their families.

The requirement for having won an award discriminates against the ordinary soldier who has no award, she said.

"This sends out not only to the Gurkha soldiers, but to our own men fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, the most appalling message: that unless you have been awarded a medal for gallantry, you're not a real soldier," Lumley said.

Only officers are allowed to serve 20 or more years, she said, so most riflemen will not qualify for the service requirement. And proving that an injury is related to army service will be nearly impossible for most, she said.

"How on earth are men who were injured in the 1940s, '50s, '60s going to be able to prove that their long-term chronic illness is attributable to injures received during their service?" she said.

A Home Office spokesman said the government believes hundreds of Gurkhas will still be eligible to settle in Britain.

"We

How many will there be
What did British government do?
Where are they from?
Who are the Gurkhas made up of?
where are they to live

Answer: 4,000

Answer: announced Friday that more than 4,000 former Gurkha

Answer: Hong Kong

Answer: have been part of the British Army for nearly 200 years.

Answer: Britain,

Summary:
British government unveils moves to let more former Gurkha troops live in the UK .
Gurkhas are part of British armed forces made up of Nepalese fighters .
Campaigners say qualifying criteria mean most will not be able to settle in UK .
First Gurkha units formed in 1815 and they fought in every campaign since .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- The British government announced Friday that more than 4,000 former Gurkha soldiers are entitled to settle in Britain, but Gurkha supporters quickly denounced the measure as meaningless. Former Gurkha solider Tulbahadur Pun was awarded Britain's highest honor for bravery, the Victoria Cross. Supporters have fought for years for more rights for the Gurkhas, Nepalese soldiers who have been part of the British Army for nearly 200 years. Gurkhas have fought alongside the British Armed Forces in every conflict in that period, including both world wars, and are known for their ferocity and pride. Despite their centuries of service, Gurkhas were not given the right to settle in the United Kingdom until 2004. And even then the order applied only to those discharged after the British handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, when the Gurkhas Brigade moved from Hong Kong to Britain. The government's announcement Friday applies to all Gurkhas, including those who left the army before 1997, if they meet one of five criteria. It also says around 6,000 of the Gurkhas' dependents may be able to apply for settlement in Britain as well. "The guidance honors the service, commitment, and gallantry of those who served with the Gurkhas Brigade," Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said in a written statement. The Gurkha Justice Campaign, however, said the government's criteria for the Gurkhas' resettlement are unrealistic and too difficult for many of the soldiers to meet. "Only a tiny fraction of the Gurkhas who retired before 1997 will win settlement rights under the new policy," the campaign said. "The campaign for full Gurkha justice will now be taken back into Parliament and the courts. The government needs to know they will have a huge campaign against them who will commit to righting this wrong." The High Court ruled last September that the 1997 cut-off date was fair, but added that caseworkers needed revised guidance on deciding the cases of Gurkhas discharged before that date. Under the guidance, Gurkhas discharged before 1997 must meet one of five criteria to be considered for resettlement in Britain: • Have three years' continuous residence in Britain, before or after service; • Have close family settled in the United Kingdom; • Have an award for gallantry, leadership, or bravery while in the brigade; • Have a chronic medical condition attributable to or made worse by army service; • Have served for 20 or more years. Actress Joanna Lumley, whose father served in the Gurkhas while she was a girl, has been an outspoken campaigner for their rights. She said the new criteria are harsher than she expected. "They've given five bullet points which virtually cannot be met by the ordinary Gurkha soldier," Lumley told reporters Friday. "This one page of criteria has taken the government four months to come up with. It has made me ashamed of our administration." She said most Gurkhas are allowed to stay in the United Kingdom for only two years, so three years of continuous residence is not possible. Most Gurkhas, she said, also have not been allowed to settle in Britain with their families. The requirement for having won an award discriminates against the ordinary soldier who has no award, she said. "This sends out not only to the Gurkha soldiers, but to our own men fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, the most appalling message: that unless you have been awarded a medal for gallantry, you're not a real soldier," Lumley said. Only officers are allowed to serve 20 or more years, she said, so most riflemen will not qualify for the service requirement. And proving that an injury is related to army service will be nearly impossible for most, she said. "How on earth are men who were injured in the 1940s, '50s, '60s going to be able to prove that their long-term chronic illness is attributable to injures received during their service?" she said. A Home Office spokesman said the government believes hundreds of Gurkhas will still be eligible to settle in Britain. "We

What allows Gurkha troops to live in the UK?

Answer: soldiers are entitled to settle in Britain,

Answer: Have three years' continuous residence in Britain, before or after service;

Answer: the Gurkhas,

Answer: Nepalese soldiers who have been part of the British Army for nearly 200 years.

Summary:
British government unveils moves to let more former Gurkha troops live in the UK .
Gurkhas are part of British armed forces made up of Nepalese fighters .
Campaigners say qualifying criteria mean most will not be able to settle in UK .
First Gurkha units formed in 1815 and they fought in every campaign since .


LONDON, England (CNN) -- The British government is buying 10,000 Taser stun guns for police officers across England and Wales, Britain's Home Office said Monday. British police officers use a Taser gun to tackle a mock suspect in a training exercise. The move will expand the ranks of officers carrying the weapons from "select firearms squads" to "thousands of trained frontline officers," according to the Home Office, which is responsible for domestic policing. Home Secretary (Interior Minister) Jacqui Smith said police "deserve our support, so I want to give the police the tools they tell me they need to confront dangerous people. That is why I am giving the police 10,000 Tasers." The guns fire barbed darts charged with enough electricity to stun a person, the Home Office said. But Amnesty International UK described them as "potentially lethal electrical weapons" that deliver "50,000 volts of electricity into a person's body. The result is excruciatingly painful, causing a person to fall to the ground and, at times, lose control of their bodily functions." The human rights group, however, expressed qualified support for the British government move, urging that the weapons be given only to officers specially trained to use them. "We don't actually oppose the use of Tasers as long as it's by a limited number of highly trained specialist officers, responding to genuinely life-threatening or very dangerous situations," said Oliver Sprague, the organization's arms program director. But, he added: "Tasers are potentially lethal weapons which are already linked to numerous deaths in North America and that's why wide deployment without adequate training is a dangerous step too far for British policing." "The home secretary should urgently review this decision and ensure that Tasers only end up in the hands of a small number of fully trained officers capable of making the potentially fatal decision over whether to fire 50,000 volts into a person's body." Amnesty says more than 300 people have died after being shot with Tasers since 2001. The decision to introduce Tasers across England and Wales follows what the government called a successful pilot program with officers from 10 police forces, including London's Metropolitan Police and forces responsible for Liverpool and Bristol. The test ran for 12 months from September 2007 with constables who had not previously carried firearms, a Home Office spokesman said. Before the pilot program, approximately 6,000 specially trained firearms officers across the country had access to Tasers starting in 2004. Most British police officers do not carry any kind of firearm, Home Secretary Smith emphasized in her statement, a fact she said she was proud of.

Police were armed with taser guns in England and where else?

The barbed darts were charged with enough electricity to do what to a person?

Answer: "potentially lethal electrical weapons"

Answer: police officers

Answer: Amnesty International UK

Answer: Wales,

Answer: Amnesty International UK

Answer: stun

Answer: British police officers

Summary:
Police officers across England and Wales to armed with Taser stun guns .
Guns fire barbed darts charged with enough electricity to stun a person .
Decision to roll out Tasers across England and Wales follows pilot program .
Human rights group criticizes plan to use "potentially lethal electrical weapons"